Near the town center of the Akiu Onsen, Akiusha (アキウ舎) is a café housed in a beautifully renovated 160-year-old farmhouse that blends Edo-period charm with modern culinary innovation. This popular café is celebrated for its “field-to-table” concept, showcasing fresh, locally grown Miyagi produce in a rustic-chic setting. Notably, Akiusha is the only place in Akiu Onsen where you can have a plant-based lunch after the vegan burger spot, ORGAN, relocated. Whether you are relaxing in the indoor traditional vibe or enjoying the garden views, it is the perfect spot to experience authentic Japanese heritage through a sustainable, modern lens.
About Akiusha
Betraying its traditional exterior, Akiusha features a modern interior. The same applies to the creative dishes crafted with fresh, locally sourced ingredients!
The café’s high ceilings create an open feel while still embracing the relaxing atmosphere of an old house and wooden pillars (see photos 2 and 3 in the IG post). Besides the table seats, Akiusha also has a spacious Japanese-style room covered with tatami mats for families and those who need privacy (see photo 4 in the IG post). As soon as you close the wooden sliding doors of the Japanese-style room, most contemporary elements disappear. What remains are the chests and pillars that evoke a sense of history.
The spacious, open kitchen is another feature that differentiates it from other cafés of a similar style. The dishes made by the chefs feature vegetables picked that day. As the vegetables sourced each day may differ, they can be cooked differently to bring out the best flavors of the ingredients. So, the same dish on the menu can taste different on different days!
The Food at Akiusha
The vegan lunch set on the menu is the Akiusha Bowl in the Field (畑のアキウ舎ボウル). The spicy taco rice is presented to look like chard and kale growing in a field. We were shocked by the size of the kale when we got our order. The leaf was disproportional to the bowl! While cutlery, water, and napkins are self-serve, the vegan lunch set comes with a spoon shaped like a shovel. Use it to plough the “field”!
Don’t worry if you can’t take spicy food. I have a very low tolerance for spiciness, and I still found the lunch set incredible!
Of course, non-plant-based dishes are available. Depending on the flavor of the pasta, the staff should be able to remove the non-plant-based ingredients for you.
While not vegan, an interesting dessert on Akiusha’s menu is the Akiu Crushed Stone Chocolate (秋保砕石ショコラ). As shown in the Instagram post, it is a white chocolate-based crunchie inspired by Akiu stone, which is mined in Akiu. You break it with a mallet and eat it.
Or, you can order an Akiusha Soft Serve Ice Cream. In addition to the vanilla ice cream, it is topped with Akiu Stone Chocolate! The tiramisu was amazing, too!
Akiusha’s Business Hours and Access Information
- Akiusha is open from 11 am to 5 pm from Wednesday to Monday.
- Lunch is served from 11 am to 2:30 pm.
- If you plan to take a bus, get off at
- Rairaikyo (磊々峡) if you take Miyagi Kōtsū’s (宮城交通) Akiu Line (秋保線)
- Zuiho-mae (瑞鳳前) if you take the Sendai Western Line (西部ライナー)
Tip: We recommend arriving early if you don’t want to queue. We waited for around 30 minutes when we got there at 11:30 am on a public holiday.
Discover Other Fantastic Attractions in Akiu Onsen
If you want to visit a hot spring town in the Tōhoku region, Akiu Onsen in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, has to be one of your top choices. Not only is this one of the top three hot spring towns in northeastern Japan, but two past Japanese emperors also loved it. This was how it earned the title of Nihon San Miyu (日本三御湯), a name bestowed on only three onsen towns by Emperor Juntoku (順徳天皇) in the early 13th century!
If the above sounds enticing, refer to our Akiu Onsen article to plan your visit!
