Local Guide
Footbaths, spectacular views, and a great atmosphere. Hakone's stylish cafes are full of wonderful things!

There are many things to do on a trip to Hakone, such as enjoying hot springs at an inn or a drop-in hot spring, visiting art spots in the forest, and walking around the city. Here is a lineup of great cafes where you can take a break and refresh your feet. You can spend a rich time at these cafes while enjoying a close-up view of the babbling river or sitting in a historic building. Here are six of our favorites that will make you want to go out of your way to visit them.

Heal in a nostalgic space integrated with nature in Miyanoshita

The cute eyes of the gourd are branded by hand by Staff/staff members. Narayan
The cute eyes of the gourd are branded by hand by Staff/staff members. Narayan" 250 yen per piece

Right next to Miyanoshita Station, this café blends in with the scenery on the hillside and is full of character. If you visit, you must try the "Narayan" monaka. The town's symbol is a gourd derived from Hideyoshi Toyotomi's horse mark, a gourd that was used to treat his soldiers in the hot springs of Miyanoshita during his invasion of Odawara. Using its shape as a motif, we use an original skin made by a monaka store in Odawara. The red bean paste is also made by Odawara's bean paste factory, and there are four types to choose from, including koshi-an (sweet red bean paste) and uguisu-an (sweet greenish-brown bean paste). Other items on the menu include kettle-baked pizza made with pizza dough imported from Kumamoto Prefecture.

A comfortable atrium space that conveys the spirit of a good old ryokan

The gallery on the second floor holds private exhibitions and sells antiques. There is also a terrace outside the window.
The gallery on the second floor holds private exhibitions and sells antiques. There is also a terrace outside the window.

A footbath and a general store are located right next to the café, providing a natural place for locals and tourists to mingle. This location was originally a dormitory for the employees of "Naraya Ryokan" which had been in existence for 300 years in Miyanoshita, and the café is a revitalized version of the building that used to be a sheet metal shop. The café is housed in a revitalized building that was once a sheet metal shop. Furnishings, lighting, and other items used in the inn are reused in the store. On the second floor of the café, there is a space for selling tableware and other antiques that were used at the ryokan, and you may be able to find some great bargains. You can also enjoy the café menu while soaking in the footbath, which makes you want to stay longer.

NARAYA CAFE
  • Address 404-13 Miyanoshita, Hakone-cho, Ashigarashita-gun, Kanagawa MAP
  • Direction A short walk from Miyanoshita Station on the Hakone Tozan Railway
  • Bus Direction Take a bus from Hakone Tozan Railway Hakone-Yumoto Station, get off at "Miyanoshita" and walk 3 minutes.
  • Business hours 10:30-18:00 (L.O. food 17:00, drink 17:30), Dec-Feb-17:00 (L.O. for both food and drink 16:30)
  • Closed Wednesdays, 4th Thursdays (closed mid to late January)
  • TEL 0460-82-1259
  • Parking Free of charge

Elegant time to enjoy creative Japanese sweets with a view of the Japanese garden

Dorayaki with azuki beans (coffee set): 1,200 yen *All rights reserved.
Dorayaki with azuki beans (coffee set): 1,200 yen *All rights reserved.

The Okada Museum of Art opened in 2013 along Route 1, about 1 km from Kowakudani Station, and constantly exhibits about 450 works of art from Japan and the Orient. Visitors can enjoy meals and tea in the atmospheric Japanese-style house nestled in the garden on the grounds. For lunch, the museum offers udon noodles and boxed lunches from famous Hakone restaurants such as Yoraku and Madame Sun, and from 2:00 p.m., coffee hour offers creative Japanese sweets such as dorayaki, brownies, and pies from "Wagashi Hana" in Hayama, Kanagawa Prefecture. The refined taste of carefully selected ingredients such as Hokkaido wheat, azuki beans, and wasanbon from Tokushima Prefecture will soothe your soul.

A tasteful building surrounded by flowing spring water and seasonal flowers

The beautiful Japanese garden can be viewed through the large glass windows.
The beautiful Japanese garden can be viewed through the large glass windows.

