Akita's Tsukudani (food boiled in soy sauce) & Cafe in an old private house 【Cafe Utase

  • Akita
  • JR East Travel Service Center
Appearance of Cafe Utase
In order to build momentum for the inheritance and promotion of Japan's diverse food culture, the Agency for Cultural Affairs, together with the Agency for Cultural Affairs, is promoting efforts to name food culture that has been passed down from generation to generation in a region as "100-year food," food culture that will last 100 years, and aims to pass it on. In 2024, "Akita no Tsukudani" was recognized in the "100-year food of the modern era" category throughout Japan. Lagata City in Akita Prefecture is the largest producer of tsukudani in Akita Prefecture.
Iced tea brewed from tea leaves

Cafe Utase, an old private house cafe run by a tsukudani (food boiled down in soy sauce) shop, has opened!

Senta Saichi Shoten" in Niigata City is a historical tsukudani shop that has been in business since 1897. They use wakasagi caught in Hachiro Lagoon, and in addition to traditional tsukudani, they also focus on new products such as cheese and basil flavored tsukudani.
Cafe Utase" run by this "Senda Saichi Shoten" opened in May 2025, and is about a 13-minute walk from Okubo Station on the JR Ou Main Line. This café, which was renovated from an old private house, has three spaces.
There is an earthen floor right after the entrance, where you can relax with your shoes on, a piano, and a tsukudani (food boiled down in soy sauce) store.
After taking off your shoes, you will enter a warm and inviting space made of Akita cedar. In addition to the counter seating, there is also a tatami room with a blend of Japanese and Western style seating, so you can spend a relaxing time according to your mood.
Going up to the second floor, you will find a small room with a blend of Japanese and Western styles, a tatami room, and a one-seat sofa where you can relax while reading a book.
One-seat sofa seats with light streaming in through the window
Japanese and Western-style seating with the relaxing aroma of tatami mats

A new type of menu only available here

Utase coffee
Drinks include Utase coffee, tea, herbal tea, and soft drinks, as well as an alcohol menu.
The light blue saucer represents the surface of the lake at Hachiro Lagoon, and the white cups are inspired by the "Utase-bune," from which the restaurant takes its name.
Utase waffle
The meal menu includes kama-age shiraogi donburi, made with fresh shiraogi from Lake Hachiro, and shiraogi tsukudani donburi, a rice bowl with shiraogi tsukudani, a specialty of Saichi Senda Shoten. If you want to try both, you can have the white fish tsukudani donburi! If you want both, try the whitefish rice bowl.
The Utase waffle dessert is a special Utase waffle topped with vanilla ice cream and "Imo Cheese," a popular tsukudani (food boiled down in soy sauce) from Senda Saichi Shoten. The sweet and slightly salty taste makes it an addictive dish.
Coffee parfait for adults
The "Adult Coffee Parfait" topped with Utase Coffee Jelly is just right for adults with its sweet vanilla ice cream and bittersweet coffee. It is not too sweet, so you can enjoy it even after a meal. The "Utase Ice Cream" is a dessert that can only be found at long-established tsukudani stores, and it is a perfect combination of our famous tsukudani and other unexpected ingredients.

Enjoy a variety of tsukudani!

Tsukudani is often thought of as an accompaniment to rice, but in fact, the possibilities are endless. Why not try tsukudani as a snack or a drink? Please come to Kafu Utsuse and discover the deliciousness of tsukudani and new ways to enjoy it.
Kafu Utsuse

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