6 Unique Cafes & Tea Houses in the Kaga Area (Katayamazu, Yamashiro, Yamanaka Onsen, and Komatsu) Worth Making a Trip For
Kaga is dotted with wonderful cafes and tea houses across a wide area, from the town centers and mountains to Yamashiro and Yamanaka Onsen. Each place shines with its own unique menu, location, and interior, and choosing one based on your mood or purpose will surely enhance your trip.
Focusing on cafes in the two hot spring towns, we also introduce cafes around Komatsu Airport and Komatsu Station.
1Maruhachi Seicha Main Store
Enjoy carefully selected Japanese tea at a long-established Kaga Bocha shop
Located about a 15-minute walk from Iburihashi Station, Maruhachi Seichajo is a Japanese tea specialty shop founded in 1863 (Bunkyu 3) and known for its Kaga Bocha (roasted twig tea). At "MISHO," the tea house attached to the head office and factory, you can enjoy roasted teas, including their signature "Kenjo Kaga Bocha," as well as sencha and tea arrangements. We also recommend the "Roasted Tea Tasting Set," which allows you to compare three different types of roasted tea. Seasonal sweets are also available to accompany your tea. Be sure to try the pairings.
Enjoy encounters with artwork in a gallery that changes approximately every month
The interior, renovated in 2024, is striking for its large white table. You can relax and enjoy Japanese tea in this spacious, open environment. The tea you taste can be purchased at the shop, making it perfect for finding souvenirs.
The adjacent gallery space exhibits craft works primarily by artists from Ishikawa Prefecture, and you can also purchase any pieces that catch your eye.
- Maruhachi Seicha Main Store
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Ta-1-8, Iburihashi-machi, Kaga City, Ishikawa Prefecture MAP 
Approx. 15-minute walk from JR Iburihashi Station
Merchandise/Gallery 10:00–17:00, MISHO/Takeout 10:00–12:00 (L.O. 11:30), 13:00–17:00 (L.O. 16:00)
Wednesdays (Open if a public holiday, closed the following day)
0120-42-4251
Free
2Hazuchio Chaten
Original sweets made with locally sourced ingredients are popular
A sweet shop located inside "Hazuchio Rakudo" in front of the Yamashiro Onsen "Koso-yu." They offer a variety of sweets made with local ingredients, including traditional zenzai (sweet red bean soup) and dango, as well as original milk soft-serve ice cream made with milk from the local Hiramatsu Farm in Kaga. The "Kusamochi Zenzai" is particularly popular, featuring "Hazuchio" original bean paste cooked by the renowned Yamashiro Onsen shop "Ren Eishodo." It is a satisfying dish containing two pieces of mugwort-infused kusamochi grilled over binchotan charcoal, and the gentle sweetness of the bean paste is sure to soothe you.
Relax in a single-story wooden space that blends into the old townscape
The teahouse is built in the style of a traditional folk house, and the view through the lattice windows is full of charm. There is also an irori hearth inside the shop, and the nostalgic atmosphere makes it a cozy place to be. In addition to sweets, the "Local Sake Tasting Set" is also popular, offering the appeal of being able to compare some of Ishikawa Prefecture's representative sakes.
- Hazuchio Chaten
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- 18-59-1 Yamashiro Onsen, Kaga City, Ishikawa Prefecture MAP
Approx. 13 minutes by Kaga Onsen Bus bound for Yamashiro Onsen/Yamanaka Onsen from JR Kagaonsen Station, get off at "Yamashiro Onsen" and walk approx. 2 minutes- 9:30–17:00
- Open every day
- 0761-77-8270 (Hazuchio Rakudo)
- Free
3TAKIGAHARA CAFE
A community-based cafe born in a small village
This folk house cafe opened in 2017 in the town of Takigahara, which has a population of about 180. In addition to three main dishes, there is a wide selection of side dishes, sweets, and drinks, and you can enjoy salads and soups made with seasonal vegetables harvested from their own fields and the surrounding area. The drinks are all gentle on the body, such as seasonal juices made with homemade syrup and freshly picked herbal tea. The coffee uses beans from "STOCKHOLM ROAST TOKYO," which follows the Swedish roastery style. It pairs perfectly with homemade sweets like banana cake.
A cozy cafe where you can feel a connection to the local area
"TAKIGAHARA FARM" started in 2016 as a folk house renovation project centered on migrants exploring a life with agriculture. "TAKIGAHARA CAFE," which was born as an associated facility, also renovated a folk house, and the interior has a warm atmosphere finished by the staff themselves. In their own fields, they grow vegetables not produced in the town, such as kale and cilantro, and source other vegetables from the neighborhood, valuing regional exchange. Near the cafe is the trailhead for Mt. Kurakake, which has an elevation of about 478 meters, and it is full of nature. It is an oasis where you can get away from your daily routine and refresh yourself.
- TAKIGAHARA CAFE
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- Ta-2 Takigahara-machi, Komatsu City, Ishikawa Prefecture MAP
- Approx. 15 minutes by car from JR Kagaonsen Station
- 8:30–15:00 (Dinner service also available *advance reservation required)
- Tuesdays
- Free
4Higashiyama Bonheur
The lunch-only beef stew rice is a specialty
A cafe whose name means "happy time" in French. You can enjoy carefully prepared menu items such as "Forest Cake" made with plenty of dried fruits and nuts, and freshly squeezed fruit juice. The signature "Beef Stew Rice" is served only during lunch time. It is made by marinating domestic A5-rank Wagyu beef in red wine overnight and simmering it until tender, resulting in a dish with a rich depth of flavor and umami. The style of pouring it over rice in a piping hot skillet is also popular.
