Local Guide
Five recommended cafes in Tsuchiura and Tsukuba area

Located in the southern part of Ibaraki Prefecture, the Tsuchiura/Tsukuba area is easily Directioned from central Tokyo in about 60 minutes by car or 45 minutes by train at the shortest. There are many unique cafes to stop by when traveling in Ibaraki Prefecture, such as an old private house café built on the ruins of Tsuchiura Castle, a home-roasted coffee shop on the University of Tsukuba campus, and a sweet potato store with a long line of customers. We have carefully selected five cafes in the Tsuchiura/Tsukuba area that we recommend when you want to take a break.

Old private house café that retains the appearance of a post office building

French toast with vanilla ice cream and drink: 1,040 yen
French toast with vanilla ice cream and drink: 1,040 yen

Posten is a coffee shop located at the southern foot of Mt. The name "Posten" means post office in Swedish. The triangular-roofed building, which was used as a post office building in the early Showa period, is designated as a registered tangible cultural property of Japan. The handmade cakes and beverages, which are made by carefully selecting the best ingredients, have a relaxing taste and are made possible by the close ties with farmers who run farms and ranches in Ibaraki Prefecture. The "French toast" made with homemade bread and the prefecture's finely milled flat-fed eggs, honey, and milk is a popular café menu item, served with seasonal fruit sauce.

A store that preserves the memory of the land and tells the story of the community today

The floor of the store, which has a Showa-style atmosphere, has been polished to a shine, and the owner and his wife have brought a bombon clock and a sofa from their parents' house to the store.
The floor of the store, which has a Showa-style atmosphere, has been polished to a shine, and the owner and his wife have brought a bombon clock and a sofa from their parents' house to the store.

The red mailbox that stands out against the coffee-colored painted wooden exterior wall is commonly known as "Posten-kun," created by the furniture and woodworking factory "Kobo Isad. It guards the storefront along with a retro bicycle that was used during the Japan Post era. The entrance to the store is through a sliding door at the end of a side alley, and when you enter with your shoes on, you are greeted by the aroma of mellow coffee. The coffee beans are roasted in the store's roasting machine, and you can choose from two types of Posten blends: "Sweet" with a refreshing acidity and "Bitter" with a full-bodied flavor.

Local Guide Comment
Looking up at the sliding door at the entrance from the outside, you will notice a rusty red plate in the shape of an animal. It may be a "goat seal" added by a former postmaster in reference to the children's song "Goat-san Yuubin".
Cafe Posten
  • Address 183 Hojo, Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture MAP
  • Direction Approx. 27 min. by car from JR Tsuchiura Station
  • Business hours 11:00-18:00 (L.O. 17:30)
  • Closed Tuesdays
  • TEL 029-867-5565
  • Parking Free (across from the store)

Sweet potato sweets specialty store where sweet potato lovers gather

Baked sweet potato sandwich
Baked sweet potato sandwich" 580 yen, "Dried sweet potato shake" 390 yen

The actual main store of the yaki-imo store started out as a mobile sweet potato shop in Tsukuba City in 2005. Its sweet potato sweets, which do not contain sugar and allow customers to enjoy the sweetness of the sweet potato itself, are so popular that customers line up even before the store opens. The "Yaki-imo Sandwich," a bread sandwich of "Beniharuka" baked sweet potatoes with fresh cream, is particularly impressive. The sweetness of the sticky sweet potato is complemented by the light cream, and the softly wrapped bread is a signature item that is sure to sell out.

Eat-in "baked sweet potato sandwiches" that have been chilled to perfection!

Self-serve coffee
Self-serve coffee" 490 yen, with a choice of deep-roasted "Imoyasu Blend" or "Mild Blend

The "Dried Sweet Potato Shake" is a sweet potato drink that allows you to enjoy the texture of the rich, sticky sweet potato itself. Dried Beniharuka sweet potatoes and milk are mixed in a blender, and the "sweet potato honey" extracted from the baked sweet potato over a long period of time adds to the delicious flavor. There is also a fresh attempt at a "self-serve coffee" order at the counter, where you can enjoy drip coffee with free refills. Inside the store, there are counter seats, table seats, and tatami room seating, where you can relax with sweet potato sweets while reading the president's recommended comic books on the bookshelf.

Local Guide Comment
Staff/staff member uniforms are embroidered with the "IMOHOLIC (Imoholic = potato addiction)! logo embroidered on the uniforms. The uniforms are sold as original goods of Imoyasu and have been attracting a lot of attention.
Yaki-imo specialty store Imoyasu Honten
  • Address 1 Okishinden, Tsuchiura-shi, Ibaraki MAP
  • Direction 17 min. drive from JR Tsuchiura Station or 10 min. walk from JR Arakawaoki Station
  • Hours of operation 12:00-18:30
  • Regular holiday Mondays (or the following weekday if Monday is a national holiday)
  • TEL 029-846-0240
  • Parking Free of charge

Coffee connoisseurs go to this authentic nerd drip specialty store.

Coffee of the Day
Coffee of the Day" 500 yen, a coffee of the day, and "Fresh Caramel Aphogade" 550 yen

A home-roasted coffee shop specializing in "nerd drip" coffee in Tsuchiura City. The store sells coffee beans roasted in the store and a variety of flannel filters, including the "Tsuchiura Blend," which is inspired by the history of the castle town of Tsuchiura and is characterized by its deep flavor. The "Coffee of the Day" is selected daily by the skilled master from beans that go well with the weather. The dessert "fresh caramel affogado" is a mellow flavor unique to the specialty store, with hot espresso poured over soft-serve ice cream.

