A relaxing cafe that will make a great travel destination

• Table of Contents
• TheDay.
• Mimosa
• Yamaboshi tree

TheDay.

"TheDay." just opened in April this year. It was named "TheDay." because it wanted people to have the best day ever. It's so modern that it's hard to believe it was originally a warehouse with crumbling walls, and it blends in with the natural surroundings as if it had been there for a long time.

Deguchi, who runs three restaurants in Kumamoto City, including "Sakura Le" and "Kumamoto Mala Center," wanted to open a cafe in the nature-rich suburbs during the COVID-19 pandemic. He was introduced to an abandoned warehouse right next to the Yoshimuta Plateau by an acquaintance, and found the ideal location with its vast grassland. The cafe was produced by Coffee Gallery, which has expanded its stores not only in Kumamoto but also overseas. They made use of the abandoned warehouse to create a store and provided instruction on how to brew coffee.

The Yoshimuta Water Source, a three-minute drive from "TheDay.", is a place where 13,000 tons of water springs out every day, and people come from far away to collect water. Inspired by this water source, the interior of the store is based on the theme of water, with a ripple-like logo and a white motif.

Lunch is full of vegetables from Kumamoto Prefecture. The mozzarella and vegetable quiche plate comes with side dishes of homemade onion koji salad, mushroom present, carrot rapée, quinoa salad, and boiled komatsuna. The menu incorporates the ideas of a woman so that you can enjoy a little bit of each delicious thing.

The burdock potage has a light burdock aroma, and one bite is full of the delicious flavors of not only burdock but also other vegetables. For the drink that comes with lunch, choose drip coffee. It has a clean aftertaste and goes perfectly with lunch.

They have also tried new sweets menu items, with a lineup that goes perfectly with coffee. You can also enjoy the excellent caramel ice cream served at their shop in Kumamoto City here. The coffee served is the same as that served at Coffee Kairo, and the drip packs in "TheDay." packaging are perfect as souvenirs.

TheDay.

Mimosa

Mashiki Town was the area most affected by the Kumamoto earthquake. The father of the owner of "Mimosa" was also forced to retire from his car bodywork and paint shop due to the impact of the earthquake. He had always wanted to open a cafe, and wondered if they could do something in the same place, so the sisters started up "Mimosa". At "Mimosa", they put their respective skills to use, drawing on their experience working in bakeries and restaurants to make lunch menus, sweets, and sandwiches, and their experience as baristas to make coffee.

On International Women's Day (Mimosa Day), mimosas are sent to women as a way of expressing gratitude, and it is customary to spend that day relaxing in a cafe or restaurant, so the shop was named "Mimosa" in the hope that people would spend that time in the cafe. One of the reasons for this is that the owner, Sugimitsu, loves mimosas, and the shop interior is decorated with dried mimosas.

The shop also sells exciting miscellaneous goods, such as the unusual lights used at the counter seats and colorful glassware, all of which are items that Sugimitsu feels are suitable.

The Mimosa Plate, which uses local seasonal vegetables, comes with a main dish, soup, and drink. The main dish uses a lot of vegetables from Mashiki Town, making it a hearty lunch menu.

The sweet potato potage is made with sweet potatoes purchased from local farmers. The sweet potatoes are so tasty that you can imagine it would be delicious even if you just eat it as is, making it a soup that's almost like a dessert. The main dish, grilled chicken with honey mustard, is made with tender domestic chicken topped with refreshing honey mustard, and is not spicy so even children can eat it. *The lunch menu changes depending on the season and month.

Events are regularly held outside the cafe's opening hours, such as candlelit night yoga after dark, and a cafe talk session with a psychological counselor. There are also events where local mothers can gather, such as a parenting horoscope that explores the qualities that children have based on their birth dates, creating a place that can be a source of emotional support.

Mimosa

Yamaboshi tree

"Yamaboushi no Ki" is a 140-year-old traditional house that has been renovated. The renovation of the house was undertaken by Mizuta Home, who also designed the luxury inn "Takefue" in Kurokawa Onsen, Kumamoto. Because it is such a wonderful place, there was a request to keep it open regularly, so "Sabi Cafe" was opened inside "Yamaboushi no Ki".

There are buildings scattered across the 1330m2 site, and in addition to the cafe, there is also a shelter and shop for the Inuneko Association. From the gate to the cafe entrance, there are lots of plants planted, and the sounds of insects and the wind naturally reach your ears, creating a relaxing space.

The owner, Mr. Morikawa, said that he wanted a place where people could gather, talk about their feelings, and spend time together. The seats in the cafe space, "Sabi Cafe," are not just a place to eat, but have various types of seats so that each person can spend time in the place that is most comfortable for them.

The Mizutama Plate is made with water from the Shirakawa River, a water source that is representative of Kumamoto. The kinako and matcha sprinkled on the plate resemble the view you would get if you were looking into the water source. The shiratama made with Uki City's shiratama flour and the rich ice cream made with Abe Farm's ASO milk are just as delicious as the mizutama. A portion of the price will be donated to the Yamaboushi no Ki Inuneko no Kai.

Inuneko no Kai not only protects animals and holds adoption events, but also thinks about how to solve fundamental issues and ensure that people, communities, and animals can live happily together. They have begun providing assistance to elderly people who are unable to look after their pets due to hospitalization, etc., and taking in pets from the Kamimashiki local health center and providing end-of-life care. It seems that more and more people have found out about the cafe through Inuneko no Kai's activities, so they have now started an initiative where a portion of the fees will be donated, in the hope that more people will learn about Inuneko no Kai's activities through the cafe. I think this is one way you can support the cause within your own lifestyle, without having to join a rescue group or rescue dogs and cats yourself.

Mountain bell tree