Local Guide
Six cute and delicious cafes where you can enjoy Izumo and Matsue sweets

Matsue City in Shimane Prefecture is one of the "Three Best Sweets Towns in Japan. On the other hand, the neighboring city of Izumo is said to be the "birthplace of Zenzai," and the most popular sweet treats enjoyed in both cities are Japanese sweets and Izumo Zenzai. Often hidden in the shadows are café sweets rich in individuality that are particular about both taste and appearance. So, it would be a bit of a shame to leave without enjoying them, so we will introduce some cafes that offer a selection of popular sweets.

Specializing in homemade chocolates with fans in Japan and abroad

Chocolate Mousse
Chocolate Mousse" 770 yen. A product of Hitsuji Seika, a reservation-only patisserie in Sakaiminato City, Tottori Prefecture.

This "bean to bar" store, which handles everything from cacao bean selection to chocolate production, started online sales in 2015 and was selected as one of the "10 Best Chocolates in the World" by a chocolate writer, and is a popular store with many fans in Japan and abroad.

The chocolate boards, which are made by taking the time and effort to peel the cacao shells one by one by hand, are a gem with an amazing richness and aroma. In the adjoining café, you can enjoy chocolate mousse and terrine, chocolate drinks, and cacao tea.

Glass-walled space with a view of the Izumo Plain

It is a little far from the nearest bus stop or station, so we recommend coming by car.
It is a little far from the nearest bus stop or station, so we recommend coming by car.

This restaurant has an impressive modern building in the rural landscape of the Izumo Plain. The café is a sophisticated space reminiscent of a museum. The view of the town of Hikawa from the window, dotted with magnificent Tsukiji pine trees and red-tiled houses, is unique to this town.

There are always six types of chocolates on sale, with new collections of themed chocolates appearing in spring and fall. All types are produced in limited quantities and sold out, so the old numbers are once-in-a-lifetime tastes that will never be available again. The packaging is also elaborate, making it the perfect souvenir for chocolate lovers.

Local Guide Comment
Chocolate boards are available in large sizes for 2,000 yen and small sizes for 720 yen. The cacao beans used are standardized for each collection, and visitors can enjoy comparing different cacao blend ratios and toppings.
La chocolaterie NANAIRO
  • Address 1934 Sakata, Hikawa-cho, Izumo City, Shimane Prefecture MAP
  • Direction Approximately 20 minutes by car from JR Izumo City Station
  • Business hours 10:00-19:00 (L.O.D. 21:00)
  • Closed Wednesday
  • TEL 0853-25-7676
  • Parking Free of charge

A sweet shop in front of the Otorii Gate where you can enjoy the famous parfait

The store's specialty,
The store's specialty, "Mythology Pafu" with Izumo mythology motif: 1,150 yen

This popular sweet shop is located in front of the "Seidamari no Otorii" (Great Gate of Seidamari). Inside the Taisho Romantic-style store, visitors can enjoy locally produced and locally consumed Japanese sweets that are both tasty and visually appealing.

For 1,150 yen (good luck), you can enjoy a limited-quantity Japanese parfait featuring Daikoku-sama and a white rabbit from Izumo mythology. The Daikoku character is represented by a monaka with bamboo charcoal and the white rabbit by gyuhi, topped with seasonal Izumo fruit, Izumo green tea chiffon cake, and chewy green tea white rice balls. The bottom layer is covered with a rich green tea jelly, allowing visitors to enjoy a variety of textures and tastes all the way to the end.

A variety of Izumo specialties to enjoy in a relaxed, retro atmosphere

The store is located right in front of the Otorii gate, so it is easy to stop by for a break after visiting the shrine.
The store is located right in front of the Otorii gate, so it is easy to stop by for a break after visiting the shrine.

Opened in 2013, the year Izumo Taisha Shrine celebrated the "Heisei no Daisengu," the store's interior is a subdued space with a touch of Taisho (early 20th century) romance.

In addition to sweets such as "Koku-anmitsu" served with rich green tea molasses and "Izumo Zenzai" with red and white rice cakes from Izumo, Izumo Soba Noodles and "Shijimi Jiru" with large shijimi clam from Lake Shinji are available for light meals. A wide variety of locally produced and locally consumed beverages are also available, such as Izumo sencha green tea and green tea.