The name "Kaikatei" comes from the hotel of the same name that existed here in the Meiji era (1868-1912) for Westerners. The building is a valuable example of a Japanese-style house that has existed since the early Showa period (early 20th century), and has been restored while retaining the appearance of the past in the wood, glass, and other aspects of the building. The garden surrounding the building is 15,000 m2 in size, weaving a beautiful unity of lush natural forest and water features such as waterfalls and ponds. The seasonal flowers and plants, such as buttons, hydrangeas, and maple trees, are also worth seeing. You can enjoy a quiet time for tea while feeling the nature of Hakone up close.

All rights reserved.
All rights reserved.
Kaikatei
  • Address Inside Okada Museum of Art, 493-1, Kowakudani, Hakone-cho, Ashigarashita-gun, Kanagawa MAP
  • Direction Approximately a 16-minute walk from Kowakudani Station on the Hakone Tozan Railway.
  • Bus Direction Take a bus from Hakone Tozan Railway Hakone-Yumoto Station, get off at "Kowakuen" and walk for a short time.
  • Business hours Meals 11:00-17:00, coffee time 14:00- (L.O.16:30)
  • Closed Dec. 31, Jan. 1, and during the museum's exhibition change period
  • TEL 0460-87-3931
  • Parking Free of charge (1 hour free of charge if you use only Kaikatei)

Japanese sweets made with carefully simmered azuki beans and coffee

Parfait with three-colored dango on top. Miyanoshita Komachi
Parfait with three-colored dango on top. Miyanoshita Komachi" 800 yen

The original menu is a unique and unique experience that is both colorful, pretty, and enjoyable to look at and to eat. The azuki beans used for the sweetness are made from "Toyomi Dainagon" beans produced in Hokkaido, added with beet sugar and brown sugar, and simmered patiently. Flavorful coffee brewed in a French press goes well with the sweet, light and gentle sweet red bean paste as the main ingredient. Following the store's concept of "eating azuki and drinking coffee," combining the two will lead to the discovery of unexpected delicacies. It will be an unforgettable souvenir of your trip.

Historic building that used to be a bus stop

Family-run, homey and relaxing store.
Family-run, homey and relaxing store.

The menu includes a variety of sweets arranged with various ingredients, such as azuki beans, shiratama (white rice balls), and gelados, which will make you want to visit again and again.
Located on the Tokaido Highway in Miyanoshita, across from the Fujiya Hotel, it is a convenient place to stop by and enjoy a cup of tea in between sightseeing. The 100-year-old two-story building was once a bus waiting area in the early Showa period and is full of nostalgic charm. The family-run business provides a friendly and welcoming atmosphere, which is another reason to feel relaxed.

Cafe de Motonami
  • Address 366 Miyanoshita, Hakone-cho, Ashigarashita-gun, Kanagawa MAP
  • Direction Approximately a 4-minute walk from Hakone Tozan Railway Miyanoshita Station.
  • Direction Take a bus from Hakone Tozan Railway Hakone-Yumoto Station, get off at "Miyanoshita" and walk about 4 minutes.
  • Business hours 10:00-18:00 (L.O.17:30), Sat. and Sun. 9:00~.
  • Closed Thursdays
  • TEL 0460-87-0222
  • Parking None

A set of famous sweets and tea at an old Japanese confectionery shop

The warabimochi is filled with koshian (sweetened red bean paste). Chimoto's sweets and tea set
The warabimochi is filled with koshian (sweetened red bean paste). Chimoto's sweets and tea set" 800 yen

At the entrance to Yuba, heading west on the shopping street in front of Hakone-Yumoto Station, you will find a Japanese confectionery café with a classy brick wall. The store was opened in conjunction with Chimoto, a Japanese confectionery store that has been in business for about 70 years, and offers "yumochi," a famous confectionery that has long been a favorite in Hakone, and warabimochi made from real warabi (straw bean flour). The tea in the "Chimoto no Gokashi to Tea Set" includes a choice of matcha tea imported from Marukyu Koyamaen in Uji City, Kyoto, sencha green tea made from Ashigara tea, and cold sencha green tea.

The interior with a gentle atmosphere designed with cherry blossom patterns and curves.

The pink flooring is reminiscent of a carpet of cherry blossoms.
The pink flooring is reminiscent of a carpet of cherry blossoms.

