Hello, travelers!

This is Maru, your Sarukuma writer 🙂🙃

Today, I’m excited to introduce a wonderful spot tucked away in Shimasaki, Nishi-ku, Kumamoto City —

“Kinokemuri” (which means “Smoke from Wood” in Japanese).

Honestly, this might be

the most stylish cafe I’ve ever visited!

( ✧Д✧)

And because there are so many different types of seating to choose from,

most of this article will focus on the seating options — bear with me! (^^;;

The cafe is located down a side street off Shimasaki Main Street, near the FamilyMart convenience store.
There are signs along the way to guide you, so it’s easy to find.

Here’s the parking lot.
Around 15 cars can park here, but since the lot is shared with the Shimada Museum of Art, carpooling is recommended.

That’s right — this cafe is attached to the Shimada Museum of Art.
What a stately entrance gate! (°д°)

Of course, you’re welcome to visit just the cafe without entering the museum!

The cafe sits to your immediate left as you enter — and wow, how lovely!

There are two terrace tables right by the entrance — picture-perfect!

Now let’s step inside~

They also sell plenty of artistic, design-forward goods inside (*^^*)

The first thing that caught my eye was that the cafe isn’t just a simple single-floor space.

There’s a sunken, semi-basement seating area! (°д°)

And look — a fireplace with a tall, towering chimney!

Walking down to the lower level, I found real flames crackling and dancing! ( ✧Д✧)

This is my first time visiting a cafe with a working fireplace! (=^^=)

I snapped this photo after the previous customers had left.
The seats behind the fireplace are nestled right up against the trees outside the window.

With low ceilings, it feels like a cozy secret hideout!

What a special spot — perfect for sharing whispered conversations with a friend lol

The seats in front of the fireplace even have a sofa.

I hadn’t even noticed the fireplace yet when I first sat down at a table on the main floor (^^;;

The main floor has counter seats as well as several table seats.

Spacious tables, too.

This is the raised tatami-style seating area (koagari).

Doesn’t it look incredibly comfortable~?

There’s even a baby basket cradle available,
which makes it a great option for families with infants! 👶

However, the raised seating area is built like a suspended platform, and
the back railing is fairly simple, so older children should not sit there — only babies.

So the raised seating sits directly above the sunken semi-basement seats below.

And toward the back, there are two more terrace seats.

With so many different seating styles to enjoy,
you can pick a different one each visit — that’s part of the fun! (*^^*)

And every single seat looks straight out of a magazine — exactly what you’d expect from a museum cafe!

There’s one child’s high chair available.

The orange-walled restroom is also stylish, and it has a diaper-changing table!
Lovely and spacious~

You can apparently request specific seats when making a reservation.
For families, choosing a seat based on your children’s ages is highly recommended!
Just be careful — the fireplace gets very hot…

Recommended Menu

Here’s the lunch menu.

The drink menu!

Plenty of desserts, too.

What I ordered:
Morning-Baked Quiche Plate Lunch
935 yen

Look at the thickness of this quiche! (^ ^)
This day’s filling was Japanese yam (yamaimo) and tuna.

The pastry was incredibly fluffy and light~

The salad was generously piled high, and
the soup with Nankan-age (a local Kumamoto specialty deep-fried tofu) was absolutely delicious! (●´ω`●)

Why not spend a relaxing winter afternoon in a Kumamoto cafe with a real fireplace? ☕‎

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Frequently Asked Questions

※Information is current as of the date of coverage. Prices and hours are subject to change. Please confirm before visiting.