“Not Old, be Classic” is the shop slogan and very much Yosuke-san’s outlook when working on furthering the shop’s brand identity. Everything from the graphic design to the presentation of the menu items is crisp and clean, but has obvious deep roots in classic Japanese thought and aesthetics.
-
![]()
Yosuke Sato is the owner of Happa Stand, a modern and very trendy tea room set in an old merchant’s house in the heart of Mino City. The menu consists of various organic teas including matcha, sencha and houjicha – all made using tea leaves hand-picked from the shop’s own private tea farm and a selection of milks including cow’s milk, soy milk and almond milk. Drinks are available both hot and iced, as well as in latte form, for either drink-in or take-out.
![]()
It’s not all about tea here though! They also serve a selection of delicious home-made tofu ice creams and a Matcha Set which comes with Japanese sweets. The back wall is also lined with a display of carefully selected lifestyle goods that are for sale including all things tea related like tea-pots, tea-cups and boxes of loose tea leaves. Particularly eye-catching and popular are the Happa Stand tenugui – a long strip of cloth long used in Japan for a number of things including wrapping one’s items for the day in.
![]()
Having grown up in Gifu prefecture, Yosuke spent a stint living overseas in California. It was here, surrounded by people from all over the world, he discovered his appreciation and passion for Japanese culture and tradition – he returned to Gifu and began learning more about the history of his home country. He eventually found himself fascinated by Japanese teas and realized he wanted to produce and sell green tea, and so Happa Stand was founded. This is the flagship Happa Stand shop, and the business is slowly growing - their items can now be found in a variety of places across the country.
![]()
From the minute you step inside the shop it is immediately apparent that a lot of time and effort has been put into the presentation and styling of the interior. It seamlessly blends traditional Japanese aesthetics and contemporary design. The atmosphere is subtle and relaxing, just what you need after a day exploring the old town streets of Mino!
Yosuke has a good understanding of English and they also have English menus available.
Check their website out at: https://happastand.jp/
Happa Stand is located in Mino City, Gifu Prefecture, and can be accessed by train using the Nagaragawa Railway Line. Alight at Minoshi Station from which Happa Stand is less than a ten minutes walk. The small neighboring station of Umeyama is also convenient for accessing Happa Stand. By car Mino City can be accessed using the Tokai Hokuriku Expressway; leave the expressway at Mino Interchange. Happa Stand is open from 8am to 5pm, and closed on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Go here
