Blue skies, islands floating in the calm sea, the Seto-Ohashi Bridge, and oddly shaped rocks scattered here and there… These are the distinctive sights of Ojigadake Hill, which straddles Kurashiki City and Tamano City.
Activities are also popular here, with people enjoying paragliding, bouldering, and hiking on holidays.
It’s the kind of place where taking in the one-of-a-kind scenery leaves you feeling refreshed.
Ojigadake Hill, where you can experience the grandeur of nature, is home to the Ojigadake Rest House, a facility owned by Kurashiki City.
In recent years, Kurashiki City’s Tourism Division has conducted “Trial Sounding” at the facility.
People have rented the Ojigadake Rest House on a trial basis to open shops, and occasional events have been held there.
In June 2023, a permanent cafe finally opened at the Ojigadake Rest House.
We visited ⑤Deli Ojigadake (Maru5deli Ojigadake), which opened there.
The information presented was current when this article was published in April 2024. Please note that it may differ from current information.
About Maru5deli
Born in Okayama, Maru5deli is a shop selling fresh juice, coffee, and more.
It currently has eight locations in and outside the prefecture.
Its first shop, Maru5deli Tamachi, opened in 2000 on Hare-machi-dori (formerly Kencho-dori), in central Okayama.
Here, drinks are handed over at the counter in a takeout-style service.
When you go inside a shop, it’s easy to become absorbed in your own world, but taking your drink outside turns the whole city into a cafe space.
They say they hope people will enjoy the space too, by having a drink in a park filled with greenery nearby.
The menu includes staples such as banana and kiwi, as well as fresh squash.
They also serve juice made with amazake from Meito Miso Honpo in Setouchi City, Okayama Prefecture, and coffee drinks made with beans from Kuumuus Coffee Roasters in Misaki Town, Kume District, Okayama Prefecture.
You can enjoy freshly made drinks using local ingredients.
⑤Deli Ojigadake opens on Ojigadake Hill
The eighth Maru5deli location, ⑤Deli Ojigadake, opened on June 5, 2023, on Ojigadake Hill, which gives the shop its name.
The Ojigadake Rest House, where the shop is located, was built in 1967 and has one basement floor, one above-ground floor, and a rooftop.
Until 2011, a private business operator ran the restaurant on the ground floor as a designated manager for Kurashiki City.
After the restaurant closed, the city took over direct management, and the building became a rest stop for people enjoying touring and hiking.
From 2020, Kurashiki City’s “Trial Sounding” program hosted hands-on events, markets, and more.
⑤Deli Ojigadake is on the ground floor.
With glass walls all around, you can enjoy spectacular views of the Seto Inland Sea from inside.
On a fine day, be sure to head up to the rooftop.
Climb the stairs outside the building, and there you’ll find…
A vast panorama unfolds before you.
Perhaps the wind conditions were good on the day we visited; we could see people enjoying paragliding.
As an aside, the name “Ojigadake” is pronounced differently in different areas: “Ojigadake” or “Ojigatake.”
Kurashiki City, incidentally, uses “dake.”
What makes ⑤Deli Ojigadake special
Among Maru5deli’s locations, ⑤Deli Ojigadake has a somewhat different character.
Here are some of the features and ways to enjoy this shop.
Drinks and scones
The drinks fall into two main categories: fresh juice and coffee.
I ordered the fresh tomato juice.
As of April 2024, tomato juice is no longer served.
Fruit is cut and juiced after you order—a hallmark of Maru5deli.
The sound of the juicer fills the shop.
Nothing beats the taste of something freshly made.
The juice of the day when we visited was tomato juice.
Made with Maruji tomatoes from Kojima and lemons from Teshima, it’s a glassful of local ingredients.
Dine in or take out
The idea came about when Maru5deli President and CEO Hirano Yuji wanted to make a tomato juice that even he, despite not being a tomato fan, could drink.
When I tried the tomato juice, the first thing that surprised me was its sweetness.
It has a natural sweetness and a refreshing, fruity flavor that tastes more like fruit than tomatoes.
Since it is made with whole tomatoes, there were bits of skin here and there.
The secret to its fruity sweetness is that the tomatoes are grown on former salt fields in Kojima, which gives them a high sugar content.
Like the drinks, the scones can be enjoyed either in the shop or as takeout.
They have a simple, gentle sweetness.
We recommend buying some to take home and reheating them before eating.
Original Menu
The signature item on the ⑤Deli Ojigadake original menu is the fruit sandwich.
As of April 2024, there were strawberry and mixed varieties, so I chose the mixed one.
The fruit inside changes depending on the season.
It included seasonal strawberries and Setoka citrus.
The generous amount of fresh cream had an elegant sweetness that balanced well with the fruit.
The sandwich was surprisingly large—big enough to fill your mouth.
The mixed variety had two kinds of fruit in each sandwich, making for an enjoyable change in flavor.
Enjoy the Spectacular Views
The best way to enjoy ⑤Deli Ojigadake is, of course, while taking in the scenery.
The walls are glass, so you can see outside from every seat.
The spacious interior has both table seating and counter seating.
The counter seats facing the sea are also recommended.
The natural beauty of the Seto Inland Sea stretches out before you, and you can feel your worries gently lift away.
If you want to feel the breeze without a window between you and the outdoors, head up to the rooftop.
The view is just as spectacular, but different from the one inside.
However, there are no tables, so it is best to stick to drinks.
⑤Deli Ojigadake is a place where you can eat and drink while enjoying the magnificent natural surroundings.
We spoke with Yabuki Kenta of the Kurashiki City Tourism Division, who has worked hard to revitalize Ojigadake Rest House, and Hirano Yuji, President and CEO of the company that operates Maru5deli.
⑤Deli Ojigadake (Maru5deli Ojigadake) Information
| Name | ⑤Deli Ojigadake (Maru5deli Ojigadake) |
|---|---|
| Address | 1421-8 Kojima Karakoto-cho, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture, inside Ojigadake Rest House |
| Contact | 090-4105-8805 |
| Parking | Available Parking is available near the shop; three spaces in front of the building are reserved for people with disabilities |
| Closed | Fridays and irregular days |
| Payment methods |
|
| Reservations | Not accepted |
| Seating | Counter: 5 seats Tables: 34 seats (10 tables) |
| Smoking | Non-smoking (smoking permitted only in designated areas) |
| Restrooms | Western-style restroom, accessible restroom |
| Childcare facilities | Diaper-changing table |
| Accessibility | Ramp, accessible restroom |
| Website | Maru5deli |
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