Chimoto's wagashi are made from azuki beans, sugar, rice flour, bracken flour, walnuts, peanuts, agar agar, and other ingredients chosen with the utmost care. Our skilled craftsmen carefully preserve the flavor of freshly made sweets. The café, renovated from a corner of a building built in the early Showa period (1926-1989), is designed with soft curves that resemble cocoons. The tables and other parts of the space are subtly decorated with cherry blossom patterns associated with the Kabuki play "Yoshitsune Senbonzakura," which is also the origin of the name "Chimoto. The gentle atmosphere in which the entire space is enveloped in light colors is also appealing.

Tea Chimoto
  • Address 690 Yumoto, Hakone-cho, Ashigarashita-gun, Kanagawa MAP
  • Direction 7 minutes walk from Hakone Tozan Railway Hakone-Yumoto Station.
  • Business hours 10:00-16:30 (L.O.16:00), Saturday, Sunday, Holidays-17:30 (L.O.17:00)
  • Closed Jan. 1 *Suspended on certain days
  • TEL 0460-85-5632
  • Parking None

A 3-minute walk from Hakone-Yumoto Station, this back-alley café is the base of your trip

Reuben sandwich and coffee set 1,080 yen
Reuben sandwich and coffee set 1,080 yen

This hole-in-the-wall café faces the Hayakawa River just down an alley from Hakone-Yumoto Station. It opened in 2012 to offer a casual place to enjoy a cup of coffee and a light meal in between trips. All beans are from "Sardahiko Coffee," a specialty coffee shop in Ebisu, Tokyo. There are four types of flannel drip coffee to choose from, according to your preference for bitterness and acidity. The restaurant also offers a variety of light meals, such as the "Reuben Sandwich" of pastrami beef with sauerkraut and cheese, and the "Grilled Cheese Sandwich," perfect for when you get a little hungry during your stroll.

Retro furniture and a relaxing atmosphere

Spacious sofa seating on the second floor up a spiral staircase.
Spacious sofa seating on the second floor up a spiral staircase.

In addition to nerd drip coffee, the shop also serves water-dripened coffee, which is brewed slowly over a period of about five hours, to give it a soft, clear taste without any bitterness. There is also a full menu of non-coffee items such as homemade ginger ale and lemonade. On the first floor, you will find the owner's selection of hats and accessories.

Timuny.
  • Address 1&2F 706-32 Hakone-Yumoto, Ashigarashita-gun, Kanagawa MAP
  • Direction 3 minutes walk from Hakone Tozan Railway Hakone-Yumoto Station
  • Business hours 10:00-19:00 (L.O.18:30)
  • Closed Wednesday
  • TEL 0460-85-7810
  • Parking None

Located in "Eki-naka" where you can see the Romance Car, perfect for waiting for the train to arrive and depart.

Take a break with freshly baked bread, deli items, and drinks.
Take a break with freshly baked bread, deli items, and drinks.

Conveniently located just outside the Hakone-Yumoto Station ticket gates on the left. A wide variety of breads baked in the store are lined up in the bakery corner from the time the store opens. The breads are made with carefully selected wheat from both Japan and overseas, and with yeast that is suited to Hakone's water and climate. All breads are baked by 11:00 a.m., and in addition to the standard menu, seasonal flavors can also be enjoyed. To be enjoyed with the bread is the "premium coffee," a blend of four varieties including mandarin and mocha. It is a highly satisfying cup that is light but leaves a strong aftertaste.

Sofa seats with a view of the train are popular with children.

Open store with large windows and high ceilings
Open store with large windows and high ceilings

The sofa seats by the window offer a view of the Romance Car and Hakone Tozan Railway arriving and departing, making it a very popular spot for railroad fans and families. You can also spend the time until the trains arrive and depart in peace while watching the trains in operation. Inside the store, an old model of the Hakone Tozan Railway and a model of a Swiss mountain railroad are on display, creating a fun atmosphere that is typical of a station at the foot of a mountain railroad.
In addition to bread and drinks, the shop also sells deli items in small packages, which are perfect for takeout and eating on the train.

Hakone Cafe
  • Address 707 Yumoto, Hakone-cho, Ashigarashita-gun, Kanagawa MAP
  • Direction Right next to the ticket gate of Hakone Tozan Railway Hakone-Yumoto Station
  • Hours of Operation 8:00-19:00
  • Closed Open daily *Partially closed for maintenance
  • TEL 0460-85-8617
  • Parking None
The information in this article is current as of the date of the update. Please check before visiting as they are subject to change.