Odaka Micro Stand Bar (OMSB)

Odaka Micro Stand Bar (OMSB)

Odaka Micro Stand Bar (OMSB, “omusubi”) is a cafe located near the JR Odaka Station (小高駅) in Minamisoma City, in the coastal area of Fukushima prefecture.

This narrow but charming coffee house is popular among visitors and residents, who gather to indulge in its pastries and freshly brewed coffee. Odaka is an area that saw its population decrease to zero for several years while the evacuation order was in place following the nuclear accident.

Mr. Takashi Moriyama, a young IT specialist and entrepreneur, decided to open a kitchen car cafe in front of the JR Odaka Station in 2016, after the evacuation order was lifted in the area, to serve returning residents.

Mr. Moriyama knew he wanted to play a part in revitalizing Odaka. At the time, there weren’t many other stores or businesses open in the area. He decided to launch a crowdfunding campaign to open a cafe, bakery and coworking space.

The campaign raised the necessary funds, and Odaka Micro Stand Bar, the cafe that he envisioned, finally opened to the public. The coworking space and offices on the first and second floor have also opened. OMSB also hosts programming lessons and IT literacy seminars for senior residents in the area.

So, more than only a cafe, OMSB is a place where the community comes together, bridging the old and the new.

Odaka Micro Stand Bar serves coffee, sandwiches, pastries, matcha and more. We recommend enjoying their rich hot chocolate on a winter afternoon.

Venue Details

Venue Details
Websitehttps://omsb.co/
Contact

https://www.facebook.com/odakao.msb/

Best SeasonAll Year
Opening Hours

Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays 11:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. (Last order is at 5:30 p.m.)<br>Saturdays: 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (Last order is at 5:00 p.m.)<br>

Sundays, Mondays and Fridays

ParkingAvailable
Related infoFree wifi available.
Access Details
Access1-67 Higashimachi, Odaka, Minamisoma City, Fukushima Pref. 979-2121
View directions
Getting there

By Public Transportation: 3 min. walk from JR Odaka Station (JR Joban Line)

By Car: 22 min from the Minamisoma I.C. exit (Joban Expressway)

Nearby

The World Glassware Hall
History & Culture

Nomaoi Street Meijo Hall

Nomaoi Street Meijo Hall has been established in the building of the former Matsumoto Brewery, which was a well-known brewery started in the late Edo Period. The hall now primarily functions as exhibition space, lending its unique kura (Japanese warehouse) rooms to host art and photo exhibitions as well as musical events. There are also a couple of small permanent exhibitions about life in the Meiji Period. The relaxed atmosphere of the restaurant Shokusaian is also popular with visitors.

The World Glassware Hall
Nature & Scenery

Matsugaoka Park

Matsugaoka Park is one of the oldest public parks in Iwaki, with origins going back to 1907. It was first developed around a large reservoir that doubled as a fire prevention water source. Rather than being designed as a purely ornamental space, the park grew gradually with plantings of cherry, plum, and azalea trees. That starting point still shapes the layout today, with the central pond acting as a focal point.Within the park grounds stands a statue of Andō Nobumasa, a former lord of the Taira domain, reflecting the area’s connection to the old castle town.The park is best known for its cherry blossoms in spring. Around 200 Somei Yoshino cherry trees typically flower early compared to other spots in Iwaki, making it one of the first places locals associate with the start of hanami season. The azaleas - around 340 bushes, some originally transplanted from a former samurai residence in Tokyo - add a second wave of color slightly later. During peak bloom, the area is popular with groups and families, with food stalls set up around the park.Covering roughly 37,000 square meters, Matsugaoka functions as a neighborhood park with everyday amenities: benches, a small playground, walking paths, and a modest pond.

The World Glassware Hall
Nature & Scenery

Suzumigaoka Hachiman Shrine

Founded over seven hundred years ago, Suzumigaoka Hachiman Shrine came under the aegis of the Soma clan in the sixteenth century, whereupon warlord Soma Masatane rebuilt its halls with zelkova wood. It was known as Soma Nikko at the time for being the northern equivalent of Nikko's Toshugu Shrine.Hachiman shrines are devoted to the warrior deity of the same name, seen historically as a protector of the nation, as well as someone prayed to for protections from illness and success in personal life.The shrine is an excellent trip both in spring, when the road leading to the shrine is sheltered with parallel rows of cherry trees, or in autumn, when the great gingko tree by the shrine building is a vibrant yellow.

