If you go to AsahiTown, try “Cord Cafe” and “Wakashoen”! You can enjoy carefully selected sweets and Japanese sweets♪

Approximately 5 minutes walk from Ise Asahi Station on the Kintetsu Nagoya Line. "Cord Cafe" is a shop with a dark brown color scheme and a cool exterior.
Just by looking at this store, you'll think, ``The inside of the store must be nice, too.'' The design is so sophisticated.

Let's go inside right away! The interior is simple, and the sofa seats by the window are extremely comfortable, letting in the sunlight.

In addition to table seats, there are also counter seats, making it a restaurant that can be used easily by groups of friends or by yourself. It is also unique that there are couple seats in the corner!

Coffee beans are also sold in the store. The coffee beans carefully selected by the owner come from a wide variety of origins and flavors. It might be a good idea to learn about the characteristics of each and choose your favorite.

Since the owner is from the local area, they sell AsahiTown 's original blend of coffee, ``Asahi Blend.''
An original blend with a bright, gorgeous aroma and just the right amount of acidity, reminiscent of the sun, which is the origin of AsahiTown 's name. Of course, you can also drink inside the store.

``Coffee cans'' to hold beans are also sold as original products. (690 yen/excluding tax)
Get 50 yen off coffee beans if you bring your own original can. ``Navy'' is cool, but I'm also drawn to ``white,'' which blends perfectly with the store's logo.

Now, I would like to try the shop's signature ``home-roasted coffee'' (drip coffee: starting at 430 yen/tax included).
The beans are carefully selected by the owner and ground using a machine in the store. Since the original "umami" of the beans is extracted, even those who don't like coffee should be able to enjoy it.

You can also order sweets that interest you. The ``Sugar Butter Crepe'' (350 yen/tax included) is popular because it's simple but chewy and full of butter.

Another popular sweet, ``Baked Cheesecake'' (450 yen/tax included), is also handmade at the shop.
It goes very well with special drip coffee, and many customers order these two items as a set.

Finally, I asked the owner what the "logo" meant, which I had been curious about since I first visited the store.
"By comparing light bulbs to people, the main characters are always the people who visit the store. There are always customers in the middle of the light. The light is always warm, and the cafe and the town are invigorated. That's the image. is included in this mark!"
Another great concept is ``we want to brighten up AsahiTown.''

[Cord Cafe]
Address: 2054-4 Asahi Nao, Mie-nao
TEL: 059-327-7980
Business hours: 8:00-18:00 (Morning 8:00-11:00, Lunch 11:30-14:00)
Regular holiday: Sunday
Access: About 7 minutes walk from Kintetsu “Ise Asahi” station

Next, it is about 3 minutes by car from "Cord Cafe". I found an exterior that said, ``This is a Japanese sweets shop!''
The storefront is decorated with gorgeous flowers, creating an atmosphere that makes it easy to enter the store.

The shop's famous Japanese sweet, ``Shiomi,'' is displayed on a large signboard outside the shop. I came to the store specifically for this product, so I'm looking forward to seeing how it tastes!

A variety of Japanese sweets are lined up in the showcase, from standard Japanese sweets to seasonal sweets, including sakura mochi, kusa mochi, and warabi mochi.
We have an array of traditional flavors that can be enjoyed in a variety of situations, including tea parties, celebrations, and as gifts.

Now, let me introduce you to the long-awaited specialty "Shiomi"! The cologne look is so cute!
It seems that this sweet was born in the Edo period, inspired by the crest of a wave on the white sand and green pine coast of Yokkaichi. These bean paste sweets are characterized by their modest sweetness, and the bean paste is of course handmade at the shop! There are two flavors: regular bean paste and matcha bean paste, and you can purchase from 1 piece. (50 yen/tax included)

When you try it, the gentle sweetness of the bean paste will make you addicted! These bite-sized Japanese sweets are perfect as souvenirs or snacks.

"Strawberry Daifuku" (200 yen/tax included) is a popular seasonal product.
It contains large strawberries and plenty of bean paste, making it very filling. ``Strawberry Daifuku'' is a delicious combination of the sweetness of the fruit and the sweetness of the bean paste.

Seasonal nerikiri is a recommended product at the store. The design, which expresses the changing seasons, is a quality that Japanese sweets lovers cannot miss. (150 yen~/tax included)

One of their standard products, ``Warabi Mochi'' (185 yen/tax included), has an appealing fresh and chewy texture. Once you try it, you'll be addicted to it, and many locals come to the store just for it!
There are so many old-fashioned Japanese sweets that you will have a hard time deciding which one to take as a souvenir.

The store is also registered as a ``Yokkaichi Area Town Museum,'' and one corner of the store is decorated with candy molds that were used in the past. If you want to use this, you can still use it. You can see the elaborate workmanship on each item and feel the tradition of the shop.

Lastly, we have Mr. Kakizawa, the second generation owner! Inheriting the tradition of Japanese sweets from the founder's father, who founded the shop, we are also working on developing new products. Currently, his son is the third generation to run the store, making it a joint two-generation family run business.
Thank you very much for listening to various stories this time!

[Wakashoen]
Address: 2198-1 AsahiTown, Mie-gun
TEL: 059-377-2102
Business hours: 8:00-19:00
Closed: Monday
Access: About 5 minutes walk from JR “Asahi” station

As I visited the two shops, I was struck by the warmth of the people living in AsahiTown.
We had a great conversation and he taught me a lot about the local area.
I learned on this trip that AsahiTown is an area filled with many hidden charms.

*Information as of March 2019. Prices and other information may have changed, so please check with your contact information before making your trip.