We stopped by this place between visiting Chogaku-ji temple and the tomb of Emperor Sujin. The manager, Mr. Katsui, speaks English and was very welcoming. We sat by the outdoor porch, in view of ancient emperor’s tomb while we ate our hamburg steak lunches. It was about $15, but very delicious and certainly worth it. I wasn’t expecting such a modern and stylish place along the Yamanobe Path, the oldest path in Japan. There are packs of cooked rice, snacks, and local products for sale near the entrance, along with history and tourism information. It looks like the kind of place we can stop by and have a coffee, so I plan on going again!

The Tenri City Trail Center is located directly on the Yamanobe no Michi trail, just adjacent to Chogakugi Temple. There are helpful people here and Katsui's restaurant has great food. For a guide to the trail, try "The Poet's Realm; Japan's Oldest Road," now available from Amazon.