When you think of Yamanashi, you think of wine! In Katsunuma Wine Village, a wine tourist spot in Katsunuma-cho, Koshu City, where many unique small wineries are gathered, a new koji cafe has opened! I went to check out "Sai Koji & Colorful," which opened on April 2nd, 2026.

Nestled quietly within the Katsunuma Wine Village, "Aya Koji & Colorful" is a koji cafe and general store specializing in fermented seasonings made with rice koji, which just opened on April 2, 2026.

In addition to selling fermented seasonings, "Sai Koji" offers lunches, side dishes, and sweets made with homemade seasonings and plenty of koji, and a general store that sells Polish pottery.colorfulThis is an interesting style where the two share the same store. The display case is lined with various koji seasonings such as ginger soy sauce koji, consommé koji, and yuzu pepper koji. You can sample them and they'll teach you how to use them, so be sure to give them a try.

If you're dining in, be sure to try the daily special koji lunch. The contents vary from day to day, but it mainly features steamed dishes in a bamboo steamer, along with fish and meat.

The chicken and daikon radish dish is seasoned with soy sauce koji, the bamboo shoots with Chinese koji, and the eggplant with ginger koji...almost no commercially available seasonings are used, and the power of rice koji really shines through!

Today's main dishes are cod acqua pazza and minestrone, both featuring a gentle flavor enhanced by consommé koji. The power of koji brings out the natural flavors of the ingredients, creating a healthy and nourishing meal that soothes both mind and body.

They also offer parfaits made with seasonal fruits. These adorable parfaits are sure to delight, and they're available in half sizes, so you can enjoy them even after a meal.

*The photo is standard size (large).

The fried chicken and tandoori chicken, seasoned with spice curry koji, offer a unique flavor you can only find here. Thanks to the power of koji, they stay moist and tender even when cold, making them a popular choice for bento boxes.