“Waryu Proposta” pre-opened in April 2025 inside LOGIN Kurashiki in Achi 2-chome, Kurashiki City. It is a popular shop serving siphon-brewed genmaicha and handmade Japanese sweets.
The generous portions of sweets feature anko cooked in a copper pot and dorayaki grilled one at a time after an order is placed, as well as plenty of locally grown fruit. The shop’s fan base is growing steadily.
We heard that “Waryu Proposta” will move from October 1, 2025, to a spacious location across from its current shop, so we visited while it was still in its pre-opening period.
The information presented here is as of the article’s publication in October 2025. Please note that it may differ from current information.
A spacious new shop brimming with art, a warm, handmade space
The new shop is across from the previous location.
The interior, built by the staff as a DIY project, has the warmth of wood befitting its Japanese style and blends beautifully with the greenery of the trees and lawn in the courtyard.
The hanging sign at the entrance was custom-made.
The logo on this sign, made of soft cedar and evoking leaves swaying in the breeze, was created by owner Haruyama’s younger sister.
Upon entering the shop, a large painting immediately catches the eye.
This painting of a tapir is by artist Kawano Ryuzo, who has a gallery in Kurashiki.
Kawano was introduced to Waryu Proposta through his dealings with food suppliers. He immediately fell in love with the space and created this work to display here.
At the new shop, lunch and dinner will be added to the Japanese sweets already on offer.
The new shop will also serve lunch and dinner
The food will be prepared by Kumon Hiroya, who previously ran Proposta, a locally sourced restaurant beloved in Okayama City.
He develops the menu with care for ingredients from Kurashiki and the Takahashi River Basin, while also seeking out delicious ingredients from across Japan.
The menu on this pre-opening day was “Peposo: Japanese Black Wagyu beef braised in red wine.”
Peposo means “pepper” in Italian. It is a traditional Tuscan dish of beef braised with black pepper and red wine.
The accompaniments included seasonal eggplant with Yoshida Farm caciocavallo and mashed potatoes, making the dish a feast for the eyes as well as a generous serving. The sauce, which paired perfectly with the tagliatelle, was savored to the last drop with a baguette.
Kumon reportedly creates dishes intended to be complete meals in themselves. After trying one, I was thoroughly satisfied with its flavor, quality, and portion size.
When asked about the lunch menu, he said he plans to offer a “Western-style makunouchi.”
I wondered, “Western-style, even though it’s called ‘Waryu’?” It seems that dishes inspired by Western cuisine will be served in the Japanese makunouchi style. It sounds like a children’s lunch for adults, making me even more excited for the opening.
Both lunch and dinner require reservations, made at least three days in advance, so be sure to book early.
An even fuller cafe menu, with Tenryo Inari sales continuing
Owner Haruyama Masataka is in charge of the fragrant genmaicha brewed in a siphon and Japanese-style sweets made with carefully cooked anko.
The genmaicha is made with Okayama-grown “Nikomaru” rice, roasted at a high temperature of 400°C and blended with “Karigane,” a sencha with little astringency.
This is reportedly the first time in Japan that genmaicha has been brewed using a siphon. Topped with fragrant brown rice popped at high heat, it has an even more pronounced aroma and flavor.
These generously portioned sweets are recommended both as an after-meal dessert and for cafe time.
This is the hugely popular summer item: peach daifuku made with one whole white peach.
An autumn sweet, “Shine Muscat daifuku,” is planned for the future.
The sweets menu, developed under Kumon’s supervision, includes “An-nori,” an adaptation of the Italian dolce cannoli, as well as a parfait combining a lavish variety of ingredients and textures, including tiramisu, grapes, anko, and even dorayaki.
The well-regarded anko, carefully cooked every day in a copper pot, is used in every menu item.
The limited-quantity “Tenryo Inari,” which has been hugely popular since opening, will continue to be sold on the 1st and 15th of each month.
Those looking forward to it are sure to feel reassured, too.
A message from owner Haruyama
When asked about his hopes for the future, Haruyama replied as follows:
Haruyama (honorific omitted)
Of course, I want the shop to succeed, but I also want to cherish our connections with local tea shops and farmers and share what makes Kurashiki such a wonderful place.
I’ll do my best as a member of the community to help energize this area. And one day, I’d like to sell sweets that can only be found here across the country.
I’m looking forward to the day when a one-of-a-kind product from Kurashiki reaches people all over Japan.
From the Writer
With delicious Japanese tea and handmade Japanese sweets as its attractions, Waryu Proposta gives us another reason to visit for lunch or dinner. I’m also looking forward to seeing how the interior changes as the shop continues to grow.
The courtyard at LOGIN Kurashiki was striking even during this summer’s extreme heat, with its lush green lawn and trees, and it was clear that it is carefully maintained. In autumn, visitors will surely be able to enjoy the colorful maple leaves.
As well as visiting for lunch or dinner, it would be lovely in the coming season to dine in the courtyard, or take out tea and sweets and stroll around the Bikan Historical Area.
I was told about the tapir painting: “The baku, a mythical creature from Chinese folklore, was originally believed to eat nightmares and protect people. As this legend was passed down, it became confused with the real animal, the tapir, so it doesn’t actually eat dreams.”
The tapir at the shop will surely continue to watch over the two owners’ big dreams.
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Waryu Proposta Information
| Name | Waryu Proposta |
|---|---|
| Address | 20-9 Achi 2-chome, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture (inside LOGIN Kurashiki) |
| Contact | 080-4421-3343 |
| Parking | None |
| Hours | 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. *Dinner service is available by reservation only |
| Closed | Monday Open if the 1st or 15th falls on a Monday |
| Payment methods |
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| Website | Waryu Proposta Instagram |
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