Drive northeast from Asahikawa Airport for about 15 minutes through the tranquil countryside, and a beige building will come into view. This is Okashi Kissa Miura, which opened in July 2024. Specializing in baked treats, the shop also has a cafe on the second floor.

Owner Tomoyuki Uchiyama is originally from Shizuoka Prefecture. After graduating from confectionery school, he spent 19 years honing his skills as a pastry chef at renowned establishments in Tokyo and restaurants in France.

“I had been thinking about opening my own shop for some time, but back then, I never imagined I would end up doing so in Hokkaido,” says Uchiyama.

Uchiyama first discovered Higashikawa during a spontaneous family trip to Furano and Biei. As inspiration for the shop he hoped to open one day, he decided to visit not only tourist attractions but also local confectioneries and cafes.

“At the time, my wife’s younger brother lived in Sapporo and knew a lot of cafes because he hoped to open one himself someday. When I asked whether he knew any good places, he said, ‘There are some wonderful shops in Higashikawa. Why don’t we go and have a look?’ Since it was also close to Biei, we decided to stop by.” Visiting Higashikawa with his brother-in-law as his guide, Uchiyama was deeply moved by what he saw.

“There were vast fields stretching out before us, with the Daisetsuzan Mountains rising beyond them. It was a landscape unlike anything I had ever seen, and it genuinely moved me. I thought it would be wonderful to run a shop in a place like this.”

The quality and flavor of the local water gave Uchiyama another reason to choose Higashikawa. The town is unusual in Japan because it has no municipal water supply. Instead, residents use naturally filtered groundwater formed as snowmelt from the Daisetsuzan Mountains slowly seeps deep underground over many years.

“When I decided to open my own shop, I had already planned to run a cafe with my brother-in-law, so the quality of the water was extremely important. In Higashikawa, natural mineral water comes straight from the tap. It is moderately hard water that brings out the aroma of coffee while giving it a mellow flavor. I became convinced that this was the only place where I wanted to open my shop.”

In addition to coffee, the second-floor cafe serves a dessert that showcases the exceptional quality of Higashikawa’s water: the Water and Cacao Shaved Ice (1,000 yen).

Made with 65% cacao chocolate from Ecuador, this frozen dessert may be called shaved ice, but it is unlike ordinary shaved ice. With an elegant floral aroma, the chilled chocolate melts on the tongue like freshly fallen snow. It feels more like a refined dessert served at the end of a French meal.

“I made a block of ice by blending chocolate with Higashikawa’s water, then shaved it using a traditional shaved ice machine. It is a dessert that could only be created in this town.”
Its delicate aroma and clean, melt-in-the-mouth texture are made possible by the beautifully clear water of the Daisetsuzan Mountains. The dessert is available throughout the year, with different cacao varieties expected to rotate in the future.

The cafe also offers a monthly Higashikawa Parfait featuring ingredients connected to the town, including locally grown rice, wine from Yukikawa Brewery, and sake lees from Michizakura Sake Brewery.

Enjoying them while gazing at the seasonal scenery of spring, summer, autumn, and winter is truly exceptional.

“Although we serve shaved ice and parfaits, baked treats are my specialty. After graduating from confectionery school, the first place I worked was a shop specializing in baked goods, and I have been making them ever since,” says Uchiyama.

Uchiyama says his mother inspired him to become a pastry chef. As an elementary school student, he loved watching her make sweets.
A break from the ordinary. The sweet aroma filling the kitchen. The excitement of waiting for the treats to be ready.
Looking at the sweets lined up inside the shop, it is easy to picture young Uchiyama peering at them with shining eyes.

One of the top recommendations is the Madeleine (350 yen), a true classic among baked treats.

Made using a deeper mold than a typical madeleine, it is thick and wonderfully moist. Its rich flavor combines the depth of butter with fragrant notes of lemon, vanilla, and honey.
Individually wrapped madeleines are also available as gifts, so it may be fun to try both versions and compare them.

The gift selection includes 10 varieties of baked treats, starting from 200 yen, including pound cakes, sandwich cookies, and biscuits. The range is expected to expand further in the future.
Gift boxes are available in sizes for five items (300 yen), 10 items (400 yen), and 15 items (500 yen). The simple, elegant packaging makes them suitable for any occasion.

Uchiyama named the shop Miura after Miura Shoten, a store once operated by his wife’s grandmother.
“I have heard that Miura Shoten was less a place where neighbors came simply to shop and more a place where they gathered to talk. My wife grew up watching those scenes, and she dreamed that, if she ever opened a shop, it would have the same welcoming atmosphere, where anyone could casually gather. I hope to work toward that dream together with my wife and brother-in-law.”

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※本記事は2025年6月時点の情報です。おでかけの際は公式サイトで最新情報をご確認ください。

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