Local Guide
5 recommended cafes in Omachi and Hakuba where special moments await

From a home-roasting coffee shop serving fresh coffee, to a patisserie serving Western-style sweets made with plenty of local ingredients, to a cafe with a terrace in a stunning location, we will introduce some recommended cafes you should visit at least once in the Omachi/Hakuba area, surrounded by the vast nature at the foot of the Northern Alps.

*In order to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus, there may be changes in business hours or closures. Please check in advance before going out.

Relaxing home-roasted coffee and handmade sweets

"Apple Pie" (700 yen) is served warm. "Mima Blend" (550 yen) is a drink with a good balance of bitterness and acidity that is easy to drink.
"Apple Pie" (700 yen) is served warm. "Mima Blend" (550 yen) is a drink with a good balance of bitterness and acidity that is easy to drink.

This stucco-walled house stands on the grasslands of the Miasa district, located at an altitude of 1,000m in the eastern part of Omachi City. The shop's showcase is lined with seasonal sweets from a Western-style pastry shop in Hyogo Prefecture run by the owner's father. The shop offers a variety of exquisite items that go well with coffee, including tarts made with fruits from Shinshu, as well as cheesecake and chocolate cake. The apple pie, available only in autumn and winter, is made using half a raw Red Delicious apple from Matsukawa Village. Following a recipe from the German countryside, the hollowed-out core is stuffed with nuts and cinnamon, wrapped in pie crust and baked, resulting in a simple-tasting treat.

Relax in a cafe that feels like the living room of a British home

A tasteful space with antique sideboards and sturdy sofas
A tasteful space with antique sideboards and sturdy sofas

The cake is accompanied by a selection of carefully selected coffee. The owner roasts 7-8 types of single origin coffee beans and 3 types of blends in a roaster in a corner of the shop. Coffee beans, baked goods, and homemade confitures are also available for takeout.
The restaurant's interior, modeled after a British country house, is a tranquil space decorated with antique furniture. There is also terrace seating on the balcony, from which you can enjoy the scenery of Nakayama Plateau, with rape blossoms in spring and white buckwheat flowers in late summer. In winter, you will be warmed by the flames of a wood stove, allowing you to enjoy elegant moments throughout the year.

Miasa Coffee
  • URLhttp://www.miasacoffee.com
  • address14902-1 Miasa, Omachi City, Nagano Prefecture MAP
  • DirectionApproximately 12 minutes by car from JR Shinano-Omachi Station
  • Opening times10:00~Twilight
  • Closed DayThursdays, New Year's holiday period *Open every day in May and August
  • TEL0261-23-1102
  • Parkingfree

Take a break with homemade waffles and herbal tea

"Belgian waffles topped with buckwheat" 600 yen, herbal tea "Organic African nectar" 500 yen
"Belgian waffles topped with buckwheat" 600 yen, herbal tea "Organic African nectar" 500 yen

A cozy cafe Restaurant located on a vast hilly area. The menu includes a daily lunch full of home-grown vegetables and dishes using wild game caught by the owner himself. Homemade desserts are also popular, including scones made with dried fruit from Nagano Prefecture and soft-serve ice cream sundaes with homemade fruit sauce. Fragrant waffles studded with crunchy buckwheat seeds are served with two types of ice cream and apple compote. There is also a wide variety of herbal teas to choose from, based on their aroma and effects.

A highland cafe where you can feel at ease with cute animals

A terrace overlooking the tranquil highland scenery. There are goats in the shed in front of the restaurant.
A terrace overlooking the tranquil highland scenery. There are goats in the shed in front of the restaurant.

The six tables on the terrace offer a panoramic view of Nakayama Plateau, the setting for the TV drama. Although it is only a 10-minute drive from Shinano-Omachi Station, you can encounter abundant nature. In spring, fields of rapeseed spread out before you, white flowers blooming in buckwheat fields in summer, and in autumn, the Northern Alps are covered in snow and the trees are colorful with colorful foliage. You can also see the adorable sheep and goats basking in the sun in front of the cafe. Relaxing tea time while feeling the breeze of the plateau is a special experience. We also recommend buying seasonal vegetables from the cafe's own farm and homemade scones as souvenirs.