Local Guide Comment
Next to the entrance of the store, Izumo Zenzai Soft, a soft-serve ice cream version of Izumo's specialty "Izumo Zenzai," is available for takeout.
Kutsurogi Japanese-style cafe Amaemon
  • Address 839-1 Kinezuki-Minami, Taisha-cho, Izumo-shi, Shimane MAP
  • Direction Approx. 4 min. walk from Izumo Taisha-mae Station on the Ichibata Railway.
  • Business hours 11:00-17:00 (L.O.16:30)
  • Closed Wednesdays and Thursdays *Other temporary closures may apply.
  • TEL 0853-25-8120
  • Parking None

A long-established coffee shop where you can enjoy "rose bread" that has been loved by the locals

The
The "Barapan Set" includes your choice of Barapan bread and home-roasted coffee for 660 yen and up.

A long-established coffee shop in downtown Izumo offers "rose bread," a soul food representative of Shimane Prefecture. The bread, about 1 cm thick and more than 50 cm long, is wrapped with cream and finished to look like a rose, and is known as a standard snack for children.

There are six varieties to choose from, including strawberry, marron, and egg salad, all of which are original flavors available only at the store. The fine, fluffy texture of the bread is a perfect match with the cream and ingredients. Why not experience the local flavor loved by people of all ages with a cup of coffee roasted in-house, the master's specialty?

Original coffee blends brewed with a siphon

The store has both table and counter seating, creating an at-home atmosphere where you can feel at ease even if you are alone.
The store has both table and counter seating, creating an at-home atmosphere where you can feel at ease even if you are alone.

The store is a classic space with retro, stately furniture and the aroma of coffee. In the morning, you can enjoy morning breakfast, and the thick homemade French toast as well as rose bread are popular.

The signature "Fujihiro Blend Coffee" is a cup of coffee made by roasting green coffee beans in an open-flame roasting machine and carefully brewed using a traditional siphon method. It is rich in flavor and has low bitterness and acidity, making it easy to drink even for those who do not like coffee. The shop also sells ground coffee beans, so if you like it, you can take home a freshly ground cup on the spot.

Local Guide Comment
The birthplace of rose bread is a bakery called "Nampo Pan," located about 8 minutes' drive from Fujihiro Coffee. Here, visitors can purchase the "original rose bread" packaged in a retro style.
Fujihiro Coffee
  • Address 1223-1 Watabashi-cho, Izumo City, Shimane Prefecture MAP
  • Direction Approximately 5 minutes from JR Izumo City Station by car.
  • Direction From JR Izumo City Station, take a bus to Shimin Kaikan-mae and get off at Shimin Kaikan-mae and walk about 7 minutes.
  • Hours of Operation 8:00-19:00
  • Closed Sunday
  • TEL 0853-24-1760
  • Parking Available

Seasonal fruit tarts are a specialty. One of Matsue's most popular patisseries

Seasonal Fruit Tart
Seasonal Fruit Tart" 490 yen, "Seasonal Fruit Smoothie" 250 yen. Prices vary depending on the type.

This confectionery store is located in a corner of Kyoten shopping street, a stone-paved tourist spot lined with long-established restaurants and inns. The store is one of the most popular in Matsue City, and one of its signature items is the "Seasonal Fruit Tart," with seven to eight varieties on the showcase at any given time, which is often sold out.

The second floor café space with a great view is a perfect spot to take a break during a stroll in the shopping arcade.

Assorted baked goods make great souvenirs.

We also recommend the
We also recommend the "cream puffs" filled with custard cream and the "tarte fromage" made with locally grown figs.

In addition to fruit tarts, chocolate-based products such as "Opera Pistache" using bitter chocolate and "Tanariva" made with milk chocolate mousse are also popular. Another reason for their popularity is that they procure multiple types of chocolate, including French and Italian, and use them in different ways depending on the cake.

Another attraction is that customers can freely choose from more than 20 kinds of baked sweets for their assortment. The store is also visited by many tourists in search of gifts. A juice bar is located near the entrance, where you can easily take out a fruit drink made from 100% fruit juice.

Local Guide Comment
The store also sells a wide variety of bread products, including croissants. It is also recommended to stop by when you are hungry and enjoy a relaxing time at the cafe space on the second floor.
Patisserie Cuir
  • Address 107 Kataharacho, Matsue City, Shimane Prefecture MAP
  • Direction 19 minutes walk from JR Matsue Station
  • Direction Take a bus from JR Matsue Station, get off at Kyobashi and walk about 2 minutes.
  • Business hours 10:00-19:00 (L.O.D. 21:00)
  • Closed Tuesdays
  • TEL 0852-28-6446
  • Parking Available

Chocolate parfait is popular. Western-style cafe in Matsue Shiroyama Park

Chocolate parfait
Chocolate parfait" with chocolate sauce and berry sauce: 902 yen

The cafe is located on the first floor of Kounkaku, a Western-style building of Meiji architecture in Matsue Castle Park. It is a popular place for visitors to Matsue Castle, a national treasure, to rest and relax, and early in the morning you can see people stopping by for breakfast after taking a walk in the park.

