A Spring Bloom in the Mirror: Japan’s Most Beautiful Café

By MOOK Scenic Spots Travel & Lifestyle Network Editorial Department, compiled and reported by Liao Qiyu
 
Spring has arrived, and cherry blossoms have become the hottest keyword for travel and life in Japan. In addition to visiting parks and riverbanks to admire the blooms, you might also want to visit the “Seika/Mirrors Café” in Gifu Prefecture. The café utilizes mirrored materials on its walls along with the rows of cherry trees on the adjacent street, creating a uniquely stunning cherry blossom view every spring.

The “Seika/Mirrors Café” was designed by B andesign Studio. Located next to a row of cherry trees, the café attracts many cherry blossom enthusiasts every spring. Taking advantage of this, the designers created an irregularly shaped building that connects two small houses as mirror images using reflective materials. The cherry trees are reflected repeatedly in the mirrored walls, resulting in a springtime spectacle within a world of mirrors.

Interestingly, at the corner where the mirrored surfaces meet, a small white stone courtyard and a camellia tree are enclosed. Through the mirror walls, one camellia appears as three. Since camellias bloom earlier than cherry blossoms, the café presents different scenes in different seasons. Especially in spring, the mirrored world frames the blue sky, pink cherry blossoms, and white stones, capturing the essence of the beautiful season.