Yama-ai — Restaurant in Hakuba

HIDDEN TREASURE. Set amongst the tourist orientated restaurants and shops in Echoland, Yama-ai is a treasure trove of Japanese cottage industry style souvenirs and wares.

Most importantly the home made 'Oyaki'. You can buy them heated ready to eat or frozen for later on, with instructions on the best way to heat them. I only wish they came with the recipe.

Forget the convenience store for any souvenirs, you can buy something less mass produced and genuinely Japanese at Yama-ai.

The staff could not be any more...

Excellent traditional buns!! The owners are so sweet, the menu has a great variety of flavors- all vegetarian from what I can tell- excellent snack after a day on the slopes. It’s also a cute gift shop with lots of ceramics knickknacks; you can tell the owners have been there for quite a long time. I will...

Interesting little place. Go for the buns, but take them to go! The pumpkin bun was excellent and the perfect warm little tasty bomb to cruise the streets of Echoland.

The little shop is filled to the brim with antiques and pottery. It was quaint but a bit...