Expressing the seasonality of coffee with a roasting method that is in tune with the four seasons

Tsuchiura Nell,
Tsuchiura Nell," completed through crowdfunding, was commissioned to be made by a welfare Property in Tsuchiura.

The silver roasting machine that makes its presence felt in the store is a gas-powered hot air system. The coffee is roasted using the unique "24 Season Roasting" method, which reflects the changing temperatures of the four seasons in the roasting process. The master, who was introduced to flannel drip coffee during his apprenticeship at a coffee shop in Tokyo and fell in love with it, established the "All Japan Flannel Drip Coffee Association" in 2015. He holds regular "hand-drip coffee seminars (by reservation only)" at the store, and is producing a succession of coffee masters.

Local Guide Comment
The morning market "Nicomarche" held in front of the store on the third Sunday of every month has an atmosphere similar to a morning market in Paris. The market is always crowded with people, offering a wide variety of delicious foods.
Nikoniko Coffee
  • Address 1-21-50 Shimotakatsu, Tsuchiura-shi, Ibaraki MAP
  • Direction Approx. 5 min. by car or 20 min. on foot from JR Tsuchiura Station
  • Business hours 10:00-19:00 (L.O.D. 21:00)
  • Closed Sat.
  • TEL 029-823-0415
  • Parking Free of charge

A coffee shop with the atmosphere of a castle town built along the moat

Lentil and Chickpea Curry with Soup and Mini Salad
Lentil and Chickpea Curry with Soup and Mini Salad" 850 yen, "Hot Cafe Au Lait with Karinto" 550 yen

This old private house café, built in 1936, is located near the Tsuchiura castle ruins "Kamejyo Park. It opens at 8:00 a.m. and offers morning breakfast. The famous "Lentil and Chickpea Curry" has a spicy flavor with Tsuchiura-grown lotus root and chickpeas as ingredients, and is finished with plenty of cloves, cardamom, and other spices. The "hot café au lait" brewed with the original "Joto blend" created by Tsuchiura's home-roasted coffee shop "Nico Nico Coffee" is a hot drink that is well received by coffee lovers, as the beans also have a strong flavor.

Take a rest in a shoin-style mansion where naval officers used to live

More than 500 books are lined up in the store with beautifully maintained fittings.
More than 500 books are lined up in the store with beautifully maintained fittings.

Passing through the indigo-colored curtain, the sliding door at the entrance leads into the store. At the entrance, there is a shoe box and you take off your shoes. The store is spaciously arranged in two rooms, with a tatami room where you can sit with your legs stretched out, table seats, and counter seats. The most popular sweet on the menu is the "Mochi Waffle," which consists of a crispy mochi waffle and ice cream topped with a drizzle of honey soy sauce made with Shibanuma Soy Sauce from Tsuchiura. Various cultural events based at the store are also well-received, further enlivening the city of Tsuchiura.

Local Guide Comment
Order a Joto blend coffee, arranged drink, or warm beverage, and you will receive a "Kukumangoseki" zarame karinto from Maejima Confectionery. It is a soft and elegantly sweet karinto.
Shirofuji Tea Shop (Shirofuji no Chamise)
  • Address 2-15-8 Chuo, Tsuchiura-shi, Ibaraki MAP
  • Direction Approx. 14 min. walk or 4 min. by car from JR Tsuchiura Station
  • Direction None available
  • Hours of Operation 8:00-18:00
  • Closed Wednesday
  • TEL 029-895-0283
  • Parking Coin-operated parking available nearby

A place to relax on campus overlooking a green hill

Fig Cake
Fig Cake" (620 yen) and "University of Tsukuba Alianza Estate Coffee" (560 yen) from the daily cake menu

A long-established roastery café from Ibaraki, located on the campus of Tsukuba University. The store selects high-quality beans grown on its own plantation in Colombia and roasts them in the roastery in the store to provide aromatic coffee. The cakes, which change daily and are delivered from a workshop in Hitachinaka City every morning, are made with seasonal fruits unique to the "Fruit Kingdom" of Ibaraki. The photo shows a cake filled with figs from Tsuchida Farm in Tsukuba City. The crispy tart dough made with calpis butter and fresh cream is a perfect match, and is a popular sweet that attracts inquiries with each autumn arrival.

Enjoy quality coffee from South America!

Behind the glass wall, Saza Coffee's first roasting machine
Behind the glass wall, Saza Coffee's first roasting machine "PROBAT" is still in operation.

The store's image concept, which is warmed by the terra cotta tile floor and the use of bricks on the walls, is that of Alianza Farm, a sustainable farm operation in a Brazilian forest. The coffee farm is owned by the former president of the hospital, who has a relationship with the University of Tsukuba. A grassy hill spreads out in front of the store, and we recommend spending a sunny day on the terrace while admiring the greenery. The sales corner across from the cash register in the store offers a wide selection of easy drip bag "cup on coffee" so you can enjoy the taste of a coffee specialty store at home.

Local Guide Comment
The tableware used at Saza Coffee is made by "Ceramica Artistichna," a famous Polish kiln. The energetic and receptive hand-painted coffee cups are attractive.
Saza Coffee Tsukuba University Alianza
  • Address 3-1 Amakubo, Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture MAP
  • Direction Approximately 21 minutes from JR Tsuchiura Station by car
  • Direction None available
  • Business hours 10:00-18:00 (L.O. 17:30)
  • Closed Year-end and New Year's holidays
  • TEL 029-896-5051
  • Parking Free of charge

MAP

Hoshino Resorts facilities nearby
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The information in this article is current as of the date of the update. Please check before visiting as they are subject to change.