Though located directly across the street from the famous landmark Godaido Temple, Shokado is no ordinary tourist spot. Rather, it’s a chic café and shop run by Matsushima native Shinichi Chiba, as popular with fashionable locals as it is with tourists. On its ground floor is the tasteful souvenir store Yukitakeya, a boutique of Miyagi products. On the second floor is a charming cafe that feels completely separated from busy flow of tourists outside. Its use of space is unmistakably Japanese. It has a beautiful wood-rich interior and large window designed to present patrons a picturesque view of the bay.

The cafe mainly serves tea and their signature dessert, castella. Castella is a simple Japanese sponge cake, originally introduced to Japan four centuries ago from Portugal. Shokado bakes its castella on site using all-natural ingredients. Time spent here feels almost surreal in that, despite being in the heart of Matsushima’s busy tourist area, the cafe itself feels calm and intimate.