Shimoda is a city cum port that’s located in the Shizuoka prefecture of Japan. The population around the place is very sparse, the air is pure, the natural beauty is plentiful and the sea food is fresh. Shimoda is undoubtedly one of the best destinations to visit from Tokyo over the weekend. It’s about two and half hours from central Tokyo by car; Despite the appeal of this charming city in the lap of nature, the car journey can get a little tiring. Tofuya Bakery cafe was an excellent place to stop by, take a rest and munch on absolutely delicious tidbits.
The outdoor and indoor seating area (source: maple-h)
The rivulet by the cafe (source: livedoor)
The travel to Shimoda made me feel really squeamish. My heart leaped with joy when I saw a banner denoting the directions to Tofuya. Also, it seems to be pretty popular around the area – when I asked for the directions, people knew about it and could help me with it. There’s a slightly inclined road that leads to the cafe, so it’s advisable to be a little careful with the car.
The garden outside
Parking space:
The cafe has a privatized parking space. I had to wait for the parking space to be available. You might very well have to wait a little for some parking space to free up, as the cafe is usually full during the weekends. The cafe also has a swimming pool, but during winters it’s generally closed. The smell of fresh rain in the huge garden of the cafe was really a lovely page added to my memory of Japan.
(source: exalive)
The Menu:
By the time I had a chance to flip through the menu, my stomach was aching in hunger. I ordered blueberry muffin and hamburger. The food menu at the cafe generally comprises of tea, coffee, juice, bakery products and sandwiches. The arrangement was like a buffet and I had to pay my final bill at the counter. Although there was a huge queue in front of me waiting for their share of freshly baked food, I did not have to wait long for my turn. The service was quick, and there were three staff members attending to the queue.
There’s also a small rivulet that flows adjacent to the cafe; the water was very low when I visited the cafe. During rainy seasons there’s usually gushing water in the rivulet. There are many places to sit, relax and breathe fresh air. Visitors are not allowed to go in the rivulet as there are many stones and rocks, but you can definitely soak your feet and enjoy the scenic beauty around. For more information about Tofuya, please click here.
Tofuya Cafe Access:
Take JR Odoriko line from Tokyo to Shuzenji station, which takes 2 hours and 15 minutes and costs 4500 Yen. From JR Shuzenji station, take a taxi twenty minutes to Tofuya cafe.
Alternatively, take the Tokaido Shinkansen to Mishima station for one hour, and then the Izu Hakone line 35 minutes to Shuzenji station, The total is 5230 Yen. From JR Shuzenji station, take a taxi twenty minutes to Tofuya cafe.
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