The popular "chocolate parfait" with two kinds of sauces, chocolate and berry, can be ordered all day long. Vanilla ice cream, moist baked fondant chocolat, and raspberry topping on top of whipped cream create a sweet treat with a perfect balance of sour and sweet flavors.

Spend your café time in a graceful retro store.

The coffee shop used to be a clerk's room, and the windowpanes and ceiling remain as they were in the past.
The coffee shop used to be a clerk's room, and the windowpanes and ceiling remain as they were in the past.

The two-story "Kounkaku" was built in 1903 as an inn for the Emperor Meiji when he visited Japan. The Western-style building, which was once a guesthouse, is a popular photo spot, and a leisurely tour of the building is recommended while visiting the coffee shop.

The drink lineup includes the original "Kamedayama Blend Coffee," as well as Irish coffee and herbal tea. The "Today's Snacks" posted near the cash register includes a variety of cakes, including tarts made from seasonal fruit, making for a wonderful café experience in the elegant, retro interior.

Local Guide Comment
Morning breakfasts, which can be ordered between 9:00 and 10:30 a.m., include French toast, which is slowly baked to order, and toast topped with homemade jam.
Kamedayama (Kameda-yama) Coffee Shop
  • Address 1-59 Tonomachi, Matsue City, Shimane Prefecture Kounkaku MAP
  • Direction 14 minutes on foot from Matsue Shinjiko Onsen Station on the Ichibata Line
  • Direction Take a bus from JR Matsue Station, get off at "National Treasure Matsue Castle Kencho-mae" and walk about 2 minutes.
  • Hours of Operation 9:00-16:00, Saturday, Sunday and national holidays 9:00-17:00 (L.O.16:30)
    Morning service 9:00-10:30, light meal 11:00~.
  • Closed No holidays
  • TEL 0852-61-5001
  • Parking None

A Japanese-style cafe run by a long-established tea shop where you can taste luxurious matcha green tea sweets

Matcha crepe - premium
Matcha crepe - premium" filled with matcha custard and azuki beans (with set drink): 980 yen

This Japanese-style cafe is produced by the long-established tea shop "Senchaso" based in Matsue City. The store was opened to promote Matsue's tea culture to the younger generation, and offers a wide variety of sweets and drinks that make use of the tea leaves produced by the tea shop.

Recommended is the Japanese crepe, which is made with matcha-flavored custard and ice cream as well as batter made with an original matcha pancake mix. You can fully enjoy the chewy texture of the dough and the flavor and sweetness of high-quality matcha green tea.

A variety of Japanese sweets filled with ingenuity and ideas

The space is bright and open, with light streaming in through the large windows. There is also a counter, so it is easy to stop by even if you are alone.
The space is bright and open, with light streaming in through the large windows. There is also a counter, so it is easy to stop by even if you are alone.

The "Matcha Shiratama Sandwich" and "Hojicha Shiratama Sandwich," both made with high-quality tea leaves, are also popular sweets. The sandwiches are filled with cream and shiratama (white rice balls) made from freshly ground tea leaves, making it easy to enjoy the richness and flavor of the tea leaves themselves.

The drinks also actively use tea leaves, such as the "Hojicha Smoothie" with a refreshing aftertaste and the "Green Tea Soda" made with freshly ground green tea, which goes great with the crepes and sandwiches. During morning hours starting at 9:00 a.m., you can order morning-only menu items such as a tea porridge set.

Local Guide Comment
Japanese shaved ice is also available every summer season. The fluffy milk shaved ice topped with a generous amount of high-quality matcha green tea is so naturally delicious that it is almost like drinking matcha green tea.
Japanese tea cafe Scarab 136
  • Address 1-3-6 Gakuen Minami, Matsue City, Shimane Prefecture MAP
  • Direction 13 min. walk from JR Matsue Sta.
  • Business hours Open 9:00-19:00
  • Closed Wednesday
  • TEL 0852-22-2003
  • Parking Available
The information in this article is current as of the date of the update. Please check before visiting as they are subject to change.