Gifu Prefecture is one of the few inland prefectures surrounded by seven other prefectures. The north is lined with mountains over 3,000 meters above sea level, while the south is home to the Kiso River, making it an area blessed with abundant nature. Many people who visit Gifu for mountain climbing, mountain stream sports, and as a summer resort hope to spend some time relaxing in nature. We visited Cafe Sanmyaku, which offers such a Gifu-like experience and does not disappoint.

What is Gifu-ness?

Cafe Sanmyaku sits quietly in a quiet residential area of Gifu. The Japanese house, which is over 80 years old, has been beautifully aged, and the wall surrounding the building makes you forget that you are in a residential area. "When I ask people what their image of Gifu is, I think the words that most people answer are Gifu-like. To me, Gifu-like is 'mountains' and 'chestnuts.'" says Ogiso Yutaka, the cafe's president. In fact, many climbers visit mountains such as Mt. Norikura and Mt. Kinka. In addition, chestnut kinton, which uses a generous amount of chestnuts, is highly rated for its more concentrated and refined taste than regular chestnuts, and it is no exaggeration to say that it is a Japanese confectionery that represents Gifu Prefecture.

"The important thing about being Gifu-like is that it is something that comes to mind honestly when you imagine Gifu. The same goes for what the restaurant wants to offer. Restaurants that are rated as good by customers are ones that have an easy-to-understand concept. Complicated specialisms are irrelevant to customers," Ogiso said with a smile.

Chestnuts, mountains, and coffee are all part of this.

He has been experimenting to make sure that people can experience the essence of Gifu at Cafe Sanmyaku. Five years ago when Ogiso started his shop, there was one thing he absolutely wanted to serve. That was his favorite coffee. Coffee is often named after mountains, such as "Blue Mountain" and "Kilimanjaro," and it is noteworthy that it subconsciously evokes the image of mountains. He felt that there was a commonality between Gifu, which is associated with mountains, and coffee. From that, he thought that the names of the blended coffees served in the shop would be easy to understand, and named the coffee made with dark roasted beans 1 Gome [altitude 1200m], the medium roast 2 Gome [altitude 1500m], and the light roast 3 Gome [altitude 1800m].

The coffee that Ogiso wants to offer and the "Gifu-ness" of Gifu. The dots in the mountain range join together to form a line. Enjoy coffee and Mont Blanc made from chestnuts grown in Gifu as time flows by. Everyone will feel comfortable in this Gifu-ness.

The greatest attraction is to provide a space that lives up to the expectations of our customers.

By ensuring that the Gifu atmosphere is present in everything from the space to the food consumed, customer satisfaction will be increased.

"In the future, we will actively collaborate with various people and companies in Gifu. By doing so, the shop's Gifu identity will become even stronger and we will get closer to our long-held goal of becoming a coffee shop that represents Gifu. That will also give us a reason to continue running a coffee shop in Gifu and a reason for customers to visit," says Representative Ogiso.

Just like the coffee that is carefully brewed one cup at a time, the cafe conveys the essence of Gifu. I would like to visit again, not just as a tourist spot, but as an essential place to spend time in Gifu.

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Cafe Mountains

電話：058-322-7600

Address: 2-205 Unuma Mitsuike-cho, Kakamigahara City, Gifu Prefecture

Access: 5 minutes on foot from Nijūken Station on the Meitetsu Kakamigahara Line

HP: https://kissa-sanmyaku.com/

SNS: https://www.instagram.com/kissa_sanmyaku/

*For details on business hours and holidays, please check the link above.