Hello there!
This is Maru, your Sarukuma writer 🙂🙃

Today I’m introducing
a charming Japanese tea shop 🍵 famous for its ice cream 🍦
tucked away in Misato Town, Kamimashiki District, Kumamoto Prefecture —
“Kissako Takashima-en.”

You may remember it from our earlier article on
“Michi-no-Eki Misato Samata-no-Yu” —
this is the very shop that supplies the popular ice cream 🍦 sold there!

Michi-no-Eki Misato Samata-no-Yu: A Roadside Station with Hot Springs, a Foot Bath, Lodges, and a Restaurant — Enjoy Ice Cream at the Foot Bath! (Misato Town, Kamimashiki District)

The shop sits right along National Route 443,
with a parking lot conveniently located beside the building!

Coming from Kumamoto City,
you’ll find it on the road leading to Misato Town’s famous “Japan’s Longest Stone Stairway” 🚙

We took on the challenge of climbing those stairs ourselves!
All 3,333 steps that lead you up to an altitude of 680 meters 🏃

At the top awaits Shakain, a beautiful temple.
It’s nicknamed “Pokkuri-dera” — local legend says that if you visit three times, you’ll pass on peacefully to the next world (=^^=)

We even spotted elementary school kids making the climb 👦👧
How about a New Year’s family climb and temple visit? 🌳🍃

This shop is the perfect reward stop after conquering those stone steps! 🍦

Half of the shop is dedicated to table seating, perfect for an eat-in experience.
The peaceful countryside views are wonderfully relaxing!

And here’s the tea retail corner 🍃🌱

The powdered green tea is a top seller!

You’ll also find Japanese black tea (wakocha) in adorable packaging — a great souvenir!

And during this season, you can pick up their carefully crafted
hoshigaki (dried persimmons) 😍

Tea cups and other Japanese tableware are also on display — fun just to browse.

Inside, there’s also a clean restroom.

It even has a diaper-changing station, which is a huge help for visitors with babies 👶

Recommended Menu

Today, my mission was the famous ice cream you can buy at this tea shop!

It won the Gold Prize in a popular vote 👏👏

It also ranked 3rd nationwide in a Japanese sweets ranking 👏👏

Flavors include green tea, milk, and vanilla,

plus
chocolate, kinako (roasted soybean flour), blueberry yogurt,
rum raisin, rum-soaked dried persimmon, and banpeiyu citrus sherbet!

Here’s the menu.

I went with the signature green tea ice cream 🍦 — 300 yen

Such a beautiful tea-green color 🍃🌱
It comes with a spoon, so it’s easy to enjoy (=^^=)

The tea flavor is bold yet refined and refreshing 😋
An award-winning ice cream really does live up to the hype!

They even served us a complimentary cup of green tea.
What a lovely, delicious surprise 💓…

The tea had a perfectly balanced bitterness — a flavor I won’t forget anytime soon 😍

It’s clear they put real care into growing their tea leaves!

Credit cards and other cashless options are accepted.

There are no children’s chairs, but I saw plenty of families with kids enjoying the shop 👦

Stop by for a taste of authentic Japanese tea and award-winning ice cream 💕
Pair it with a visit to Misato Town’s “Japan’s Longest Stone Stairway” for a perfect day out 🏃

Frequently Asked Questions

※Information accurate as of the time of reporting. Prices and hours may change. Please confirm before visiting.