Eat With Your Eyes. Kasama-yaki Pottery Ware & Local Food
Three Restaurants to Enjoy Kasama-yaki Pottery Ware

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Eat With Your Eyes. Kasama-yaki Pottery Ware & Local Food
Three Restaurants to Enjoy Kasama-yaki Pottery Ware

You might have heard that Japanese people eat with their eyes. You can especially feel it when visiting places known for their ceramics, such as Kasama in Ibaraki Prefecture. Contemporary Kasama-yaki pottery is known for freedom of artistic expression rather than for strict traditions.
Many cafes and restaurants in Kasama choose local ceramics that perfectly fit their dishes to let visitors enjoy their meal with all five senses.

Cafe Yuzu-no-Ki (cafe 柚の木) - Enjoy the Here and Now

Located between rice fields and a hill covered with forest, this cafe seems to be the right place to escape the rush and stress of the big city.

After entering the cafe, you change your shoes to slippers and emerge into the soothing atmosphere of an old farmer's house with dark wood and dim light. Although the restaurant itself is not that big, the high ceiling creates a sense of spaciousness.

The owner must be a cat person. You can enjoy watching Kasama-yaki pottery ware, cat-themed drink coasters, and other handmade decorations while waiting for your order. Quiet music and the soft voices of other customers make you feel comfortable and relaxed.

The restaurant serves local products. They even grow rice themselves in the nearby field.
You can choose between tender pork, hamburger steak, seasonal fish, and Doria (rice gratin) for the main dish. Side dishes are more or less the same. There is also a drink and dessert menu.
The tableware has a calm and modest design. It feels like a seasoning to the entire peaceful mood of the restaurant.
The main dish is so good that when you take the first bite, time stops. All your thoughts and worries go away, and the only thing you want is to enjoy the here and now.

Information

Cafe Yuzu-no-Ki | cafe 柚の木
Address: 4472 Kasama, Kasama-shi, Ibaraki
Hours: 11:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. (L.O.14:30)
Closed on Tuesday, Saturday (Temporary closures possible. Make sure to check official site for details）
Website (Japanese-only): https://ameblo.jp/yuzunoki288/

Cafe Futaba (CAFÉ 二葉) - Fusion of Place and Time

"Cafe Futaba" is a relatively new restaurant on the Monzen-dori street halfway from Kasama Historical Exchange Center Izutsuya to the red gate leading to the Inari Jinja Shrine.

Good news! The lunch set pictures are attached to the menu board in front of the entrance. To get more familiar with the cafe, you can also check their Instagram.
The restaurant's main dishes are based on Thai, Hawaiian, Indian, and other cuisines. They make a delicious food-cultural mix, accompanied by a salad with fresh local veggies and a Japanese-style mini-dessert. Huge portions will satisfy your stomach; however, you might want to come back later for a dessert.

West European retro furniture and matching music, together with international dishes served on contemporary Kasama ceramic tableware, build up a lovely fusion of place and time.

Dinnerware of different sizes, shapes, and colors form a harmonious composition on your tray. So even if you are not a fan of food photography, it might be hard to stop yourself from taking a picture.
Don't forget to take a look at the pottery ware displayed at the entrance. If you liked your plate or cup, you can buy a similar one without leaving the cafe!

Information

Cafe Futaba | CAFÉ 二葉
Address: 1188 Kasama, Kasama-shi, Ibaraki
Hours: 10:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Closed on Thursday - Friday
Instagram (Japanese-only): https://www.instagram.com/cafe.futaba/

"Kinomi" Little Things & Cafe (雑貨＆cafe kinomi) - Choose Your Cup

I have passed this cafe many times from Kasama Station to the Inari Jinja Shrine, thinking it was a flower shop. Don't make my mistake.
"Kinomi" is located just around the corner of Monzen-dori, the main tourist street. So, if you are looking for a place to have a break or enjoy a sweet extension of your meal, here it is.

You can have coffee, tea or juice and the dessert of the day. The coolest thing is that you can choose a cup from an impressive Kasama-yaki and Mashiko-yaki ceramic collection that the owner has been gathering for over 30 years.

Black coffee tasted surprisingly soft. The brownie had just a right bittersweet balance and a smooth, even texture. The rare cheesecake, silky and delicate, with a rich, creamy flavor, impressed me the most.

The cafe's interior design comprises thousands of little things: tableware, accessories, and handmade crafts. Each table has its own atmosphere. The owner himself has made some of the decorations, so don't forget to check out his little gallery upstairs!

Information

"Kinomi" Little Things & Cafe | 雑貨＆cafe kinomi
Address: 1539−3 Kasama, Kasama-shi, Ibaraki
Hours: 11:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Closed on Monday - Wednesday
Website (Japanese-only): https://kinomikasama.wixsite.com/kinomi

*The above article is based on coverages made between November and December 2021.
*The information in this article was accurate at the time of the interview. Prices, business hours and other information are subject to change. Please check each official website for the latest information before visiting.

Local Correspondent
Natalia is a Russian aikido practitioner who fell in love with rural Ibaraki prefecture.
She loves nature, linguistics, handicraft, taking pictures, and exploring the world through traveling and making friends with people from different countries and cultures.