5 Recommended Popular Cafes in Aizuwakamatsu
Aizuwakamatsu City is home to many retro coffee shops housed in traditional storehouses and Western-style buildings, as well as stylish cafes where you can relax and unwind. We will introduce our recommended spots, ranging from shops that take pride in their coffee and sweets to those where you can enjoy a full lunch.
1Aizu Ichibankan
Fragrant cold-brewed coffee and handmade cakes
A coffee shop located on the first floor of the "Noguchi Hideyo Seishun-kan." Since its founding in 1976, it has been loved by locals for its calm atmosphere surrounded by European antique furniture and furnishings. Its pride is the Dutch coffee (cold brew), made with house-roasted beans and carefully brewed using spring water from Mt. Bandai in Aizu. It pairs perfectly with items like their fragrant toasted bread or hearty sandwiches. Their handmade cakes are also highly recommended. The "Sake Kasu (sake lees) Pudding," made with sake lees sourced from a local brewery, is characterized by its rich aroma and smooth texture.
A historic spot where you can touch the footsteps of great figures
The storehouse-style Western building was constructed in 1884. It was once a hospital called "Kaiyo Clinic," and is known as the place where Hideyo Noguchi underwent surgery on his left hand, which he had burned as a child, at the age of 16—an experience that inspired him to pursue medicine. As a cafe located in a place with such a connection, they offer a wide selection of coffees from Central and South American countries that Hideyo Noguchi visited for his yellow fever research, such as Mexico, Ecuador, Brazil, and Peru. The coffee cups feature illustrations of Hideyo Noguchi and his wife, Mary, and are available for purchase. Additionally, their eco-bags and four types of drip packs are also popular.
The second floor serves as a museum dedicated to Hideyo Noguchi, which can be visited for an admission fee of 100 yen for elementary and junior high school students, and 200 yen for adults.
- Aizu Ichibankan
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4-18 Nakamachi, Aizuwakamatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture MAP 
Approx. 12-minute walk from JR Nanukamachi Station
Take the loop bus from JR Aizuwakamatsu Station, get off at "Noguchi Hideyo Seishun-kan Mae," and walk immediately
8:00–20:00 (L.O. 19:30)
Open every day
0242-27-3750
Free
2Sake Brewery Cafe "Kyo"
Enjoy iced coffee and sweets unique to a sake brewery
Aizu-Wakamatsu, a city known for its sake, is dotted with historic sake breweries. One of these is the Suehiro Sake Brewery Kaeigura in Nisshin-machi. The brewery's on-site cafe, Cafe An, is a tranquil space renovated from a storehouse built in 1892 (Meiji 25), where you can enjoy four types of Suehiro sake and sweets made with sake.
We recommend the moist "Daiginjo Chiffon Cake." It is a popular masterpiece where the elegant aroma of sake and the flavor of crème anglaise intertwine with every bite. The iced coffee served in a traditional wooden sake box (masu) is also very popular.
A charming interior where you can relax and unwind
In addition to sweets made with sake, the cafe offers a wide variety of Japanese and Western menu items, such as "An's Tart" and "Cream Anmitsu." Why not spend a relaxing time in the shop, which features beautiful Japanese-style decor such as intricate openwork transoms and round windows?
Furthermore, Suehiro Sake Brewery offers free guided tours every hour, allowing you to tour the brewery while learning about the sake-making process.
- Sake Brewery Cafe "Kyo"
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- Inside "Suehiro Sake Brewery," 12-38 Nisshin-machi, Aizuwakamatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture MAP
- Approx. 8-minute walk from JR Nanukamachi Station
- Take the loop bus from JR Aizuwakamatsu Station, get off at "Nanokamachi Chuo," and walk for about 5 minutes
- 10:00–16:30 (L.O. 16:00)
- Every Wednesday, 1st and 3rd Thursday (open if it is a public holiday)
- 0242-27-0002
- Free
3Aizu Aoi Silk Road Civilization Museum
Arranged menu items featuring long-established confectionery are popular
Located near Tsuruga Castle, this cafe bar is affiliated with the long-established Japanese confectionery shop Aizu Aoi. During lunchtime, you can enjoy four types of pasta as well as hot sandwiches made with homemade meat sauce.
For sweets, we recommend the "Adult Rum Aizu Aoi," which features the famous Aizu Aoi confection—smooth red bean paste sandwiched between castella sponge cake—soaked in rum and served with whipped cream. You can experience a novel deliciousness wrapped in a rich, mellow aroma.
