With its tropical beaches, glorious weather and laid-back attitude, Okinawa is Japan’s island paradise. It’s the perfect refuge for those trying to escape the bustle of Japan’s big urban cities.

In many ways Okinawa is the polar opposite of Tokyo. In stark contrast to the overpopulated capital, there’s maybe even too few people around, like in this café known as the ‘Unattended Cafe’. There is no staff on the premises, they’ve simply left everything the customers might need and the owners trust patrons will pay for their food and drinks by dropping the money into a box.

The food is ready for patrons to help themselves to, all you can eat and drink is a very reasonable 1000 yen.

One of the dishes is Okinawa’s specialty, taco rice. All the ingredients of a taco but instead of putting it inside a taco shell, it’s all put on top of a bowl of rice.

The interior looks very cosy, the peaceful atmosphere would be the perfect place to get some work done or do some creative writing.

The surrounding area is lush with greenery. Adding to the secluded atmosphere, the café is not on Okinawa’s main island but south of it on Ishigakijima, one of Okinawa's many small islands. These can only be reached by plane or boat and offer a less touristy experience for those who make the trip including much quieter beaches.

In case it sounds a bit lonely, there’s 3 stray cats that live around the café that come to play every so often!

The chance to relax undisturbed in such idyllic surroundings sounds like paradise. If you want to seek out this secluded cafe for yourself this is the Twitter and Website for more information (Japanese only).

(These photos were taken by Gentaroh Setoh who also runs a website selling imported accessories.)