Cafe Kiseki is the ideal pit stop on a drive from Nakanojo to Shima Onsen. Located off National Route 353, Cafe Kiseki sits beside the Shima Potholes. Don’t let the name confuse you—the highway is in excellent condition, these potholes are in the river: the ouketsu, or potholes, are round cauldrons formed by centuries of erosion and holding clear, blue water fresh from the mountains.
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If one is driving up to Shima Onsen, there is no better place to stretch the legs and get a breath of mountain air. After marveling at the striking blue waters and natural beauty of the Shima Potholes, hike back up to Cafe Kiseki to enjoy views over the forested highlands of Gunma. The scenery changes dramatically with the season: crimson with the change-of-season in autumn, sparse and desolate in the winter, and showing a million shades of green in the summer. The patio is a great place to enjoy the view. Pets are also welcome on Kiseki’s balcony and dog biscuits are on the menu.
![Kiseki Cafe and Gallery]()
Kiseki Cafe and Gallery
Many of the shops and cafes in onsen resort towns are a throwback to the glory days of the Showa, and there is no shortage of nostalgic charm in Nakanojo. Kiseki Cafe’s clean lines, contemporary styling and flood of natural light are certainly refreshing. The shop fits in nicely with a new wave of development in the region, a wave that includes the Tsumuji Creative Communication Center and the Nakanojo Biennale.
![Kiseki Cafe and Gallery]()
Kiseki Cafe and Gallery
Great service and pizza toast, though, are timeless. Pizza toast has been ubiquitous on the menus of cafes and kissaten in Japan since the late-1950s, and Kiseki’s is a worthy take on the classic, using thick slices of bread from a local bakery.
![Kiseki Cafe and Gallery]()
Kiseki Cafe and Gallery
Fluffy cheesecake whipped up from local eggs and dairy pairs well with a cup of blended coffee or a latte, or a demitasse of espresso (all from the cafe’s own organic blend). Kiseki’s menu also includes a local apple juice and other kissaten classics like cream soda and lemon squash. Beers from Shima Onsen's local microbrewery are also available, ranging from formalist riffs on pale ale and stout to seasonal brews (their previous creations included a ginger porter).
![Kiseki Cafe and Gallery]()
Kiseki Cafe and Gallery
Kiseki also functions as a gallery space, featuring work by artists like Kei Laule'a. Kei Laule'a was born and educated in Gunma and has gone on to exhibit her work across Japan, including in exclusive galleries in Daikanyama and Aoyama in Tokyo. Her kitschy images of dreamlike scenes featuring furry animals in colorful settings grace postcards, plates and mugs in the shop.
![Kiseki Cafe and Gallery]()
Kiseki Cafe and Gallery
The eclectic collection of arts and handicrafts is one of many reasons to make the stop at Kiseki. Its location makes it an excellent stopover while driving north, and it’s the perfect recharge after the trek down to the Shima Potholes. Places like Kiseki are a new facet of the centuries-old onsen resorts of Nakanojo: the shop’s clean design and artsy heart are the perfect representative of a changing Nakanojo. Kiseki’s views of the mountain’s changing seasons from the patio are excellent.
- Shima Onsen Mori no Cafe KISEKI
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3.5
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- Gunma Pref. Agatsumagunnakanojoumachi Shima 3497
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- 0279642290
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- 10:30-15:00
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