Yukata + Kakuozan Matsuri
Last weekend, my husband and I took some friends to the Kakuozan Matsuri, a festival we try to attend each year. Kakuozan is a suburb of Nagoya with delicious cafes, beautiful shops and a Thai temple. The festival is always well attended. A stage hosts performances (including one by our friend's hula students, one of the reasons we go) and booths showcase a variety of trinkets and snacks. Last year we saw everything from dry flowers to a 'make your own plastic dessert' station.
I always wear yukata (the summer version of a kimono) to these festivals. This year, thanks to some kimono lessons I took, I was able to get dressed better and more quickly than before. Husband took some nice pictures at a nearby park before we headed off to the festival.
Unfortunately this time, an incoming typhoon warning cancelled the festival just as we arrived! Yet not all was lost; instead, we got to spend the afternoon in various shops and restaurants along the main pedestrian street. Here are our top three (all food-related... oops) recommendations!
1. Hale Lani Terrace
This breezy Hawaiian cafe is owned by the mother of a good friend of ours. A glass-fronted shop that twinkles beautifully with fairy lights at night, the inside is decorated in a serene beach theme that transports you to the Pacific island for the duration of your stay. Best of all, the food is mouth-wateringly delicious. My favourites include their signature salad, homemade bread, and fresh ahi poke. The last is what I ordered for lunch, and it was fabulous.
Hale Lani Terrace
http://halelaniterrace.com
名古屋市千種区覚王山通り9-16-3 La’a Kea 覚王山 1F
2. Zarame
The exterior of this shop looks like an antique store, which means many are surprised as they walk in to find an array of donuts and a chalkboard coffee menu. This cafe is a bit hipster in its decor, and doesn’t feel much like Japan apart from the friendly staff behind the counter. The glass case of donuts is tempting - unfortunately, we chose a Red Velvet that looked better than it tasted. I recommend their original glazed. And the coffee got my husband’s seal of approval: something he doesn’t hand out lightly, so you can rest assured it’s good here.
Zarame
http://www.zarame.co.jp/store/nagoya
2-36 Sanmon-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya
3. Ichi-rin （庭園ギャラリーいち輪）
The final spot of the day was a new place for us, and may actually become an all-time favourite. This Japanese-style cafe/restaurant overlooks a beautiful garden, and the cafe itself is an old remodelled house. We chose the tatami mat room for afternoon tea.
Each order came out on a tray with a little vase of flowers and a small snack. The drinks themselves were excellent, and very reasonably priced. We ended up staying for a couple hours, so comfortable was the atmosphere. Shelves with items for sale lined the entrance hallway. As we left, the owner gave my friend and I some cute knitted mushrooms that caught our eye! She also graciously let us use the garden for photos.
For a traditional Japanese tea house that feels like stepping into Kamakura, I cannot recommend this place more. Their lunch options looked delicious as well!
Ichi-rin
https://tabelog.com/aichi/ichirin
名古屋市千種区西山元町1-58
These three were some of our favourites for food and drink. Besides these, there was a glass shop with miniature Girls’ Day and Children’s Day decorations, a flower shop with pots of herbs for sale outside, and a charming old house, the front of which we borrowed for pictures. If you’re looking for a relaxing, non-touristy day out in Nagoya, Kakuozan is the place to go!
I always wear yukata (the summer version of a kimono) to these festivals. This year, thanks to some kimono lessons I took, I was able to get dressed better and more quickly than before. Husband took some nice pictures at a nearby park before we headed off to the festival.
Unfortunately this time, an incoming typhoon warning cancelled the festival just as we arrived! Yet not all was lost; instead, we got to spend the afternoon in various shops and restaurants along the main pedestrian street. Here are our top three (all food-related... oops) recommendations!
. . .
1. Hale Lani Terrace
This breezy Hawaiian cafe is owned by the mother of a good friend of ours. A glass-fronted shop that twinkles beautifully with fairy lights at night, the inside is decorated in a serene beach theme that transports you to the Pacific island for the duration of your stay. Best of all, the food is mouth-wateringly delicious. My favourites include their signature salad, homemade bread, and fresh ahi poke. The last is what I ordered for lunch, and it was fabulous.
Hale Lani Terrace
http://halelaniterrace.com
名古屋市千種区覚王山通り9-16-3 La’a Kea 覚王山 1F
2. Zarame
The exterior of this shop looks like an antique store, which means many are surprised as they walk in to find an array of donuts and a chalkboard coffee menu. This cafe is a bit hipster in its decor, and doesn’t feel much like Japan apart from the friendly staff behind the counter. The glass case of donuts is tempting - unfortunately, we chose a Red Velvet that looked better than it tasted. I recommend their original glazed. And the coffee got my husband’s seal of approval: something he doesn’t hand out lightly, so you can rest assured it’s good here.
Zarame
http://www.zarame.co.jp/store/nagoya
2-36 Sanmon-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya
3. Ichi-rin （庭園ギャラリーいち輪）
The final spot of the day was a new place for us, and may actually become an all-time favourite. This Japanese-style cafe/restaurant overlooks a beautiful garden, and the cafe itself is an old remodelled house. We chose the tatami mat room for afternoon tea.
Each order came out on a tray with a little vase of flowers and a small snack. The drinks themselves were excellent, and very reasonably priced. We ended up staying for a couple hours, so comfortable was the atmosphere. Shelves with items for sale lined the entrance hallway. As we left, the owner gave my friend and I some cute knitted mushrooms that caught our eye! She also graciously let us use the garden for photos.
For a traditional Japanese tea house that feels like stepping into Kamakura, I cannot recommend this place more. Their lunch options looked delicious as well!
Ichi-rin
https://tabelog.com/aichi/ichirin
名古屋市千種区西山元町1-58
. . .
These three were some of our favourites for food and drink. Besides these, there was a glass shop with miniature Girls’ Day and Children’s Day decorations, a flower shop with pots of herbs for sale outside, and a charming old house, the front of which we borrowed for pictures. If you’re looking for a relaxing, non-touristy day out in Nagoya, Kakuozan is the place to go!
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