Farm Cafe Rabbit
  • URLhttps://www.facebook.com/nouen.cafe.rabbit/
  • addressNakayama Plateau MAP 8295-48 Omachi, Omachi City, Nagano Prefecture
  • DirectionApproximately 12 minutes by car from JR Shinano-Omachi Station
  • Opening times11:00～15:00（L.O.14:30）
  • Closed DayTuesdays *Closed from December to March
  • TEL080-1065-1627
  • Parkingfree
  • Note*Closed until April 2021

Tasty home-cooked meals in a former hemp warehouse

"Tomato Menchi" served with homemade sauce is 900 yen. It also comes with a side dish of tamagoyaki (egg roll).
"Tomato Menchi" served with homemade sauce is 900 yen. It also comes with a side dish of tamagoyaki (egg roll).

This cafe Restaurant is located down a narrow alley from the center of Omachi. It is popular for its homemade dishes using local seasonal vegetables, and offers about eight different lunch menu items every day. One of the most popular dishes is the "Tomato Menchi," which uses tomatoes instead of eggs in Scotch eggs. It is an imaginative dish that harmonizes crispy fries with minced meat and juicy tomatoes. It also comes with rice, miso soup, salad, and three small side dishes, making it an attractive value at under 1,000 yen.

After your meal, head to the art gallery next door.

The interior of the store is decorated with chairs made by artists. As the owners are a married couple born in the year of the rabbit, rabbit-themed items are scattered throughout the store.
The interior of the store is decorated with chairs made by artists. As the owners are a married couple born in the year of the rabbit, rabbit-themed items are scattered throughout the store.

The shop is housed in a 170-year-old building that was once a warehouse for storing hemp. The original beams, plaster walls, and wooden furniture give the place a warm feel. From spring to autumn, you can enjoy a drink such as Omachi wine on the wooden deck terrace.
In addition, the attached art gallery is filled with glass, ceramics, woodwork, felt, paintings, and other works. Local artists are in charge of the store on a daily basis, and workshops are held almost every day. Stop by after your meal and find your favorite piece.

Cafe & BAR Asakura

Turning delicious Omachi ingredients into approachable sweets

The "Cassis Chocolat" (400 yen) uses a mousse made from locally grown cassis hand-picked by the owner. A pot of tea (410 yen) is also available.
The "Cassis Chocolat" (400 yen) uses a mousse made from locally grown cassis hand-picked by the owner. A pot of tea (410 yen) is also available.

This patisserie was opened by a female owner who trained in Western confectionery in Vienna. They offer 10 to 18 kinds of fresh confections that incorporate plenty of Omachi ingredients, such as chiboust made with Omachi-grown red apples and Shinshu cream cheese, chiffon cake made with "rapeseed oil" from the rapeseed fields of Nakayama Plateau, and pudding made with the well-known local "Matsuda milk" and free-range eggs. The most popular item is the cream puff, a crispy cookie dough filled with a cream mixture of fresh cream and custard. It is an exceptional item that often sells out by mid-day on weekends.

Enjoy cakes, drinks, limited edition pancakes and more at your leisure.

On the central table are about 20 kinds of simple baked goods.
On the central table are about 20 kinds of simple baked goods.

The shop is located in a corner of Omachi hot spring, where many Hot spring ryokan stand side by side. It's a convenient place to stop by while strolling around the hot spring town. The spacious shop has counter and table seating, and all cakes and baked goods can be enjoyed with coffee or tea. Eat-in only items include bread baked in-house using dough imported from Germany, limited-edition soups, and Viennese-style Kaiserschmarren pancakes (reservations must be made the day before). It's perfect for a light lunch.

