Did you know what within the rich natural scenery and retro townscape of Takachiho, there are cafés and restaurants where you can lunch in style?

This time around we will be introducing you to places that offer fresh seasonal ingredients, including lunches made with home-grown vegetables and rice, as well as cafés offering visually appealing, photogenic dishes. Here are five of the best cafés and restaurants for a lunch on a girls’ trip in Takachiho.

Wether you are here for sightseeing or as a shrine visitor, please have a look at these places while visiting Takachiho♪

Cleanse yourself from the inside out with lunch at Sato Cafe Cat Tail

A hidden café located in a back alley one step off the main street in central Takachiho, just a three-minute walk from Takachiho Shrine, one of Takachiho’s most popular tourist attractions.

Sato Cafe Cat Tail or “Neko-no-Shippo”, housed in a renovated traditional Japanese home built 60 years ago, offers medicinal dishes made with fresh vegetables.

The café is lined with cat-themed goods, making it an irresistible space for cat lovers. It is fun to just sit and look at all of the cat goods as you wait for your food.

We recommend the “Japanese Medicinal Herb Lunch Plate” (“和の薬膳ランチプレート” at 1,350 yen), with its very particular balance of ingredients and the five flavors of traditional Japanese kampo medicine.

Not only is the meal good for you, but it is also beautiful to look at, and will soothe both the body and mind.

The café uses seasonal ingredients, so no matter how many times you visit, you can always look forward to seeing what dishes are on offer.

Do have a look at what ingredients are used when your visiting the café.

★Click here for directions to Sato Cafe Cat Tail

Enjoy hagama-steamed rice right at your table at GOKOKU

GOKOKU, which opened just recently in 2021, is located along the main street in central Takachiho.

The café, which makes efforts to promote Takachiho’s kamairicha (kettle-fired tea), allows you to enjoy both lunch and café time.

We recommend the “Kamairicha Set Meal” (“釜炒り茶御膳” at1,500 yen), which amazingly comes with its own hagama (rice steel pot) for each person. The sound of the rice steaming, and the steam that comes out of the pot are truly irresistible.

Along with the freshly steamed rice comes a miso soup filled with lots of ingredients, a small bowl of seasonal vegetables, pickled side dishes, and a raw egg!

First, eat some of the white rice as is, then put the raw egg on top and mix for tamagokake gohan (Japanese-style egg rice). Finally, add kamairicha to the steel pot and enjoy some chagayu (tea porridge), for a veritable full course of rice♡

Takachiho’s kamairicha is has proudly been awarded the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Award. Please enjoy it!

★Click here for directions to GOKOKU

Have a photogenic time at the vegan café TAKACHIHOYA

TAKACHIHOYA, like GOKOKU, is located along the main street in central Takachiho.

The café is known for the komainu (guardian dog statue) that greets you at the entrance. It offers vegan meals, as well as lunches and desserts made with local ingredients.

This is one of the best places to go if you are careful about what you eat on a daily basis.

The interior of the restaurant is modeled after the mythological village of Takachiho, with garden stones and trees that give the cafe an almost shrine-like atmosphere.

We recommend the “Kyushu Pancakes,” which are made with rice flour, for a lightweight lunch or snack. Pair with the amazake (Japanese malted rice drink) smoothie for a filling meal.

The cafe offers many dishes that are gentle for the body and not to mention photogenic—so much so that it can be fun just to browse the menu.

★Click here for directions to TAKACHIHOYA

Take in the spectacular view of the terraced rice fields at Tanohana

Located at the end of a narrow road, in a place so secluded you will wonder if you are in the right place. But trust us—at the end of the road is a spectacular view.

Tanohana (“flowers of the field” in Japanese), located halfway up a mountain, is a vegetable-focused café that offers delicious meals and a spectacular view of the terraced rice fields of Takachiho.

The interior of the café, which is housed in a renovated traditional Japanese home, has a retro feel to it. If you are lucky, you may even be able to catch a glimpse of a sea of clouds, called “unkai”.

We recommend the “Vegetable Plate” (野菜料理ワンプレート at 1,650 yen), which is made with lots of fresh, locally-harvested seasonal vegetables.

The course meals are reservation-only, so check with the café in advance if you are interested.

The seasonal desserts are beautiful and very delicious, making this a truly wonderful experience from beginning to end.

★Click here for directions to Tanohana

Savor the meals, scenery and the slow passage of time at Kaze-no-Michi

A 15-minute drive away from Ama-no-Iwato Shrine, through the mountain path and at the end of Kami-Iwato Ohashi Bridge, is Farmer’s Cafe Kaze-no-Michi.

The café, which is run by a farmer, offers lunches made with homemade, locally-produced ingredients.

※Even though there are no photos of it, it needs to be mentioned that Kami-Iwato Ohashi Bridge also has a spectacular view.

Taking in the scenery from the window, relaxing while gazing out at the terraced rice fields, is the ultimate luxury.

We recommend their pizza (770 yen), which is made with a rice flour dough, homemade tomato sauce and Takachiho beef.

The café lets you take in the spectacular view and feel the pleasant breeze on your skin, not just in the terrace seats but inside the café as well.

All of the dishes on the meny are handmade!

Vegetables harvested on the farm itself, or in neighboring farms are used for making the dishes. You are also able to purchase processed products here.

★Click here for directions to Kaze-no-Michi

Conclusion

These were five of our most recommended lunches for a girls’ trip. What do you think?

While there are many cafés and restaurants in Takachiho, these were the ones we felt would be the most appealing for a girls’ trip—with dishes that are great for women, and very photogenic. Whether it be a solo trip or a girls’ trip, we recommend you visit and try some of them for yourself♬