Mikado Coffee Old Karuizawa Street Shop

Mikado Coffee occupies a recognisable spot on Old Karuizawa’s shopping street, a roughly 750-metre stretch lined with long-established bakeries, coffee shops, souvenir stores and eateries. The brand says its shop on the old road opened in 1952. Coffee and takeaway goods are sold downstairs, while the café is upstairs, where a retro-style interior contrasts with the busy promenade outside.

The menu ranges from a cup of house coffee to coffee jelly, desserts and the popular Mocha Soft, a coffee-flavoured soft-serve designed for takeaway. The company describes its Old Road Blend as aromatic and full-bodied, with acidity and a subtle bitterness. That makes the shop suitable for a seated coffee break or for buying a cone and continuing along the street. If you want a table upstairs, allow some time during busy periods.

Visitor comments often praise the coffee jelly, mocha soft serve and the house coffee. Opinions are less consistent about service, value and queues at the takeaway counter; one recent reviewer described an unfriendly interaction, while others say the staff were welcoming. That range matters: coffee and sweets are the main draw, but service is not experienced the same way by everyone.

The address is 786-2 Kyu-Karuizawa, within the Ginza area. For October, the official page lists 10 am to 5 pm, last order at 4:30 pm, with no regular weekly closing day; hours change by month, so check the official page at other times of year. For a coffee stop tied to the old resort-town street, sit upstairs; for a quick pause, the Mocha Soft and coffee jelly offer two different ways to taste the café’s signature flavour.