Toraya Kobo

Toraya Kobo is a wagashi workshop with an attached café located in the villa area of Higashiyama in Gotemba City. When people think of Toraya they often picture yokan, but here the concept is to recreate the “origin of a wagashi shop,” offering simple, unpretentious Japanese sweets that can be enjoyed casually. On the expansive grounds—filled with bamboo groves and a gentle stream—you can forget the bustle of everyday life and spend a luxurious, quiet time. Standard sweets include dorayaki, ningyo-yaki, daifuku, and monaka, with seasonal wagashi also available. The café menu offers items like oshiruko (sweet red-bean soup) and tokoroten, plus light meals, and you can enjoy freshly handmade items prepared right in front of you. The building was designed by architect Hiroshi Naito (Professor Emeritus, University of Tokyo). Its gently curving form embraces the garden, and it’s designed so that you can view the garden from anywhere inside. There are also open spaces that emphasize a connection to the outdoors, with a refreshing atmosphere. If you stroll the grounds, you’ll find bamboo and plum groves and a stream, and you can also walk to the adjacent former Kishi Residence (Higashiyama Kyukishitei). Access: about 5 minutes by car from the Tomei Expressway Gotemba IC (Exit 2). It’s also close to the outlet mall, so it’s recommended to combine with shopping.