A cozy cafe where different cultures fuse
The exterior features a unique design combining stone walls and brick. Inside, old wood from Meiji-era storehouses is used, and your eyes will be drawn to the amber-colored wooden floors and thick beams. According to the owner, the name "Silk Road" was chosen to symbolize a place where various cultures mingle. While the lights casting soft illumination are Middle Eastern in style, many Asian furnishings are also on display, and the round stools at the counter are adorned with Aizu cotton cushions, creating a wonderful fusion of tastes from various countries.
- Aizu Aoi Silk Road Civilization Museum
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- 4-6 Ote-machi, Aizuwakamatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture MAP
- Approx. 8 minutes by car from JR Aizu-Wakamatsu Station
- Take the loop bus from JR Aizu-Wakamatsu Station, get off at "Tsurugajo Iriguchi," and walk for a short distance
- 11:00–17:00 (may close early depending on the season or if sold out)
- Irregular holidays
- 0242-27-1001
- Free
4Adria Kitademaru Cafe
A cafe with an extensive menu that is easy to stop by while sightseeing
A cafe nestled beside Tsuruga Castle, a historic and famous castle in Aizu. We especially recommend the matcha tiramisu. It consists of layers of matcha, mascarpone, and espresso, with the bitterness of the matcha and the coffee pairing perfectly. The wooden box is made of Japanese cypress, providing a soothing, refreshing scent. Why not enjoy it with a cup of aromatic coffee made with beans from Julius Meinl, a long-established Austrian roaster?
The shop's symbol is a monument of a large zelkova tree
The interior of the shop has high ceilings and an open atmosphere. You can enjoy the changing seasons at a leisurely pace in a space where sunlight filters through the trees and you can feel the warmth of the wood. In the center, there is a monument made from a single slab of a large zelkova tree. This zelkova was a natural monument estimated to be 1,000 years old that once stood at Mikumari Shrine in Higashiyoshino Village, Nara Prefecture. Inside the shop, you can relax and enjoy tea or a meal while feeling the tranquility exuded by the large zelkova. There are also terrace seats, which are also popular. In the spring, the cherry blossom trees of Kitademaru spread out right before your eyes.
- Adria Kitademaru Cafe
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- 1F Kitademaru-kan, 4-28 Ote-machi, Aizu-Wakamatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture MAP
- Approx. 8 minutes by car from JR Aizu-Wakamatsu Station
- Take the loop bus from JR Aizu-Wakamatsu Station, get off at "Tsurugajo Iriguchi," and walk for a short distance
- 10:30–16:30 (L.O. 16:00)
- Sundays and Mondays (open if Monday is a public holiday, closed the following Tuesday)
- 0242-27-3600
- 7 free spaces in front of the store; affiliated with Times Tsurugajo Kitademaru (100 minutes free)
5Coffee-kan Kura
The signature "bread gratin" is very voluminous
Located in the heart of Aizuwakamatsu City, this coffee shop was renovated from a storehouse built in the Meiji era. Since its founding in 1976, it has been loved by people of all ages. A must-try dish at this shop is the "Shrimp White Sauce Bread Gratin." It is a dish made by hollowing out a piece of bread about 10cm thick, filling it with homemade white sauce and large shrimp, and baking it in an oven; the creamy sauce goes perfectly with the fluffy bread.
The shop also offers a wide selection of sweets, such as cakes and parfaits. In particular, the "Matcha Parfait" allows you to enjoy the exquisite harmony of bittersweet matcha ice cream, plenty of fruit, and sweet red bean paste.
A fun shop lined with antiques and retro goods
The interior is divided into three spaces, each offering a different atmosphere. Directly in front of the first-floor entrance is an area lined with vintage televisions, phonographs, posters of classic movie stars, and old toys collected by the owner. To the left, there are lacquered counter seats embedded with large catch flags and hearth seating, decorated with wood-carved masks and a large statue of Kannon.
The second floor is a mountain hut-like space where you can feel the warmth of wood. With its mix of old Japanese and Western items, the interior feels like a small museum, allowing you to spend a relaxing time.
- Kohikan Kura
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- 4-20 Nakamachi, Aizu-Wakamatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture MAP
- Approx. 12-minute walk from JR Nanukamachi Station
- 8:00–20:00
- Open every day
- 0242-27-3791
- Paid
MAP
- Nearby Hoshino Resorts facilities
Local supporter in charge of this article
- Kaisei GotoAizu Ramen Guy
Bandaisan Onsen Hotel
Yama District, Fukushima Prefecture
A hotel at the foot of Mt. Aizu-Bandai, overlooking Lake Inawashiro. You can enjoy the rich nature and Aizu culture.
Access About 15 minutes by taxi from JR Bandaimachi Station
- Accommodation rate example
- Per person per night From ¥12,000