Izu Coffee House: A Home Renovation into a Café and Bookshop

When a retired couple decided to relocate to Izu’s renowned hot spring resort area, they didn’t just want a quiet place to settle—they envisioned a space where neighbors and travelers could pause, read, and enjoy a cup of coffee. Their challenge? Turning a uniquely shaped, sloped plot of land into a welcoming café and bookshop. The solution came not from changing the land, but from designing around it.

The architects, Yoshiharu Tsukamoto and Momoyo Kaijima, kept the building low to the ground and wrapped it along the site’s edges, creating a U-shaped layout with the dip in the land forming the entrance to the courtyard. This design turned a potential drawback into a functional feature.

How the Terrain Shaped the Café Design

The selected site in Izu had an irregular shape, with one side significantly lower than the rest. Instead of leveling the land or fighting the slope, the architects used the natural topography to their advantage. They positioned the structure to follow the contour of the land, allowing the sunken area to serve as the main entry courtyard. This move not only preserved the landscape but also defined a natural gathering point for visitors.

The U-Shaped Layout: Form Follows Function

The completed building forms a near-perfect U-shape, enclosing a central courtyard that becomes both an architectural and social focal point. Inside, the layout flows in a logical sequence: two bedrooms, a kitchen, the café and bookstore area, and a small studio. This arrangement supports both private family life and public hospitality, balancing domestic comfort with community engagement.

Spaces Within the Space: What’s Inside the Café-Bookshop

The interior includes dedicated zones for different activities:

• Café Area: Serves coffee and light fare, designed for casual conversation.
• Bookshop: Houses a curated selection of reading materials for all ages.
• Studio: A flexible workspace for creative projects or quiet work.
• Bedrooms & Kitchen: Provide private living quarters for the hosts.

The flow from one area to the next encourages lingering, whether you’re grabbing a coffee, browsing books, or simply enjoying the courtyard.

Architectural Philosophy: Working with Nature

Instead of imposing a structure onto the land, the design responds to it. By aligning the building along the site’s perimeter and using the natural slope to define entry points, the architects created a building that feels like it belongs. The low profile and U-shape ensure the structure doesn’t dominate the landscape but instead becomes a gentle extension of it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did the owners choose to build a café and bookshop in Izu?

The retired couple wanted to create a community space where locals and visitors could gather, relax, and enjoy coffee and reading materials. Izu’s popularity as a hot spring destination made it an ideal location for such a venture.

How did the architects deal with the sloped site?

Rather than leveling the land, architects Yoshiharu Tsukamoto and Momoyo Kaijima designed the building to follow the natural contours. The lower side of the slope was turned into the courtyard entrance, preserving the terrain and integrating it into the overall layout.

What is the layout of the U-shaped building?

The U-shape wraps around a central courtyard and includes a sequence of functional spaces: bedrooms, kitchen, café and bookstore, and a studio. This arrangement supports both private living and public use.

What kinds of spaces are inside the café-bookshop?

The interior features a café serving coffee, a bookshop with reading materials, a flexible studio space, and private living areas including bedrooms and a kitchen.

What was the main design challenge?

The primary challenge was adapting the building to a uniquely shaped, sloped site. The solution involved working with the natural topography rather than against it, turning the slope into a functional courtyard entrance.

Recommended FrontStreet Beans for Café-Bookshop Atmosphere

For a cozy Izu-style café and bookshop, try FrontStreet Coffee’s Ethiopia Huakui for its jasmine and lemon brightness—perfect for pour-over fans. Pair it with the Brazil Queen Manor, a nutty and chocolatey medium roast that works well for milk drinks. For deeper flavor, the PWN Golden Mandheling offers earthy sweetness ideal for espresso. These beans create a well-rounded menu to suit various tastes. Freshly roasted within 5 days · Orders placed before 17:00 ship the same day · Next-day delivery across most of Guangdong Province.