I would like to introduce an old private house cafe in Hayama called “SOSO HAYAMA” 🙌
“Soso Hayama” is located in a quiet residential area. The 100-year-old house was renovated and opened by a company involved in the restoration of old private homes mainly in Kanagawa Prefecture.
It is a complex facility with a café, stores selling daily sundries, a flower store, and a rental space. Twice a week, breakfast of rice cooked in earthen pots is served.
The café is loved by locals and has a steady stream of repeat customers.
Store Introduction
Concept of the store
“SOSO” means “pure and beautiful”. Living in Hayama, one becomes simpler and simpler by eliminating unnecessary things. The store was opened with the aim of creating a place that is close to the people who live there and that embodies such a refined and beautiful way of life.
With the concept of “live like Hayama, live like me,” the shop aims to be a place where people can live as they are, unadorned and grateful for the blessings of nature.
I think Hayama is a place where you can really be yourself without any decorations. This is a space where people who do not live here can experience that kind of lifestyle.
If you are a tourist from abroad you should definitely come!
Location
『soso HAYAMA』is located in a quiet residential area behind Morito Beach in Hayama. It really blends in with the houses and is so integrated with its surroundings that I walked past the store once.
It is no wonder, since it is a renovated 100 year old house that used to be there. It is a large, magnificent house with a black tiled roof, and the site including the garden is quite large.
Unfortunately, the restaurant does not have a parking lot. You can park in the parking lots in the surrounding Morito-beach area. The parking lot of the supermarket Motomachi Union is large, and if you spend 2,000 yen, it is free for two hours, so it is convenient.
It is about 3 minutes walk from the supermarket.
There is no train station in Hayama, so the nearest station is JR Zushi station. From Zushi, it is around 20 minutes by bus.
Establishment
“soso~ HAYAMA” opened in 2022. This is the second year it has been in operation, so it is relatively new.
It is the fourth project by the company that created “Yoridokoro,” famous for its egg rice along the Enoden line in Kamakura.
The company is involved in the restoration of old private houses, and “SOSO” is their largest facility. They collaborate with various local stores and artists.
They renovated a 100-year-old private house with their own hands, and revitalized it into a complex that can also accommodate garden weddings. They opened the facility with the aim of making it an open place where local people can casually drop by. Crowd funding has also been widely collected.
The old private house café has been reborn with a handmade, fashionable feel. I am very happy to have such a place near by.
Store Introduction
Opening the front door of the old house, I found a stylish space. The space is richly decorated with wood.
Before entering, I felt like I was visiting my grandmother’s house, but the large renovated space is extremely stylish.
There are several wooden table sets scattered around the space, giving it a sense of openness.
There were many people working remotely!
And what I noticed right away were people working hard. There were several people working remotely. The staff told me that some of them come here every day.
And to my delight, there is no additional charge if you order a drink or something else.
Electrical outlets are also placed in various places, and are extremely well-equipped.
There are plenty of places to sit, and it is a pleasant space where you can comfortably stay for a long time.
In the back, there is a sunroom that has been expanded and is equipped with a long, wide table, where some people are working.
The table is spacious and looks like it would be very useful for relaxing or working.
And there is the large garden. spreads out in front of the house. The lawn is lush and green. This garden creates a sense of openness and a sense of the extraordinary.
There is also a terrace outside. A person who was having a conference call was talking outside during the meeting.
It is not so nice to sit outside on a mid-summer day when the temperature is over 30 degrees Celsius, but in spring and fall, the terrace seats should be very comfortable.
Menue
Drink menu and light meal menu are available. Lunch menu is also available.
There were lovely cakes such as banana cake, chocolate scones, and cinnamon rolls!
They brew real coffee at the coffee stand.
The snack menu included hot sandwiches and lasagna plates.
I ordered the lasagna. It is a lunch plate that includes lasagna with seasonal vegetables, soup, and homemade focaccia from a nearby restaurant called Loriga in a place called Akiya.
