Japanese Grassroots House Café: Vast Garden & CLUB HARIE's Annual Ring Cake

Reporter He Guanxian / Comprehensive Report

With the change of seasons, this café takes on different hues. Located in Omihachiman City, Shiga Prefecture, Japan, the "La Collina" café boasts a vast expanse of countryside, with a two-story cottage nestled amid the fields. The cottage’s roof is not only covered with green turf but also offers refined castella and the very famous annual ring cake among its afternoon tea desserts.

▲ In %season, La Collina is surrounded and covered by lush green rice fields and vegetation. (Photo /Bad Boniu Not on the Cliff, Traveling and Searching for FoodProvided, please do not reproduce without permission to avoid infringement)

The roof of La Collina is entirely covered with vegetation, and as the seasons change, this large garden area instantly transforms into completely different colors. The transition from golden autumn to emerald green spring allows visitors to experience vastly different scenery at different times.

La Collina is a branch established by Tane-ya CLUB HARIE in 2016, and Tane-ya CLUB HARIE is a widely renowned annual ring cake shop in the Kansai region, with many branches in Shiga Prefecture. But none are as eye-catching as La Collina. It is the work of modern architectural history scholar Terunobu Fujimori, and La Collina means "little hill" in Italian, echoing its location adjacent to Lake Biwa and Mount Hachiman. Moreover, under Fujimori’s architectural creativity, it also incorporates Tane-ya’s corporate philosophy of "learning from nature."

▲ The courtyard of La Collina also features miniaturized gate scenery and designs of small green archways. (Photo /Bad Boniu Not on the Cliff, Traveling and Searching for FoodProvided, please do not reproduce without permission to avoid infringement)

Upon entering the first floor of La Collina, you can see the annual ring cake production site through the glass. Adjacent to it, there is an entire wall showcasing tools for making Japanese sweets, along with a counter selling Tane-ya CLUB HARIE’s annual ring cakes, desserts, and souvenirs. The second-floor café offers a bright and comfortable space, along with various treats such as ice cream, dorayaki, and annual ring cakes. Among them, freshly made annual ring cakes and ice cream dorayaki are the most popular with customers. The high-ceilinged design of the building makes the interior brighter and more spacious, and the aroma of the annual ring cake wafts throughout the space, with every corner exuding the sweet taste of an afternoon moment.

▲ While famous for its annual ring cakes, the interior design is also a major highlight. (Photo /Bad Boniu Not on the Cliff, Traveling and Searching for FoodProvided, please do not reproduce without permission to avoid infringement)

▲ La Collina not only has a full wall displaying dessert utensils, but the second floor also features a well-lit dining space. (Photo /Bad Boniu Not on the Cliff, Traveling and Searching for FoodProvided, please do not reproduce without permission to avoid infringement)

La Collina La Collina 0?? Omihachiman
Official Website
Address: 615-1 Kitanoshocho, Omihachiman, Shiga Prefecture 523-0806, Japan
615-1 Kitanoshocho, Omihachiman, Shiga Prefecture 523-0806 Japan
Opening Hours: 09:00–18:00
Phone: +81 748-33-6666