Retes

rêtes (instagram.com/retes.jp) is a café and plant shop in Kamitachikui, Tamba-Sasayama, surrounded by mountains and the pottery studios of the Tachikui area. It is quite a destination rather than a café you simply stumble across, although the striking building makes it hard to miss once you reach it. From JR Aino Station, it is about a 20-minute bus ride followed by a two-minute walk, while by car it is around 15 minutes from the Sanda-Nishi IC.

rêtes opened in May 2024 and was created by a family who moved to the area after falling in love with its mountain scenery. Owner Haruka Maenaka had worked for a flower company in Tokyo, while her husband worked in landscaping and indoor plants. Her father, who had previously operated a café in a renovated post office nearby, also became involved. The family travelled together through Europe and Latin America, including a visit to Luis Barragán’s house in Mexico, and drew inspiration from those experiences when creating rêtes, designing and building much of the space themselves with help from friends and family.

The building itself is one of rêtes’ most distinctive features. Rather than blending into the surrounding landscape, its large, textured exterior wall is finished in a deep bengara red, creating a dramatic contrast with the greenery and mountains around it. Inside, the building is divided into two spaces: a sliding door on the left leads into the café, while the right side houses a two-storey plant shop filled with greenery, flowers, planters and objects. The café is simple and warm, with large openings that bring the surrounding countryside into the space.

The coffee menu includes drip coffee, Americano, café latte, caramel latte and espresso tonic. Non-coffee options include milk, orange juice and apple juice, while the baked sweets include pound cake, banana cake, lemon cake and brownie.

What makes rêtes particularly special is the experience of moving between its bold exterior, warm café and lush two-storey plant shop. The contrast between the deep red architecture and the surrounding natural landscape gives the place a strong visual identity, while the family story and carefully considered interior make it feel like much more than a café in the countryside.