A hidden Japanese style café where you can get a feel of the Showa period

Tokyo Sky Tree has become a major tourist spot for visitors of Tokyo. Which means, restaurants in Solamachi are extremely crowded during lunch hours.
So, I’ve found you a nice quiet and still unknown place to take a break!

Sudamachi-Dokoro Chaya on the 5th floor of Solamachi is such a relaxing spot. You can get a peak of the lifestyle of Showa, a term used to indicate the years between mid 1920s to late 1980s. The friendly atmosphere of the traditional commercial and working-class neighborhoods, known as the “Shitamachi” style can certainly be experienced here.

The popular Mango shaved-ice, irresistible on an extra hot summer day!!

Plenty of choices from green tea desserts, waffles and unbaked cheesecakes… I can’t make up my mind!

There’s also the “one coin” set menu, with drink and dessert of your choice. It only costs 500 yen!

Relaxing in a friendly “Shitamachi” atmosphere

Step in this spacious café after a day of shopping and sightseeing in the crowds. It is simply relaxing. Objects that reveal the Shitamachi atmosphere are displayed and might even make you feel like you are in a museum.

The satisfyingly filling Green Tea Monaka (wafers filled with bean jam and ice cream)

The usual Monaka has ice cream inside. But this green tea Monaka is not just that. It is filled with soft green tea ice cream with the lid wafer placed on the side.

And more than just ice cream, there’s “shiratama” (rice-flour dumplings) and red bean in the middle too!!! The green tea ice cream is coated in “kuromitsu” (dark honey). You can say it’s more like a green tea parfait rather than a monaka.

I tasted the shiratama, red bean and green tea ice cream all at once. The shiratama and red bean match perfectly with the rich green tea. It is even more delicious than I imagined!

I finished the dessert entirely, including the lid wafer.
And looking carefully I noticed the charming design of the plate.

You can also admire souvenirs and traditional goods of the Sumida area

This café is run by the tourist association of Sumida. Nearby you can find antenna shops of souvenirs and traditional craft products with an Edo (old Tokyo) touch.

After finishing the green tea monaka that satisfied me both in the belly and in the heart, I wandered around an antenna shop that made me feel slightly nostalgic. I was enchanted by the representations of Ryokoku-kokugikan (sumo-rink) and Sakurabashi (bridge over the Sumida River). The works are so delicate.

The 5th floor of Solamachi being a floor of antenna shops and not restaurants, it seems it is easily missed by tourists. When I visited, I was the only around and had the whole shop to myself!

There is a wide range of selection in the menu, the pricing is reasonable considering the touristic nature of the place, and the green tea I was served was of much high quality than I had expected.
I highly recommend you check out this hidden café, if you want a break from all the buzz of the city.

writer：Yoko