Oito

oito 喫茶

Welcome to Tamba-Sasayama, a small but picturesque village in the North of Hyogo prefecture, home to 40000 people and famous for it’s historic Sasayama castle ruins and Tamba pottery. It’s on a roughly 1 hour drive from Kobe or Osaka or a one hour train ride (Tokaido Sanyo Line or Tozai-Gakkentoshi Line) from central Osaka.

On a five minute walk from Sasayama Castle ruins is Kawaramachi street, another one of the main attractions in Sasayama. It’s a 700 m long street with beautiful historical shops and cafes located along either side of the road.

Also located along the Kawaramachi Street is ‘Oito’, a beautifully renovated kominka turned café and guesthouse. Oito opened it’s doors in May of 2021. The building Oito is housed in is more than 220 years old and has had a variety of owners in the past. Before Oito it used to be a shoe shop that specializes in geta (traditional Japanese footwear resembling flip-flops. A kind of sandal, geta have a flat wooden base elevated with up to three (though commonly two) “teeth”.)

Similar to the other buildings along the Kawaramachi street, the exterior of Oito is mostly white with a dark wood window and door sill on the ground floor. The roof and a canopy are using typical Japanese rooftiles. On the left of the façade is a beautiful glass display case extension with a single chair on display. The entrance are the two sliding doors in the middle of the façade.

The interior of the café is deep and spacious with a retro look and feel. There is a seating area near the entrance, behind that you will find the kitchen and behind the kitchen is another seating area with a lovely view over the inner courtyard in the back of the café.

Most of the furniture, except for some peculiar leather chairs, a console table and maybe a stool are antiques including stickback chairs and , bow back chairs with the main material for the furniture, kitchen and the support beams inside the cafe consisting of natural dark wood. That in combination of the natural light gives the café a cozy atmosphere.

Most of the walls have been renovated, but the walls in front of the kitchen and in the corridor in the back are still some of the original sandwalls, some slightly deformed due to aging.

There is an atrium right in front of the kitchen and a small corridor that leads to the back of the café with another seating and artdisplay room and the toilets.

Between the seating area and the inner garden is a raised platform with antique sliding doors with beautiful frosted glass above which is a ranma (transom, an often elaborate wooden carving above the door) with a partial kumikozaiku decoration.

Oito has a simple menu with coffee (ice-coffee, cafe aulait 600 yen or Vienna coffee) that are available in light, medium and dark roast blends as well as cocoa, apple juice, orange juice and milk for the non coffee drinkers. For food the cafe offers a morning set, a cake set, french toast or a thick sliced toast with a variety of toppings.

ice-coffee 500 yen

cafe aulait 600 yen

Vienna coffee 600 yen

Cocoa 600 yen

Cake set w/ drink 800 yen

Morning set w/ drink 700 yen

All the food and drinks come served with beautiful Japanese style ceramics.

Besides a café, Oito also serves as a guesthouse and has two rooms. The stairs in the front of the entrance lead to oito’s guest rooms upstairs. We don’t have photos of the guestrooms but you can get a glimpse of the lovely rooms on their official website.

Café & guesthouse Oito and it’s surrounding Tamba-Sasayama area are a must visit and make for a lovely outing.

Hours: Mon – Fri 09:00 ~ 17:00, Sat/Sun 09:00 ~ 20:00

Closed*: Wednesday

Nearest Stations & Exit:

Busstop Honsasayama # See map below

*We always recommend checking the opening hours & holidays on the official website or instagram of the establishment.

Hours: Mon - Fri 09:00 ~ 17:00, Sat/Sun 09:00 ~ 20:00

Closed*: Wednesday

Nearest Stations & Exit:

Busstop Honsasayama # See map below

*We always recommend checking the opening hours & holidays on the official website or instagram of the establishment.

Date | Breakfast | Ideal For Outing | Lunch | Spacious | Staffpick | Sweets | Vegeterian/Vegan | Japanese Style | Japanese Ceramics

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