Earlier this year I visited Ukigumo, a little café tucked into the quiet residential streets of Kawajima. “Little” isn’t poetic exaggeration; the café is genuinely tiny, housed inside a renovated kura, the kind of old storehouse you’d expect to find in the Edo period. The “cafe” is a bit more like a coffee stand! Currently, there are only four seats indoors and eight outdoors. Moreover, the food menu is very limited, with really just toast and desserts. But the desserts are homemade and delicious.
Ukigumo; A Tiny Kura with Big Character
The building still carries that heavy, timeworn presence you feel the moment you step inside, a kind of grounded stillness that only old architecture can hold. The owners have leaned into that atmosphere beautifully, keeping the space warm and simple rather than trying to modernize it beyond recognition. The minimalism feels intentional, a ‘designer’ cafe in a quiet, authentic way.
But Ukigumo’s charm comes with quirks. There are only four individual bench seats with a small arm rest table, a limitation that comes directly from the kura’s compact structure. When they first opened (January 2026), they tried squeezing in a table and chairs, but it must have been too cramped; no room to move, no room to breathe. Now the indoor space is pared back to the essentials, and the extra seating has migrated outdoors. There are two tables with four seats each outdoors. On a good-weather day, the outdoor tables work, but on a hot or cold or rainy one… well, you feel the limitations.
A Small Menu with a Clear Focus
The menu is equally small. Toast, a handful of desserts, and coffee. That’s it. No elaborate brunch plates, no seasonal parfaits, no sprawling drink list. And honestly? I kind of respect that. The desserts are made with care; the merengata, in particular, is a signature item crafted by the owner, who trained in Italian cuisine. The coffee is good, even very good, sourced from a roaster in Higashimatsuyama. It isn’t the best I’ve ever had, but it fits the space: thoughtful, unfussy, quietly confident.
What Makes Ukigumo Worth Visiting
Ukigumo isn’t a café you visit for convenience. It’s not spacious, it’s not fast, and it’s not trying to be everything to everyone. But it is a place with soul; shaped by the building’s history, the owners’ connections, and the gentle atmosphere they’ve created over time. Even with its downfalls, I left feeling like I’d stepped into someone’s cherished project, not just another café.
If you go, go with patience. Go with curiosity. And go ready to appreciate a tiny kura café doing things its own way. I wouldn’t go on an empty stomach either!
Kawajima Town
Despite having some notable attractions, including the Kinbue Soy Sauce Park and Japan’s longest rose tunnel, Kawajima Town still isn’t that well known. However, Kawajima will be put on the map over the next year as the first Mentai Park in Saitama Prefecture is set to open there in 2029. Featuring Free-admission factory viewing gallery, direct-sale shop for fresh mentaiko, food court, and a kids’ play area.
Ukigumo Information
Cafe: Ukigumo, written in English officially. Presumably from the beautiful Japanese, 浮雲, which means floating clouds.
Address: 1342 Kura, Kamiigusa, Kawajima, Saitama, Hiki District〒350-0152
Hours: generally, Thursdays to Sundays, from 10 am to 5 pm. They post their schedule to their Instagram account.
Cost: prices start from 550 yen. Budget for 1100 yen upwards for toast / dessert with a coffee.
Access: this is the trickiest part. The cafe only has two parking spaces and Kawajima town does not have a train line. The nearest bus stops are both at least a five-minute walk away, and both bus lines are very infrequent. One is the Tobu bus that goes from Kawagoe Station to Hachiman Danchi, the other from Kawagoe Station to the Konosu Driver’s License Center.
2026.09.04.97834
Looks really cute and cosy.
A pity they don’t seem to do espresso…
That is a pity. Good to hear from you, hope all is good with you.