The price was 1,320 yen (tax included).
The lasagna was hot and the cheese was melted and delicious. The homemade foccaccia was sticky and the soup was cold and rich but refreshing, perfect for summer.
You can get specialty coffee from AKITO COFFEE in Kofu City, Yamanashi Prefecture. The coffee I had was an iced coffee, but I think it was an original blend.
It is a refreshing coffee with a bit of acidity.
Breakfast is served from 8:00 on Thursdays and Fridays. Three kinds of Japanese dishes are served: “dried horse mackerel,” “fried egg with raw sweet malt,” and “dried mackerel with mirin,” each accompanied by two side dishes made from locally grown vegetables.
The rice will be cooked in an earthenware pot and served warm. A luxurious Hayama breakfast sounds wonderful.
As you can see in the installation, August is on Fridays and Saturdays. Please check your calendar!
small shop
The café space and the adjoining daily sundries store also have a stylish atmosphere.
The store offers a variety of environmentally friendly products, such as “birds,” a natural detergent sold by weight, and daily necessities made from bamboo, in order to protect the natural bounty of Hayama.
Many works by artists from the Hayama area are displayed and sold here. There were many tasteful works such as accessories, vessels, soaps and aromas.
Away from the general store, near the entrance, there was also a section selling delicious foods from various regions.
Nuts and spices are also available by weight. Organic cinnamon sticks and cardamom seeds can be purchased according to your purpose. This is a store that cares for nature, using as little packaging as possible.
Flower shop
In a separate building away from the house, there is a flower stand of “willow flower stand” which has an atelier in Kamakura. Once outside, you go around in a circle to reach the flower shop.
The florist also handles flowers for weddings, and there were stylish flowers and dried flowers.
Entering this cute back gate, you will find a flower shop.
There were many kinds of flowers on display that you would not see in a regular flower shop. The colors are bright and cheerful.
I took home an affordable bouquet. Flowers are nice. It gives me a sense of relaxation.
Baby and child Note
The atmosphere was very welcoming with babies and children. There is no parking, but the restaurant is very spacious and there is a garden where you can play games, so children will not get bored and can play to their heart’s content.
Fact sheet
| Date of visit | 2024/7/22（Monday） 1PM |
| # of visitor | One. Single person is welcome. |
| How crowded? | There were two groups of customers and three single customers. Two were working remotely. |
| How much did I spend? | 1,800 Yen |
| Waiting time till food arrive | around 20 minutes. Quite slow. |
| How long can I stay? | It is quite relaxing. You can stay for hours if it is available. But you should buy extra drinks. |
| Store Noise | Everyone chatted freely. Perhaps a conference call is possible for a short time. I think children are also OK. For long conference calls, a separate room can be rented for a fee. |
| Selling point | A large garden and relaxing cafe |
| Areas for improvement (My personal wish) | The lasagna was a little small. I don’t think the boys would be full. If it were a little bigger, I would be very satisfied. |
Access Information
| Name | SOSO HAYAMA |
| Address | 869 Horiuchi, Hayama, Miura District, Kanagawa 240-0112 |
| Telephone | 046-845-9008 |
| Opening hour | 09:00 – 18:00 |
| Close | Tuesday |
| Parking | No |
| Related site | Homepage インスタ |
Lastly
This was an introduction to the stylish old private house cafe in Hayama, “soso – HAYAMA.
This renovated 100-year-old mansion is located in a quiet residential area in Hayama. It is a nature-friendly and self-friendly restaurant based on the concept of “live like Hayama, live like me.
It is a place where you can stay as long as you like while idly looking at the greenery in the large garden. I would like to use it again for remote work.
Whether you are in the neighborhood or from far away, please stop by.
I highly recommend this place!
Thanks for reading it!
Hello there! This is Hayama-Navi, introducing wonderful stores and places in Hayama-town, Kanagawa prefecture. Please refer the website and come visit Hayama!