7 Japanese sweets in Tokyo recommended as souvenirs
In Tokyo, where delicious foods from all over the world are gathered, it is important to choose wagashi that are only available in Tokyo as souvenirs. Wagashi that can only be purchased in stores are particularly special and make great gifts to show your appreciation. From dorayaki and mame daifuku made using traditional methods to new types of ohagi, we have carefully selected some of Tokyo's most popular wagashi for you to try as a souvenir.
1Kameju "Dorayaki
Selling out 3,000 dorayaki every day, representing Tokyo's famous dorayaki
Founded at the end of the Taisho era (1912-1926), this long-established wagashi store is located in front of Asakusa's Kaminarimon gate. The store's synonymous "Dorayaki" is so popular that customers line up even before the store opens, and 3,000 pieces a day are sold in a flash. The crust, which is baked by hand, has a pancake-like appearance and a unique fluffy texture. There are two types of homemade red bean paste: "Kuroan" is made from Hokkaido-Tokachi azuki beans, which are cooked to a soft and fluffy consistency, and "Shiroan" is made from hand-cooked azuki beans. The "Shiro-an" is a smooth red bean paste made from Tebo beans, and both have a gentle sweetness. Kameju's dorayaki are large in size, giving them a sense of weight, making them ideal for gift-giving. Boxed packages are available from 5 pieces, and an assortment of black and white bean paste is recommended for souvenirs.
Product name and price: Dorayaki with black or white bean paste, 360 yen each (tax included)
Shelf life] 3 days from the date of manufacture
2Takeno and Ohagi "7 kinds of daily ohagi set
Seasonal and photogenic tagliatelle
A store specializing in o-hagi started in Sakurashinmachi in 2016. The unique name of the store comes from the fact that the only o-hagi that the owner, who was not fond of sweets, liked to eat were those made by his grandmother, Mrs. Takeno. The shop offers five types of o-hagi made from a recipe taught by her grandmother, including "koshi-an" and "tsubu-an," as well as one that changes daily. The unique flavors include seasonal ingredients, spices, herbs, nuts, and other ingredients that will surprise you with their delicious taste. You can purchase one o-hagi, and if you order 3, 5, or 7 o-hagi, they will be packed in a bento box for free, making them perfect as a souvenir. You can make reservations only for the "daily special 7 kinds of o-hagi set." Both the Sakurashinmachi and Gakugeidaigaku stores accept reservations by calling the Sakurashinmachi store at least one day before the business day you wish to pick up your o-hagi between 14:00 and 18:00 on the day you wish to pick them up.
Product name and price: 7 kinds of daily o-hagi (rice cakes) set, 1,800 yen and up (tax included)
Expiration date: The same day as the day of manufacture
Sakurashinmachi store, Gakugei Daigaku store
- Take-no to Ohagi Sakura Shinmachi Store
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1-21-11 Sakura-shinmachi, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo MAP
5 min. walk from Sakurashinmachi Station on Tokyu Denentoshi Line
12:00-18:00
Monday and Tuesday
03-6413-1227
None
3Naniwaya Sohonten "Taiyaki" (Taiyaki)
The original Taiyaki baked one by one in a mold
Founded in 1909, this famous taiyaki store is now owned by the fourth generation of the family. It is said that Taiyaki started as a snack baked by the founder in the shape of a sea bream to symbolize the "Me-tai," or "Me-tai," a luxury item that was not easily accessible to the general public at the time of its establishment. Taiyakis, called "natural" taiyakis, are baked one by one by hand in a mold, and feature a crispy, savory crust made of flour dissolved in water, cooled with ice, and baked at a high temperature. For the red bean paste, carefully selected Hokkaido azuki beans are used, and as much as 150 kg of them are prepared every day over an eight-hour period. After the azuki beans are cooked, they are simmered for another 3 hours to produce a smooth, granular bean paste that does not leave any azuki bean skin on the palate. The taiyaki, stuffed with red bean paste from head to tail, has a reputation for being delicious both freshly baked and cold. They are also reasonably priced, making them ideal for gifts or souvenirs that are needed in large quantities.
Product name and price: Taiyaki 180 yen (tax included)
Best before date of expiration: The same day as the day of production
- Naniwaya Sohonten
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- 1-8-14 Azabujuban, Minato-ku, Tokyo MAP
- Short walk from Azabu-juban Station on the Toei Oedo Line and Tokyo Metro Nanboku Line
- 11:00-19:00
- Tuesdays and the 3rd Wed.
- 03-3583-4975
- None
4Kototoi Dango "Kototoi Dango
Adorable three-colored dumplings, a downtown specialty
Founded at the end of the Edo period. The founder, who ran a gardener's shop along the Sumida River, started a dumpling shop after the dumplings he served to guests became popular. After being named "Kototoi Dango" in the early Meiji period (1868-1912), the dumplings became a topic of conversation due to their elegance, and are still a Mukojima specialty today. There are three types of dumplings: azuki bean paste, white bean paste, and miso bean paste. The bean paste and dough are boiled differently depending on the season to maintain the unique smoothness of the dumpling, and each dumpling is rolled by hand. Azuki red bean paste and white bean paste are dumplings made from the finest Koshihikari rice and wrapped in red bean paste. The miso bean paste is wrapped in a white dough colored with gardenia to resemble plum blossoms, as Mukojima is famous for its plum blossoms. Since no additives are used, it becomes hard the day after you buy it, so it is recommended to buy enough to eat by the end of the day.
