"Yatsugatake Cheese Research Institute Käse Labois," a cheese specialty shop that opened on March 5, 2026, in Moegi Village, Kiyosato, is creating a buzz not only for its freshly made cheeses and carefully selected products available for purchase in-store, but also for its eat-in menu!

Moegi no Mura is a multi-purpose tourist area in the Kiyosato Highlands of Hokuto City, Yamanashi Prefecture, where visitors can enjoy a dynamic connection with nature. Spread across a vast area of ​​approximately 10,000 tsubo (about 33,000 square meters), it features a natural garden, restaurants, craft shops, a hotel, a music box museum, and more.

On March 5, 2026, "Yatsugatake Cheese Research Institute Käse Labois" opened along the path west of the square in Moegi Village. The white building with a yellow sign and birch trees serves as a landmark.

The shop is lined with a wide variety of cheeses, as well as homemade dried fruits and cheese cookies. In the shop's wine cellar, you can even see cheeses being made that you wouldn't normally get to see – truly befitting a cheese research institute! The fun is doubled♪

In the eat-in space, you can enjoy comparing different cheeses, pairing cheese with wine, or simply relaxing with cheese-based sweets – it seems like you can spend your time however you like.

The most popular option is a plate featuring five of kase LABOR's finest cheeses, along with baguette, cheese cookies, and homemade dried fruit. This plate is not only visually appealing, but it also offers a chance to discover new flavors.
On this particular day, we had a young smoked Gouda that had been aged for just one month. It was incredibly soft, creamy, and had a mild, chewy texture, with the gentle richness characteristic of Gouda cheese. Dried Kyoho grapes soaked in rum and dried apples with a natural sweetness from no added sugar also paired well with the cheese.

Our absolute top recommendation for sweets is this homemade Basque cheesecake! The cheese research institute has perfected this masterpiece through countless trials and errors. It's not too heavy, and has a texture like raw chocolate! You can enjoy the wonderful marriage of white chocolate and young Gouda cheese. The crunchy texture of the black biscuits adds a nice accent, making every bite delicious!

On Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays only, they also offer a light meal of cheese-filled bread and seasonal soup!

Soft mozzarella is baked to a crispy, fragrant exterior and a gooey, creamy interior! A hint of white wine gives it an elegant, fondue-like flavor.

The soup served on the day of the interview was a creamy broth made with spring cabbage and onions. Its mellow, gentle sweetness brought out the delicious flavors of the ingredients, subtly giving a sense of the arrival of spring.