Conditorei Anne Marie
  • URLhttp://anne-marille.com
  • address2811-11 Hira, Omachi City, Nagano Prefecture MAP
  • DirectionApproximately 15 minutes by car from JR Shinano-Omachi Station
  • Bus DirectionTake the bus from JR Shinano-Omachi Station, get off at "Omachi hot spring" and walk for about 1 minute
  • Opening times10:00～17:00（L.O.16:30）
  • Closed DayTuesdays, Wednesdays, and other irregular holidays
  • TEL0261-85-0702
  • ParkingFree (Omachi hot spring shared Parking)

Enjoy homemade bread, sweets, and home-roasted coffee

"Prosciutto and cheese toast" with mini salad 550 yen, "stone oven cheesecake" 500 yen, "Ethiopian mocha" 600 yen
"Prosciutto and cheese toast" with mini salad 550 yen, "stone oven cheesecake" 500 yen, "Ethiopian mocha" 600 yen

This small cafe is run by a couple who moved to Hakuba from Aichi Prefecture. You can enjoy aromatic coffee roasted by the wife, homemade yeast breads such as campagne baked in a wood-fired oven by the husband, and sweets. There are three types of blended coffee and five to six types of straight coffee with different characteristics, all of which are carefully extracted using a cloth filter. The ever-popular sweet is the "stone oven cheesecake," baked in the residual heat of the bread oven. The smooth, rich taste of cheese gently spreads in your mouth. If you're feeling a bit hungry, we also recommend cheese toast made with bread made from domestic wheat.

Enjoy the mountain views in this modern restaurant, which also has a Japanese-style room.

Opened in 2010. A wood stove keeps you warm in the winter.
Opened in 2010. A wood stove keeps you warm in the winter.

The interior of the shop, laid out so that the Hakuba Sanzan mountains can be viewed from the windows, has a modern look that combines Japanese and Western influences. The counter, made from North American cherry wood, is a special seating area where coffee is brewed right in front of you. There is a raised area where you can take off your shoes and relax, with comfortable sofa seats and a Japanese-style room, the latter of which is popular with families with small children. The bread-making workshop is glass-walled, allowing you to see the large French wood-fired oven. You can spend a relaxing time relaxing while enjoying a conversation with the owners.

Coffee Senjyu
  • URLhttp://coffee.senjeu.com
  • address5848-15 Hokujo, Hakuba Village, Kitaazumi District, Nagano Prefecture MAP
  • DirectionApproximately 5 minutes by car from JR Hakuba Station
  • Opening times9:00-17:00, January-March 11:00-, Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays 9:00-
  • Closed DayTuesdays, Wednesdays, and other irregular holidays *Only Wednesdays during peak season
  • TEL0261-72-5005
  • Parkingfree

After enjoying sightseeing, why not take a moment to relax in hot spring surrounded by the Northern Alps, and enjoy Experience of the Shinshu countryside around the hearth.
Hoshino Resorts Hoshino Resorts KAI Alps has good Direction to tourist spots, with Ogizawa, the entrance to the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route, just a 20-minute drive away, and the Hakuba area, which is bustling with skiers in the winter, just a 30-minute drive away.

A secret hot spring inn where you can relax and enjoy the hospitality of the hearth

hot spring is a hot spring drawn from Kuzu hot spring, a secret hot spring with abundant hot water located at the foot of the Northern Alps
hot spring is a hot spring drawn from Kuzu hot spring, a secret hot spring with abundant hot water located at the foot of the Northern Alps

About 80 minutes by car from Nagano Station. Hot spring ryokan is located in Omachi hot spring. Guest room and hot spring buildings are lined up on both sides of the snow country arcade "Gangi", where you can Experience the Shinshu countryside with festivals and traditional games in the summer and snow play in snow igloos and on snowshoes in the winter.
All Guest room are in the "Shinano Hospitality Room." Decorated with kirie art frames and lit by lanterns made from Matsuzaki washi paper, this is a relaxing space. In the earthen floor with its hearth, you can enjoy the hospitality that is unique to the countryside, such as oyaki (baked dumplings), baked apples, and hot sake. This is an inn where you can spend time soothing both body and mind, as if you were back in your hometown.

Hoshino Resorts KAI Alps
  • URLhttps://hoshinoresorts.com/ja/hotels/kaialps/
  • address2884-26 Hira, Omachi City, Nagano Prefecture MAP
  • DirectionTake the express bus from JR Nagano Station for about 80 minutes, get off at "Omachi hot spring", then walk for about 10 minutes
  • TEL0570-073-011 (Kai Reservation Center)
  • Parkingto exist
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