Seaside Cafe "DEAR MOM" Opens on April 3rd in Onjuku, Chiba

A new cafe called DEAR MOM (ディアマム) is opening on April 3, 2026, on the site of the former Iwawada Nursery School in Onjuku, a coastal town in Chiba Prefecture. The cafe looks out over Iwawada Beach and the gentle Ajiro Bay, and is part of a broader development that will also include a hotel and sauna scheduled to open in late April.

Onjuku was once a popular tourist destination, but in recent years the town has faced the challenges of an aging population and an increase in vacant properties. The project behind DEAR MOM was born from a desire to create a renewed reason for people to gather here.

A Space Where Travelers and Locals Meet

DEAR MOM is envisioned as a hotel-adjacent cafe where those passing through and those who live nearby can naturally share the same space. Guests might find themselves sitting alongside someone gazing out at the sea, reading a book, working over coffee, or stopping in from a walk. The aim is to be a kind of beachside living room — a place that fits both special occasions and ordinary days alike.

DEAR MOM cafe interior rendering

The Meaning Behind the Name

The name "DEAR MOM" carries several layers of meaning tied to this particular place. It honors the warmth of the nursery school that once stood on this very site, the strength of the women who have long worked as ama divers (sea divers) in one of Japan's three major ama-diving regions, and gratitude for the sea itself — the "mother" that stretches out just beyond the window.

A Space Filled with Sea and Light

Large windows frame views of Iwawada Beach and Ajiro Bay, allowing natural light and the ocean breeze to fill the interior. The color of the sea shifts throughout the day — the quiet of early morning, the glimmer of the afternoon, the soft hues of dusk — each visit offering a slightly different atmosphere.

Sunset over Onjuku Beach

The menu features coffee, espresso, and tea, along with smoothies (five varieties available at all times), alcoholic drinks, house-baked pastries, sandwiches, and more. The cafe also has a wine cellar curated by a sommelier on the premises. Arisuta pastries made in Europe are baked fresh in the in-store oven, and coffee is prepared using a La Marzocco espresso machine.

Coffee prepared with a La Marzocco machine