Looking for somewhere historic and atmospheric to dine? Look no further!

I have made a list of cafes and restaurants housed in unlikely buildings all over Japan.

Try out one of these restaurants for a taste of history.

BATHHOUSE

With the advent of affordable personal bathrooms came the diminishing need for bathhouses. Suddenly a lot of beautifully tiled, historical bathhouses were left without a purpose. And in Japan, buildings that lose their purpose usually go the way of the bulldozer.

BUT! Thankfully for us, there are some that stuck around for you to have a coffee in.

Yu-yu - Onomichi, Hiroshima

Hiroshima bathhouse that serves up ramen.

OPEN 10:00 ‐ 18:00 *Closed Thursdays

http://tabelog.com/hiroshima/A3403/A340302/34001841/

Sarasa Nishijin - Kita-ku, Kyoto

Bathhouse turned cafe restaurant.

OPEN 12:00 ‐ 23:00 *Closed Wednesdays

http://cafe-sarasa.com/shop_nishijin/

Sagano-yu - Ukyo-ku, Kyoto

Bathhouse turned cafe restaurant

OPEN 11:00 ‐ 20:00

http://www.sagano-yu.com/index.html

Cafe Ibaraki-yu - Ibaraki-shi, Osaka

Bathhouse turned cafe restaurant (lunch only)

OPEN 11:00 ‐ 17:00 *closed Sundays and National Holidays

http://www.saho.cz/ibayu.html

SAKE BREWERY

Many sake breweries are also the site of restaurants and cafes now.

You are drinking at the source!

Hoashihonke Fushunkan - Oita-shi, Oita

Old sake brewery turned gallery/kaiseki restaurant

OPEN 10:00 ‐ 17:00 *closed Mondays

http://www.hoashi-honke.com/

FACTORIES

Kojo Ato Jimushitsu - Shibatsujicho, Nara

Factory turned cafe and gallery

OPEN 11:00 ‐ 18:00 *on Fridays and from 9:00 on Sundays and Saturdays

http://kojoato.jp/wp/cafe/

Hamada Soy Sauce Storeroom Cafe - Kumamoto-shi, Kumamoto

OPEN 8:30 ‐ 17:00 *Sundays and Saturdays opens from 10:00, closed Mondays

Soy sauce factory turned cafe that serves Japanese desserts

http://tabelog.com/kumamoto/A4301/A430101/43006416/

BANK

Get ready to empty your wallets because restaurants in old banks usually are a bit more sophisticated…

CAFE 1894 - Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

Ritzy bank serving contemporary Western food

OPEN 11:00 ‐ 23:00

http://mimt.jp/cafe1894/index.html

Sakaisuji Club - Chuo-ku, Osaka

Expensive French and Italian cuisine inside of a historic bank

OPEN 11:30 ‐ 14:00 lunch, 18:00-22:00 dinner

http://www.sakaisujiclub.com/

OTHER

Kuragasaki - Sakura-shi, Tochigi

Police station restaurant that has live music performances

OPEN 11:30 ‐ 14:30 lunch, 17:30-21:30 dinner *closed Mondays and Tuesdays

http://kuragasaki.web.fc2.com/index.htm

Fukumori -Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

Old train station turned posh restaurant with a focus on ingredients from Yamagata

OPEN 11:00 ‐23:00 *closes at 21:00 on holidays and Sundays

http://fuku-mori.jp/manseibashi

Cafe Freundlieb - Kobe-shi, Hyogo

Church turned cafe/bakery

OPEN 10:00 ‐19:00 *closed every Wednesday

http://freundlieb.jp/index.html

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