A note on the words: umegae-mochi is a grilled rice cake filled with sweet adzuki bean paste (anko), a signature treat of Dazaifu usually eaten hot along the approach to the shrine, but served here at cafe Kasanoya in creative dessert arrangements. Anko is sweet red adzuki bean paste, and tsubu-an is its chunky version with whole beans intact. Kuromitsu is a rich black-sugar syrup, and kinako is roasted soybean flour. Kogane-mochi, Hakubai and Kobai are the names the cafe gives those umegae-mochi desserts.
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cafe Kasanoya on Tabelog (English) — opening hours, payment details and the Japanese address are kept up to date there, not here.
Everyone here to pay their respects at Dazaifu, thank you for waiting! It is time for Hangover Meshi!
Since we had come to Hakata, we decided to visit Dazaifu too! So off we went, but…
Soooo hot……
It was brutal! The edges of the approach are bearable, but the middle is under blazing sun. Without a parasol, it is impossible! Anyone visiting in summer should definitely bring a parasol! Still, old architecture is amazing—step inside a grand gate and somehow it feels cooler. A breeze passes through and it is strangely refreshing, even in this heat. Incredible skill! With our prayers finished, on the way back there was a cafe!
We were just so hot! We wanted to rest even for a little bit and eat something cold! So in we went!
Stepping inside was a shock…!
Could this be the Pure Land (the Buddhist paradise)…? haha
A cool dining room, a wonderful garden! Seen through the window, this garden looks refreshing too!
A stylish interior! Cool and calm. Isn’t this just the best!
Outside I had been shuffling like a zombie muttering “so hot, so hot,” but once inside I revived in an instant. Right, time for some sweets!
By the way, this cafe was opened by Kasanoya, a long-established umegae-mochi maker founded in Taisho 11 (1922) and said to have begun as an inn. With an interior evoking Taisho-roman (Taisho romance), the cafe serves creative sweets arranged around umegae-mochi! Dazaifu is famous for umegae-mochi, so let us enjoy some!
Tropical tea!!
This one is a matcha latte, I think.
And here are the main umegae-mochi sweets!
From beneath the kinako covering the plate, the glossy white cut face of a halved umegae-mochi peeks out!
Be careful not to inhale the powder or you will choke, ha. Taking a careful bite, the fragrant aroma of kinako rises softly, doubling the toasty flavor! As you chew, the thin crust gives a chewy bounce, and the sweet adzuki bean paste inside seeps gently through. Kasanoya’s paste is lightly sweetened, so even combined with the rustic sweetness of the kinako it is never cloying, striking just the right balance. A luxurious way to enjoy it, a bit different from a regular umegae-mochi!
Normally nuts are sprinkled on top, but because someone sharing could not eat nuts, we asked them to leave them off (very grateful they accommodated us!). Just like the kinako Kogane-mochi, the base here is umegae-mochi. Over the toasted grill marks, whipped cream and milk chocolate are drizzled smoothly.
Against the flavor of the umegae-mochi, the sweet fragrance of cacao drifts gently up. As with the kinako earlier, because the bean paste is modestly sweet, the flavors do not clash. Dipping into the whipped cream lightens it considerably, and the crunch pieces give a final snap, making it taste delightfully like Western confectionery!
The sweets are of course superb, but above all it is the location. It sits right along the shrine approach, appearing at just the right moment for a rest! Walking around enduring the heat is all very well, but taking a brief break here will definitely restore your stamina! And so, enjoying an arranged take on the famous umegae-mochi in the cool interior is something I thoroughly recommend!
May we cross paths with more delicious things today!
cafe Kasanoya (Dazaifu) Menu
Chocolate Shop x Kasanoya
A collaboration with a long-established Hakata chocolate specialist. Two signature dishes featuring umegae-mochi topped with whipped cream and chocolate.
A la carte is 700 yen.
A la carte is 700 yen.
For drink sets, you can choose from hot coffee, iced coffee, hot matcha, or iced matcha.
Umegae-mochi sweets
The base is the same umegae-mochi throughout. Only the toppings differ.
Sweet bean paste sandwiched between umegae-mochi.
Umegae-mochi generously dusted with kinako.
Umegae-mochi with a drink.
Ice cream
Kuromitsu (black-sugar syrup) and kinako.
Served with tsubu-an (chunky sweet bean paste).
Drinks
* From storefront menu during visit in August 2026. Items and prices may change. Please check at the shop for the latest information.
cafe Kasanoya (Cafe / Dazaifu Station)
Tabelog lunch rating ★★★☆☆ 3.7
I ate here and paid for it myself. Nothing on this site is a comped meal.
One more for the road?
