Saku Cafe

Saku cafe is tucked on a hillside in Daigo and makes a beautiful place for lunch. My grilled chicken and avocado set came with a lovely sauce, plus vinaigrette vegetables, a small hot eggplant dish, salad, soup, white rice, and a drink. The patio and garden would be lovely in spring, summer, or fall.

LEMS-san was an incredible host, kind, helpful, and fun to be around. If you like music, ask him about his songs! We stayed about a week, and everything went perfectly. The building is beautiful and inviting, an old house remodeled by LEMS-san himself into a mix of guest rooms and café. Guests can use the café, which is also open to outsiders until 10 p.m. You can get dinner and cocktails and enjoy a peaceful Daigo evening from the patio. Our room was large, clean, and comfortable. The toilet and bathroom are shared with one other room, but luckily that room wasn’t occupied during our stay. Hitachi-Daigo station is only a five-minute walk away, though the route is uphill and not fully paved, so a taxi might be better if you have suitcases. It’s also well placed for biking or driving to Daigo sights like Fukuroda falls, Tsukimachi falls, where you can have nagashi somen, and various onsens.

We went for dinner as a group of seven. Service was quick, and everyone was more than happy with their meals. The place is beautifully put together, which made it a memorable experience. You can also book a bed and breakfast room. I’d recommend it to anyone visiting the area, and I’ll be back myself.

Really cool café and space, and the food and drinks were great, maybe too popular for the staff to keep up with. Customers quickly filled the place, and the staff seemed overwhelmed. They forgot refill requests and couldn’t manage the register. Worth a visit, but I’d go early on a weekday or when I had plenty of time.