Last weekend, our staff member Shuhei visited "Tsumutsumu," a 200-year-old thatched-roof traditional Japanese house café, located about a 16-minute drive from our company.
Tsumutsumu is a café situated along Prefectural Road 82, one street off the main road,, and is known for serving dishes made with locally sourced vegetables. Additionally, the building was designated as an Urban Formation Architectural Structure by Nishinomiya City in 2011 and is currently the only thatched-roof traditional house in Japan that is still used as a residence.
Although the weather was cloudy that day, the sight of the traditional thatched roof immediately lifted my spirits. The exterior features wooden panels unified in a black color scheme, giving it a chic and elegant atmosphere.
Upon entering, the low ceiling left a strong impression. At 170 cm tall, I felt a slight sense of confinement, and taller foreign visitors might frequently bump their heads. In fact, the low ceilings of traditional Japanese houses have historical reasons. During the Edo period, the average height of Japanese men was around 150–160 cm, and keeping ceilings low helped with insulation and heat retention. Additionally, samurai culture influenced architecture; some rooms in castles were intentionally designed with low ceilings to make it difficult to draw swords, adding to the strategic defense of the building.
Inside the café, there were iron kettles used for tea ceremonies and beautifully arranged tea bowls. These were stored in what appeared to be a traditional storage shelf, but the way the tea bowls were displayed made it look like a beautifully curated exhibit.
On this visit, I ordered a café au lait—perhaps an unusual choice in such a traditional setting, where tea might have been a more fitting option.
The café also featured hinoki (Japanese cypress) balls, which can be placed in a bath to create a relaxing hinoki-scented bathing experience. It was a unique and intriguing item that I would love to try myself.
Tsumutsumu is a wonderful place where you can feel the history and culture of Japan while enjoying a peaceful and relaxing time. If you ever have the opportunity to visit Japan or stop by our company, I highly recommend checking it out.
That concludes my report from Shuhei!
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