Honda Just Opened This Rad Moto Cafe In Japan After Its Huge Success In Thailand
Cub House Honda first opened its doors in Thailand in 2018, and the unique moto cafe, customization, and hangout space is a hit. Now it's in Japan, too.
True confessions time, friends: I still haven't been to any location of Cub House Honda yet. Ever since it opened in Thailand back in 2018, I've wanted to go; and even though I've been reasonably close a few times, due to various other time commitments, I just couldn't make it work.
Rest assured, if I had been able to make it happen, I'd be even less likely to shut up about the place than I have so far been for the past few years.
In both countries, the name 'Cub House' is a clever play on words. Honda wants you to believe it isn't all about its proud Cub/Super Cub lineage, insisting that the name is an acronym for "Culture Unique Bikes." Backronym, maybe? In any case, I mean, why not both?
The appeal is immediately evident if you're a fan of Honda's small-displacement offerings. But for me at least, it also goes a bit deeper than that. Back when I was in high school and college (but before I was of legal drinking age), when I wasn't in school, I spent a lot of time doing what lots of kids that age do: Hanging out.
For The Culture
I had my favorite haunts, of course; record stores, comic shops, coffee shops; you get the general idea. Some friends were into skating, so sometimes we'd hit up a skate shop or two. If I'd discovered motorcycles sooner, maybe something in that vein would also have been on the menu.
Or maybe, just maybe, if something like Cub House had existed where I grew up (and when I was growing up), that would've been what got me into motorcycles sooner. Because, you see, it's not just a motorcycle shop; it's a chill hangout space/cafe/shop, all rolled into one. That's exactly the kind of space I resonated with at that age (and honestly, it isn't so bad as an actual adult, either).
In a time when everything feels hectic, rushed, and like you're being constantly hemmed in on all sides by your obligations, there's an incredible appeal to just being able to chill TF out and have a nice cup of coffee, hopefully also with motorbikes. That's what Cub House purports to offer, and is why it's cool that it's now opened its first-ever Japan location, in Saitama.
Although there's only one location in Japan so far, there are active plans to open more in Honda Commuter centers, beginning in Fall 2026. While there are of course plenty of parts, accessories, apparel, and other lifestyle items on display and offered for sale at Cub House, it's also about building and enhancing the local riding community.
When the shop opened, Honda published an interview with two of its employees who were deeply involved in the project, Kosuke Kuroda and Sakika Suzuki. One thing that they specifically called out regarding the differentiation between Cub House in Thailand versus Cub House in Japan is that appeal to younger, newer riders (as well as returning riders). While some of those riders might want custom parts for their bikes, others might want to start with something more approachable (and less expensive), like a set of decals.
So, there are a bunch of cool decals you can put on your bike, without necessarily feeling the need to spend a bajillion yen on plastics and racks and suspension upgrades and wheels. Again, this kind of hits me right in the feels, because when you're young and you don't have a ton of money, maybe stickers and small, silly merch that makes you happy are what keep you going when you're busy dreaming big, but you can't afford anything else.
Did I possibly squeak when I saw the motorcycle tire lighting fixtures in this photo? Yes, yes I did.
Rushing around and constantly being busy is stressful; having third places, like it seems that Cub House aims to be (in other words, places to congregate and simply be with other people that aren't either where you live or where you work/go to school) are totally essential. Yes, there are good moto shops that have atmospheres like this, but to my mind, the more, the merrier. After all, isn't this how you build the culture?
RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
Honda's First EV Motorcycle Is Here. Suffers The Same Issue As Every Other On-Road EV Motorcycle
KTM Hired a MotoGP Rider, Then Fired, Then Hired Someone Else All Within a Week
Honda's Powersports Just Beat Its Sales Goals. Now It's Reorganizing the Whole Business
Snowmobile Sales Were Fine Last Year. But There's a Big Problem Coming
Honda Doesn't Just Want One Supercharged Motorcycle, It Wants All Of Them
More Active Aero Is Coming For Motorcycles. This Time From A Very Unexpected Source
The Honda Transalp Is Worth Betting On. Accessory Giant Launches A Bunch Of Upgrades