Enjoy a refreshing moment in a prime seat overlooking the forest
The cafe is located at the entrance to Kakusenkei Gorge, one of the most scenic spots in Yamanaka Onsen. It is a detached house cafe standing right next to the torii gate of Higashiyama Shrine. The first floor is a calm space lined with tables, where you can enjoy both lunch and cafe menus. In the back of the shop, there is a bookshelf filled with picture books from various countries and a miscellaneous goods corner featuring works by local artists, allowing you to lose track of time. For a relaxing view of the forest, head to the counter seats on the second floor. You will be soothed by the time spent enjoying sweets and drinks while feeling the breath of the forest.
- Higashiyama Bonheur
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- Ho-19-1 Higashimachi, Yamanaka Onsen, Kaga City, Ishikawa Prefecture MAP
- Take the Kaga Onsen Bus bound for Yamashiro Onsen/Yamanaka Onsen from JR Kaga Onsen Station for about 32 minutes, and get off at "Yamanaka Onsen Bus Terminal," then walk for about 3 minutes.
- 10:00–16:00 (L.O. 15:00), Lunch 11:00–14:00 (L.O.)
- Thursdays
- 0761-78-3765
- None
5Komatsu Machiya Bunko
Homemade jams inspired by masterpieces are gaining popularity
A book cafe renovated from an old folk house. You can enjoy snacks and light meals in a space surrounded by about 5,000 used books. The additive-free and colorant-free jams made by the female owner, called the "World Literature Jam Collection," are also a hot topic for their names inspired by masterpieces, such as "Kaga Bo-chan," a play on the novel "Botchan," and "Yuzu no Odoriko" (The Dancer of Yuzu). In the shop, you can enjoy these jams as toppings on cakes and toast. Lunch, except on Saturdays, is by reservation only until the previous day, and the menu changes daily. The popular plate using seasonal vegetables can be ordered for two or more people.
A machiya cafe where old books and art fuse together
With the female owner's wish for it to be "a place for cultural exchange that connects people," the shop has an open style where even just browsing is welcome. The cafe is decorated with fusuma (sliding door) paintings created specifically for this shop by an artist, and the second floor is lined with antique tools, mainly tableware, which can also be purchased. The books in the shop are also for sale, so locals often drop by casually. A tea time immersed in literature and art will stimulate your intellectual curiosity and satisfy your heart as well.
- Komatsu Machiya Bunko
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- 46 Yokaichimachi, Komatsu City, Ishikawa Prefecture MAP
- About a 7-minute walk from JR Komatsu Station
- 11:00–18:00
- Sundays, Mondays, and Tuesdays *Subject to temporary closures
- 0761-27-1205
- None
6Mura Cafe Arekore
A substantial food menu where you can find what you want to eat
A cafe located in the restaurant community "Kabocha Mura" in Katayamazu Onsen. True to its name "Arekore" (meaning "this and that"), it boasts a rich menu of about 200 items, ranging from pasta, pizza, Western-style dishes, meat dishes, and rice bowls to udon and sweets, making it popular among a wide range of local customers, including families. The pasta recommended by the restaurant is a specialty made using the same recipe as the authentic bistro on the same premises. Among them, the "Blue Crab Tomato Cream Spaghetti" is a signature dish that luxuriously uses large blue crabs. You can also enjoy local gourmet food such as "Kanazawa Curry".
A popular local cafe that is convenient due to its continuous operating hours
The reason it is supported by tourists as well as local customers lies in its convenience. While there are few cafes open late at night, this one is open until midnight. Since it is open continuously from the morning, you are not tied to lunch hours, which is also an attractive feature that allows you to prioritize sightseeing when planning your schedule. In addition to table seating, the restaurant has large tatami seating areas, making it popular with families with children. It is a convenient place where you can use it at any time you like—from breakfast to lunch, dinner, and cafe time—and enjoy the same menu at any time.
- Mura Cafe Arekore
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- Kabocha Mura Building 1F, Tei 12-1, Katayamazu Onsen, Kaga City, Ishikawa Prefecture MAP
- Approx. 5 minutes by taxi from JR Kagaonsen Station
- Approx. 22 minutes by Kaga Onsen Bus bound for Katayamazu Onsen from JR Kagaonsen Station, then a 3-minute walk from the "Yunotani-bashi" bus stop.
- Lunch 11:00–16:00, Dinner 18:00–21:30 (L.O.)
- Wednesdays
- 0761-74-8562
- Free
MAP
- Nearby Hoshino Resorts facilities
Local supporter in charge of this article
- Koya SuzukiActive Kaga Men
KAI Kaga
Yamashiro Onsen, Ishikawa Prefecture
A traditional Kaga hot spring inn where new sensibilities breathe. The traditional architecture building with its impressive red-patterned lattice is a registered tangible cultural property of Japan.
Access About 10 minutes by taxi from Kagaonsen Station on the IR Ishikawa Railway
- Accommodation rate example
- Per person per night From ¥19,000