Product name and price: Kototoi dango (9 pieces), 2,070 yen (tax included)
Best-before date] On the day of manufacture
Shop】Honten store, Matsuya Asakusa (Asakusa Suitsu Komachi), Industrial Tourism Plaza SUMIDA Machidokoro (Tokyo Skytree Town Solamachi 5F), Ryogoku - Edo NOREN, etc.
- Kototoi Dango
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- 5-5-22 Mukojima, Sumida-ku, Tokyo MAP
- 12 min. walk from Tobu Skytree Station on the Tobu Skytree Line
- 9:00-17:00
- Tuesdays
- 03-3622-0081
- Available
5Matsushimaya "Mame Daifuku" (bean-shaped rice cake)
Fukkyu Daifuku, a sweet and salty bean cake with the perfect combination of sweetness and saltiness
A long-established Japanese confectionery established in 1918. Along with "Gunrindo" in Gokokuji and "Mizuho" in Harajuku, Matsushimaya's Mame Daifuku is one of the three most popular soybean daifuku in Tokyo, and is often sold out in the morning. The red beans from Tokachi in Hokkaido are used for the bean paste, which is simmered for about 6 hours to bring out its flavor. The rice used for the mochi is Miyagi-produced Miyagikogane rice, which has a good taste. A manual rice cake pounding machine with a pestle and mortar, unchanged since the establishment of the company, is used to make the mochi fluffy and elastic. The mochi is filled with steamed red peas, and the moderate saltiness enhances the flavor of the red bean paste and accentuates its texture. In addition to Daifuku, Kusa Daifuku and Bean Daifuku are also available, and an assortment of all three types is popular as a souvenir. Daifuku can be pre-ordered in quantities of one, so even if your order is small, it is recommended to make a reservation.
Product name and price: Mame Daifuku (bean-shaped Daifuku) 190 yen (tax included)
Expiration date: The same day as the day of production
Isetan Shinjuku (Tuesday only), Meidi-ya Hiroo Store (Wednesday only), Ginza Mitsukoshi (Thursday only), Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi Honten (Thursday only), Nihonbashi Takashimaya S.C. (Friday only), Shinjuku Takashimaya (Friday only), Tobu Department Store Ikebukuro (Saturday only)
- Matsushimaya
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- 1-5-25 Takanawa, Minato-ku, Tokyo MAP
- 10 min. walk from Sengakuji Station on the Keihin Kyuko Line
- Open from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
- Closed on Sundays and every other Monday
- 03-3441-0539
- None
6Kuuya "Kuuya monaka" (Japanese sweet)
The phantom "monaka", which is hard to find without a reservation
Soraya was established in Ueno in 1884, and moved to Ginza Namiki-dori in 1949, where long lines for its signature product, the Soraya Monaka, have become a Ginza tradition. The shop makes about 8,000 Kuya monaka per day, but many days they are sold out by reservation only. The homemade sweet bean paste, azuki beans from Tokachi, Hokkaido, and sugar are cooked for four hours, and syrup is added at the end to create a moist red bean paste. The fragrant burnt crust is also the secret to its deliciousness and complements the refined sweetness of the red bean paste. The cosmetic box and private box can be ordered from 10 pieces, and the wooden box can be ordered from 30 pieces. It is best to make a reservation at least one week in advance of the pickup date.
Product name and price: Kuya Monaka (10 pieces in a decorative box): 1,200 yen (tax included)
Shelf life: 1 week from the date of manufacture.
- Soraya
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- 6-7-19 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo MAP
- 10 min. walk from JR/ Tokyo Metro Yurakucho Station, JR/ Tokyo Metro/ Yurikamome Shimbashi Station
- 10:00-17:00, Saturday-16:00
- Sunday & Holidays
- 03-3571-3304
- None
7Akasaka Kakiyama Ginza Mitsukoshi "Kabuki pattern Pochi Okaki".
Edo-mae Okaki in a gorgeous Pochibukuro bag.
Akasaka Kakizan is a specialty store of rice crackers and rice crackers with its main store in Akasaka. Using Toyama's specialty Shin Taisho glutinous rice, they offer a lineup of rice crackers made with carefully selected ingredients, such as "Keicho," thinly baked rice crackers that preserve the shape of each grain of rice. The "Kabuki Pattern Pochi Okaki," available only at the Ginza Mitsukoshi store, is a chic assortment of "Keicho" rice crackers in a Pochi bag with a Kabuki actor's pattern, a nod to the Ginza area. The okaki come in four varieties: soy sauce, shibuki nori, sesame, and kelp, and are crispy and savory, with the aroma of rice softly spreading in the mouth. The Pochibukuro are from "Isetatsu," a long-established paper company in Yanaka, and come in six different gorgeous designs. It comes with a noshi (gift wrapper), making it the perfect gift for a small token of appreciation or gratitude.
Product name and price: Kabuki Pattern Pochi Okaki (6 soy sauce, 6 shibuki nori, 3 sesame, 3 kombu), 3,240 yen (tax included).
Shelf life: 150 days from manufacture.
- Akasaka Kakiyama Ginza Mitsukoshi Store
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- 4-6-16 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo MAP
- 5 min. walk from Ginza Station or Ginza 1-chome Station of Tokyo Metro
- 10:00 - 20:00
- Closed on weekends and holidays
- 03-3562-1111 (switchboard)
- Available
Local Guide who was in charge of this article
Hoshino Resorts facilities nearby
Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo- HOSHINOYA Tokyo
- While respecting traditional Japanese customs, this new Japanese ryokan continues to evolve in its own unique way to meet the needs of the modern age.
Toshima ward, Tokyo- OMO5 Tokyo Otsuka by Hoshino Resorts
- Conveniently located just a 1-minute walk from Otsuka Station, with Direction to popular zoos and aquariums in Tokyo.