Bakery Cafe 'Pan to Espresso to' to Grand Open in Shiga Prefecture's Biwako Bunka Koen on June 21, 2026 – First-Ever Location in Shiga!

Hinototomo Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Takumi Yamamoto), which operates the bakery cafe 'Pan to Espresso to' in Tokyo's Omotesando and runs 72 stores domestically and internationally, will grand open two new bakery cafes—'Pan to Espresso to Biwako Bunka Koen' and 'Pan to Espresso to Yuushoan'—simultaneously on Sunday, June 21, 2026, within Shiga Prefecture's Biwako Bunka Koen. This marks the first time the brand has opened in Shiga Prefecture. The park is managed and operated by Biwako Bunka Koen Yūyū Partners (Representative Company: Seibu Sōen Co., Ltd., Headquarters: Toshima-ku, Tokyo; President and Representative Director: Takumi Ogawa) as designated manager and Park-PFI operator.

Pan to Espresso to Biwako Bunka Koen

Pan to Espresso to Yuushoan

1. Project Overview: Opening in Shiga Prefectural Biwako Bunka Koen

This dual-store opening is a collaborative initiative utilizing the Park-PFI system, led by Biwako Bunka Koen Yūyū Partners in partnership with Hinototomo Co., Ltd.

Since 2022, Hinototomo Co., Ltd. has formed an exclusive business alliance with HIS Corporation, advancing overseas licensing and promoting the local owner program '47 Prefectures Local Pan-Esu Project' in Japan. By continuously linking the charm of 'Pan to Espresso to' with local regions, the company aims to stimulate economic, social, and cultural activities, elevate public enthusiasm, and contribute to regional sustainability. In line with this vision, two existing dining spaces within Biwako Bunka Koen are being renovated and reopened as new cafes, aiming to revitalize the park and surrounding area through the appeal of food.

This collaboration is expected to make bread, coffee, and other offerings easily accessible to all park visitors, enhancing convenience and satisfaction. Additionally, the cafes are anticipated to attract new visitors who previously had little reason to visit the park, thereby diversifying and energizing park usage.

2. Store Information

Both 'Pan to Espresso to Biwako Bunka Koen' and 'Pan to Espresso to Yuushoan' are designed to harmonize with the unique environment of Biwako Bunka Koen, where cultural facilities for art and education coexist with rich satoyama forest landscapes.

'Pan to Espresso to Biwako Bunka Koen'

An existing cafe within Biwako Bunka Koen has been renovated into a bakery. The concept is 'a lunchbox in the lawn.' Maximizing its location adjacent to a vast lawn, the store features an iconic architectural design that treats the entire space as a unified package. The space evokes a friendly, playful lunchbox nestled in a green landscape.

The excitement of opening a lunchbox is translated into a spatial experience, aiming to become a beloved new resting place within the park, offering rich moments cherished by the community for years to come.

Store Name: Pan to Espresso to Biwako Bunka Koen

Address: 1740-1 Senanookayashiki, Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture

Phone Number: 050-8892-8490

Business Hours: 9:00–17:00

Regular Holiday: Irregular

'Pan to Espresso to Yuushoan'

The historic tea house 'Yuushoan,' located within Biwako Bunka Koen, has been reborn as a new cafe. The design concept is 'a stone garden space seamlessly connected to the garden.' Respecting the tea house's traditional atmosphere, the design creates a seamless transition from the Japanese garden outside—inspired by 'Seta no Yūshō,' one of the Eight Views of Ōmi—into the interior. The entire store is conceived as a single 'stone garden,' blurring the boundaries between inside and outside.

The space aims to be a special place where visitors can enjoy a peaceful tea time while closely experiencing seasonal nature, such as early summer azaleas and autumn foliage.

Store Name: Pan to Espresso to Yuushoan

Address: 1740-1 Senanookayashiki, Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture

Phone Number: 050-8892-9300

Business Hours: 9:00–17:00

Regular Holiday: Irregular

Instagram (shared by both stores)

3. Shiga-Exclusive Menu Items

Homemade Ōmi Beef Curry Mū Toast – ¥1,500 (incl. tax)

'Mū' is a signature product of Pan to Espresso to—a rich milk bread made with generous amounts of butter. This dish features toasted 'Mū' generously topped with homemade Ōmi beef curry. The curry, made solely with 100% Ōmi beef, seven spices, and tomatoes (cooked without water), is slow-simmered to achieve a juicy, meaty flavor. Finished with freshly shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano and a soft poached egg, it creates a luxurious dish where rich umami and aromatic spices blend harmoniously.

Available exclusively at 'Pan to Espresso to Yuushoan'.

Homemade Ōmi Beef Curry Mū Toast

Mū Akakonnyaku – ¥400 (incl. tax)

A product featuring Shiga's specialty 'red konnyaku.' The dough incorporates konnyaku paste and dashi broth, with chunks of red konnyaku added directly, ensuring a distinct konnyaku texture and flavor.

Ōmi Beef Curry Pan – ¥400 (incl. tax)

A curry bun filled with generous amounts of homemade waterless curry made from 100% Ōmi beef, seven spices, and canned tomatoes, slow-cooked to perfection.

4. About Shiga Prefectural Biwako Bunka Koen

Established as part of the 'Biwako Bunka Koen Urban Plan' formulated in 1979, the park is designated as the 'Art and Culture Cluster' and hosts Shiga Prefecture's representative cultural facilities for art and education within an urban park setting.

As a green hub where citizens can experience nature and culture, the park integrates rich satoyama forests, museums, libraries, Japanese gardens, and tea houses into a comprehensive cultural park. It focuses on conserving and restoring the natural woodland of the Setagaya Hill area while promoting satoyama conservation activities as spaces for human-nature interaction.

Seibu Sōen Co., Ltd. has served as the designated manager for the park's cultural zone since fiscal year 2009. Since fiscal year 2022, it has been selected as the representative company of 'Biwako Bunka Koen Yūyū Partners,' serving as both designated manager and Park-PFI operator, undertaking facility development and operations under Shiga's Park-PFI system for 20 years.

This project was initiated by Biwako Bunka Koen Yūyū Partners to promote facility usage and revitalize the park, successfully attracting the popular Omotesando-based bakery cafe 'Pan to Espresso to' and realizing the simultaneous opening of two stores within the park.

Address: 1740-1 Senanookayashiki, Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture

Phone Number: 077-543-5831 (Reception hours: 8:30–17:00)

Access:

10 minutes by bus from 'Seta Station' on the JR Biwako Line

5 minutes east by car from 'Seta-Nishi IC' on the Meishin Expressway (from Osaka direction)

3 minutes west by car from 'Kusatsu-Tagami IC' on the Shin-Meishin Expressway (from Nagoya direction)

※ For details, visit the 'Access' page on the park's official website

Designated Manager: Biwako Bunka Koen Yūyū Partners

(Representative Company: Seibu Sōen Co., Ltd.; Members: Toki Sekkei Co., Ltd.)

Park Official Website

5. Company Profiles

Hinototomo Co., Ltd.

Pan to Co