The World Glassware Hall
Nature & Scenery

Nanohana Flower Fields and Mazes

A massive field of nanohana flowers that first bloomed in Spring 2012, bringing great joy to the community. Since 2013 to today, huge flower fields and mazes are organized for the public to come and enjoy entirely for free. Children can receive prizes for completing the maze and visitors of all ages are encouraged to walk through the maze and have fun. Takayuki Ueno is a local farmer and creator of the Nanohana Flower Maze, planting the first flowers here in November 2011; eight months after the Great East Japan Earthquake. Click here to read more about his inspiring story.

You might also like

Full House Book Cafe
Gourmet & Shopping

Full House Book Cafe

Full House is a stylish bookstore and cafe run by the critically-acclaimed novelist Yu Miri. It is located near the JR Odaka Station in Minamisoma City, in the coastal area of Fukushima prefecture.Full House is located on the ground floor of a refurbished house. The interior is wooden and elegant, and there is a selection of books in Japanese chosen by the author. The cafe serves meals like pasta and doria, as well as desserts and drinks with seasonal options.Yu Miri is famously known for her novel Tokyo Ueno Station (translated into English by Morgan Giles), which won the U.S. National Book Award in the Translated Literature category in 2019.Following 3.11, Ms. Miri has worked extensively to communicate the stories of residents of evacuated towns and villages in Fukushima’s coastal area, and has been living in Minamisoma City since 2015.When Ms. Miri moved to Minamisoma, there were no other bookstores open in the area —the few bookstores that had been there before 3.11 had closed following the evacuation—, so she decided to open her own in 2018, and named it ‘Full House’ after one of her novels.But something was missing. She quickly realized that people who traveled all the way to visit the store wanted to sit down with a warm drink, and there weren’t many restaurants or cafes nearby yet, so she decided to turn Full House into a book cafe the following year.Today, Full House is a lively and cozy hub where locals and visitors can bond over their love of coffee and literature.

Roadside Station Madeikan (Iitate Village)
Gourmet & Shopping

Roadside Station Madeikan (Iitate Village)

Madeikan is an excellent stopping point when heading east to the Soma region thanks to its clean, modern design and array of services. Like many roadside stations, it is outfitted with two restaurants in a food court style where dishes are bought using nearby ticket machines. There is a good-sized market selling local produce, as well as a souvenir shop selling goods and crafts.The term 'madei' is a local term that depicts the slow and thoughtful way of life in Iitate Village. As such, the roadside station is intended as a place where people can unwind and take their time.When you enter the main hall of Madeikan, you're greeted by a stunning display of hanging flowers in the rafters - growing these flowers is the main industry of the village and a source of pride. The display changes season to season, meaning you're likely to see a different arrangement every time you visit.The service station is popular in summer time, when nearby sunflower fields are in full bloom, then again in winter time for its Christmas illuminations, which take place in the park behind the main building. Lights are usually turned on around 4:30pm, when it begins to get dark.

Café Amazon Kawauchi
Gourmet & Shopping

Café Amazon Kawauchi

Café Amazon Kawauchi is a modern cafe and restaurant located only 350 meters away from the Tenzan Bunko Museum. Café Amazon has over 1500 restaurants abroad, and serves Asian food and coffee.This was the first Café Amazon restaurant in Japan, opened to help reinvigorate Kawauchi, attract visitors and, of course, serve delicious Thai dishes!In 2016, following extensive revitalization efforts, all restrictions were lifted in Kawauchi village, which had had to be evacuated in 2011 following the nuclear accident. Kawauchi is now is a quiet, green village surrounded by mountains and streams, home to a few thousand people.But because the village had remained uninhabited for some time, the only coffee shop there had closed, and, left without a local hub, it seemed difficult for the community to rekindle—that’s when Thai restaurant chain Café Amazon stepped in.Café Amazon Kawauchi has a warm and light wooden interior (built using wood from Fukushima!), as well as a piano and guitar you can play freely. You can sit indoors or outdoors on a wooden deck.Café Amazon Kawauchi isn’t only a coffee shop, it’s a fundamental part of the reconstruction of Kawauchi village, a meeting place for both locals and visitors.

Top