1
Hongu (Hongu) Cafe

An old private house café built over 300 years ago, located in a sanctuary in the mountains of Nikko.

This cafe is located on the approach to Hongu Shrine, a separate shrine of "Nikko Futaarasan Shrine," heading west from Nikko Station on the JR and Tobu Railway lines. The 300-plus-year-old building was originally used as a Shinto priest's residence, and when it was renovated, the floorboards were made of sacred wood, so you have to take off your shoes to enter the store.
Coffee lovers should definitely try the aromatic espresso brewed with a Cimbali, the top-of-the-line espresso machine. The food menu also includes many dishes, and the "Clam Chowder in Royal Bread," which is clam chowder with yunami and maitake mushrooms in Kanaya Hotel's special bread, is especially popular, with some people going out of their way to try it.

Inside the store, colorfully connected to the World Heritage sites of shrines and temples

The restaurant's interior and the outdoor terrace counter are also made of beautifully grained Nikko cedar wood. The wall behind the counter is painted in the same vermilion color as the "Shinbashi" and some of the walls inside the restaurant are painted in the same deep blue color used for the Nikko Toshogu Shrine, both by craftsmen who were involved in the restoration of the "Nisshaichiji" temple.
The outdoor terrace seating is a special place to enjoy the sacred air of the Nikko mountains while overlooking the "Shinbashi Bridge" and the Otani River from a high vantage point.

Hongu Cafe

• 2384 Yamauchi, Nikko, Tochigi MAP
• Approximately a 20-minute walk from JR Nikko Station or Tobu Railway Tobu Nikko Station.
• 10:00-18:00 (Dec.-Mar. ~17:00)
• Thursdays (open if Thursday is a national holiday, closed the next day)
• 0288-54-1669
• Free of charge

2
Cafe Karin

Enjoy handmade sweets in an at-home atmosphere

A 10-minute walk along the main street leading to the shrine and temple from Nikko Station on the JR and Tobu Railway lines brings you to a cottage-like house. The scones baked daily by the owner, a native of Nikko, are moist and satisfying, and the chiffon cakes are fluffy. Both are available in several flavors, including plain and green tea. The tea served in a pot is an original blend from Y's tea, a tea specialty store in Utsunomiya City. Coffee is also ordered from Ciba Coffee, a famous home-roasting store in the same city.

Relax in the upstairs seating area with a vaulted ceiling.

The café is housed in a house originally designed as a residence, so you can relax as if you were having a tea break at a friend's house. The owner worked as a kindergarten teacher for many years before learning to bake cakes. She did a home stay in England to learn about tea and opened this store. At the café, you can learn about tea, sweets, and sightseeing in Nikko in a friendly manner.

Cafe Karin

• 574-1 Miyuki-cho, Nikko-shi, Tochigi MAP
• 10 min. walk from JR Nikko Station or Tobu Nikko Station of Tobu Railway
• 12:30-17:30 (L.O. 17:00)
• Wednesday, Thursday
• 0288-53-6722
• Free of charge

3
Lancatorg Cafe

Nostalgic hideaway café

Located near the western approach to the World Heritage Sites of Nikko (Nikko Toshogu Shrine, Nikko Futaarasan Shrine, and Nikko Rinnoji Temple), it is a perfect place to stop by before or after visiting the temples and shrines. Located on the second floor of a building along the main street leading to the shrines and temples, it has a hidden atmosphere for those in the know. The "Yuba Pudding," a soy milk pudding topped with Kumikake Yuba and topped with honey made from boiled down beet sugar, has a tender texture. It goes well with the owner's blended strong coffee.

Old magazines and the owner's collection

The store is brightly lit with glass on two sides, making it hard to believe that it is a room in a building. A coffee shop that has been in business since the early Showa period has been tastefully renovated and revived as a café. The displayed knick-knacks, casually arranged old magazines, and even the music that plays here fit perfectly with the time-honored building and the image of Nikko, creating a relaxing atmosphere for a moment of relaxation.

Lancatorgue Cafe

• 4-1 Yasukawa-cho, Nikko-shi, Tochigi MAP
• From JR Nikko Station or Tobu Railway Nikko Station, take a bus bound for Chuzenji Hot Spring or Yumoto Hot Spring, and get off at "Yasukawa-cho" and walk about 1 minute.
  From JR Nikko Station or Tobu Railway Nikko Station, take the World Heritage Tour Bus. 1 minute walk from Omotesando (Toshogu Shrine) stop.
• 12:00-17:00 (L.O. 16:45)
• Wednesdays and Sundays (Closed on occasional days, call to confirm) Please call to confirm)
• 0288-53-1193
• Charged

4
Nikko Coffee Goyotei Dori

Nikko Coffee Goyotei Dori is one of the four Nikko Coffee stores, and is very popular for its retro building. It is an old private house cafe located on the main gate street of the Tamozawa Imperial Villa, and its popularity lies in the fact that it purchases coffee beans directly from farms and is particular about its own roasting method. The coffee is drip-roasted using Nikko Coffee's original blend, which is roasted using the "perfect hot air method. The coffee is characterized by its high aroma and perfect balance of bitterness and acidity.
The coffee is named after the mountains of Nikko, such as "Nantaiyama Blend" and "Onomineyama Blend.

The cozy, retro-style interior

The building, renovated from an old merchant's house from the Taisho era (1912-1926), has vintage furniture with beautiful wood grain, creating a stylish and relaxing space with a cozy atmosphere. Outside the window, a liberating courtyard spreads out.
The "Cafe Gohan Set" lunch menu is popular, as is the "Imperial Villa Street Black Curry," which is slow-cooked for three days, and the "Omelette Rice," a thick egg with tomato sauce, which can also be taken out.
The café also offers a wide variety of sweets, such as shaved ice, cheesecake, and gateau chocolat, all made with ice from Tokujiro Yondaime, a natural ice maker. *The shaved ice will be closed when the ice runs out.

Nikko Coffee Goyotei Dori

• 3-13 Honmachi, Nikko City, Tochigi Prefecture MAP
• From JR Nikko Station or Tobu Railway Tobu Nikko Station, take the Tobu Bus bound for Chuzenji Onsen or Yumoto Onsen (approx. 7 min.), alight at Nishi-Sando Iriguchi (West Approach Entrance) and walk approx. 2 min.
• 10:00-18:00 (L.O. 17:00)
• Mondays, 1st and 3rd Tuesdays (open if Monday is a national holiday, closed the following day)
• 0288-53-2335
• Free of charge