Matayoshi Coffee Farm

Great place for a coffee on the remote east coast of Okinawa

Without wanting to put too heavy a point on it, Matayoshi Coffee Farm came to this expat traveling in Okinawa as a bastion of coffee and pleasant vibes while on the lonely roads of the northeast of the main island. On an inland stretch of Route 331, about 2 km south of Higashi City (Or should that be “village”?), Matayoshi Coffee Farm is a great place for those driving up the east coast of Okinawa to stop and take respite for a few moments. Were it not for the large sign on the front of the building, one might be forgiven taking this place to be a garden center, such are the potted plants and wooden building work that decorate the frontage of the coffee farm. Thankfully though, this is a place to came and sup on some quality coffee (which you can smell coming out out of the facilities ventilation) rather than walk away with some tomato seeds. At the time of visiting, the travel partner and I were the only ones here, in the cafe at least. Actually, it’s a cafe / store. The “wood” theme out front continues inside coating a spacious interior furnished with study sets of tables and chairs that look like they should be in a well-thought-out kitchen back home. In fact, such is the space in the cafe at Matayoshi Coffee Farm being the only people here made this expat feel a little self-conscious. Still, the lady who served us was kind and happy to answer our questions about the area. Our timing was a little unfortunate, however, as the home-grown farm coffee was still in its earliest stages of harvest and so in limited supply. This meant it came in a 1,000 yen a cup. I opted for a Columbia instead (~400 yen). If preparation time is a sign of quality coffee, then the stuff they sell here must be pretty fine as it took ages to brew. Still, it was worth the wait. Small packets of coffee to take away were selling at 700 yen. Jams, preserves and coffee-related kit are also available to purchase from inside the cafe. We weren’t looking for meals or even food during our visit, but we did notice some nice-looking bakery items for around 200 - 300 yen with a toaster on hand that you can use to heat things up. As well as growing coffee, Matayoshi Coffee Farm also grow mangoes, the juice of which you can try at 500 yen for a cup. The parking area for the cafe is spacious (and one finds it hard to believe they see much traffic around these parts of Okinawa). There are a couple of drinks vending machines out front and an ashtray tucked away near the side of the building. There are also some toilets around another side. Up the slopes that rise up behind Matayoshi Coffee Farm in grounds cover twice the area of Tokyo Dome, there are some splendid looking wooden cottages that command ocean views that available to rent from 4,000 yen for one person for a night. BBQ and camping is also available at Matayoshi Coffee Farm. Information is available on farm’s website which is in Japanese only, but cottages can be booked through any number of platforms. Overall, if you’re traveling in these parts of Okinawa, which will likely mean that you’re driving, keep an eye out for Matayoshi Coffee Farm and at least pop in for a coffee. It’ll be worth it. Hours: 9:00 - 17:30