Yakult Cafe & Gallery (Gohonmaru)

The world’s first-ever Yakult café has been serving up Yakult ice cream, tiramisu, smoothies and other treats in Utsunomiya since 2023. With an outdoor terrace and two indoor seating areas, the Yakult Gohonmaru Cafe & Gallery is a chill spot worth a visit if you’re in the area.

As an added bonus, there is a castle in the background. Well, a watchtower, anyway.

Also visit: Yakult Ibaraki Plant and Yakult Cosmetics Factory (Fujisawa).

What’s the Yakult Gohonmaru Cafe & Gallery?

The Yakult Gohonmaru Cafe & Gallery was the first Yakult café to open in Japan, and the world. It remains relatively off the tourist radar, as it’s over an hour and a half from Tokyo. I made the trek to check it out.

The verdict? Worth it, if you are exploring Utsunomiya or the surrounding areas, e.g. for the gyoza festival.

The café is about 10 minutes from JR Utsunomiya Station by taxi, which cost me around ¥1,000. You might be able to snag a bus, instead. It is possible to walk; this takes about 25-30 minutes.

You won’t miss it, thanks to the giant bottle of Yakult-1000 outside. The whole place has a calm, soothing vibe, and there is lots of yummy food on the menu. You can find mains like an omelette or veggie curry and rice, as well as sandwiches, bagels with Yakult-infused cream toppings, Yakult tiramisu, and of course — Yakult ice cream.

I tried the curry, then ordered a coffee (sadly there is no Yakult coffee, this was just a regular brew) and a pot of the red Yakult ice cream. Everything was delicious, the ice cream especially so. The coffee came with two little Yakult cookies.

I was too full to try the bagels, ditto the smoothies — though they were tempting. Price-wise, the menu is reasonable: I paid ¥1,680 for a lunch set that included the curry, ice cream, and coffee. Desserts go for ¥450–¥680, and drinks ¥420–¥680. Some items are available as take-out.

Upstairs, there is a beauty salon where you can try Yakult Beautiens cosmetics, by means of a facial and other pampering. Treatments need to be booked in advance, however, and phone seems most feasible.

Outside you will find a Yakult vending machine, where you can grab a bulk pack of Yakults to take home with you, for around ¥1,000. The café is attached to a Yakult service center, so there is a good chance you will see the busy Yakult ladies driving in and out on their scooters, loading and unloading supplies.

What to know before you visit the Yakult Gohonmaru Cafe & Gallery

The Yakult café is not near Tokyo. It’s a 1 hour 39 minute journey by train from Shinjuku — if you get the right train.

Take the rapid Shonan-Shinjuku line to Utsunomiya — look out for the orange boarding marks on Platform 4. Double-check the signs, though, as things can change.

Do you need reservations for the Yakult Gohonmaru Cafe & Gallery?

No. It seems fairly quiet, with lots of space downstairs and upstairs. However, it’s recommended that you visit on a weekday, if possible, for maximum peace.

The other Yakult café

Yakult Cafe & Gallery (Gohonmaru) is not the only Yakult café — there is actually a second one, in another part of Utsunomiya. Called Yakult Yui no Mori – Mori no Cafe, it can be found just next to Yuinomori-east Station on the Utsunomiya Light Rail (LRT). The menu is Italian-inspired, and there is a Yakult Beautiens salon on the premises, too.

by Carey Finn