憩茶屋「喜鶴」KIKAKU — Restaurant in Takayama

I was deeply impressed and incredibly happy to meet Mamiyo-san. She was so kind and sweet to us. It was truly the best experience of this trip! She taught us how to play some traditional Japanese instruments, and within just 1-2 minutes, we were already playing together as a band—it was amazing! My husband and I had so much fun. We also got to fold origami, which was absolutely adorable, and I’ll treasure it as a special keepsake.

Today, I also had the chance to try shiratama, a chewy treat similar to mochi. Mamiyo-san seemed to handle everything on her own—running the place, making sweets, and preparing drinks. She mentioned that she’s 72 years old (if I remember correctly), but she still looks so young and energetic!

If you ever visit Takayama, I highly recommend this place—it’s an experience you shouldn’t miss. And if I have the chance to visit Takayama again, I’ll definitely come back to have fun with...

The cafe was along houses, not the typical place you expected to find a restaurant/cafe. From the outside, it doesn’t look like a cafe. Manage to find the place using Google Map. This is a small and cozy cafe, there are only 4 tables inside. The customers seems to be regulars or nearby neighbours. 2 of the customers were playing a game of Go. The lady owner was a ex-Geisha. She is 70+ now, but looks like in her 50s. Shop name was the name of her Geisha teacher and the helper is her Geisha student. The lady owner was very friendly. Played us a song and also teaches us paper craft. Drawn a portrait of us, and gave us a CD of the songs she published when she was younger (60+). Seems like she was a Geisha till 60+, but the photo sure look like it’s was 30+ max. Owner was able to speak English, so not an issue communicating or ordering. Like the milk coffee, but the cafe au liat was a little thin. Had a...

This is much more than a cafe and is an absolute must visit! We've been traveling all over Japan for three weeks, and this was the most fun, welcoming, and intriguing experience we've had! Read about it below.

Mimiyo-san made delicious drinks and desserts for us and then taught us to play the Shime-daiko and Surigane. We then accompanied her skilled playing of the Shamisen. What a blast! Along with learning oragami and a traditional Japanese party game, we came to realize that this gem of a spot is much more than a cafe. It seems to be a small local hub of community, entertainment, and friendship, and I am so happy to have been able to be just a small part of it.

Mimiyo-san, thank you so much for having us and teaching us. We will surely visit again on a return trip...