SAKURA is a Japanese tea shop and café locating on Motomachi in Yokohama city, Kanagawa prefecture.

This tea shop has a full line of rare specialty teas brought from all over Japan. Of course, the shop brings specialty teas produced in Shizuoka.

As for the café menu, the owner selects some teas from the specialty teas handled on the online-shop.

When I visited, I ordered a pan-fired green tea produced in Ikumi region in Shimada tea estate in Shizuoka. The owner kindly explained a famous tea farmer Mr. Saito in Ikumi region produced the tea. If my memory is correct, he is sometimes invited to the private conference of tea sophistication “Mukasa-kai” organized by Mukasa-en.

Various books written about teas let me enjoyed during the waiting time.

A meet to fantastic aroma delight me every time. The pan-fired tea has floral fragrance itself, in addition, it has citric aroma because the loose leaf tea is flavored by mixing the dried peels of Yuzu citrus.

I touched the great hospitality of this café; the staff served the tea with a tea pot for re-steeping and what’s more, she prepared the heater under the pot to keep the pot hot.

Moreover, the staff prepare hot water by the iron kettle so-called “Nambu Tekki”. I touched their diligence!!

Matcha parfait is also fantastic!! I could enjoy it with the aromatic pan-fired tea.

The parfait has full line of matcha products. Matcha ice cream, matcha castella, matcha mocha rice cake, matcha bavarois, matcha crunch and matcha mousse. In addition, green tea cookie and hoji-cha jerry are also contained. Sakura ice cream, which contains salted petals of cherry blossom, works well due to the aroma and salty taste.

Components of the matcha parfait in SAKURA.

Based on the web page of SAKURA, the café uses matcha made in Shizuoka prefecture (Tenryu tea estate) and Nara prefecture.

The owner served an extra cup of specialty tea, hand-picked oolong tea produced in Yamazoe region in Nara prefecture. The specialty oolong has a honey-like aroma which is induced by infection with tea green leafhopper.

The aroma induction by controlling pest infection remind me Mr. Shibamoto. Then I asked her whether she knows him. As I thought, she knows Mr. Shibamoto. And she explained the tea farmer in Yamazoe region sometimes visit Mr. Shibamoto for learning his skills and mutual-sophistication.

I was fully satisfied for the specialty teas, matcha parfait, atmosphere inside the café and conversation with the owner. SAKURA is also one of my recommendations!!

If you visit to Yokohama city, it is recommended to drop to SAKURA.

< Shop information >

• Address : 107, Ni-chome, Motomachi, Naka ward, Yokohama city, Kanagawa prefecture.
• Access : It takes 10 minutes on foot from Ishikawacho station on JR Keihin Tohoku line or 3 minutes on foot from Motomachi Chukagai station on Minatomirai line. (Please check the map.)
• URL : http://www.sakura-yokohama.com/shop/html/ (in English and Japanese)

< Postscript >

Yokohama city has a lot of place to go for sightseeing. Yamashita park, Red Brick Warehouse, Yokohama Cosmo World and Yokohama China town etc. SAKURA is perfect to a candidate of destinations for dating couples.

The south part of Yamashita Park.

Yokohama Marine Tower.

Views of Yokohama Cosmo World and Red Bricks Warehouse from Yamashita Park.

Yokohama Cosmo World and buildings.

Yokohama China Town.

Illuminations of Yokohama city from Yamashita Park.