Have you ever heard of Ginza Kimuraya?
It is the oldest bakery in all of Japan and has been open for 155 years. Established by Yasubei Kimura, a samurai warrior, who invented the popular Japanese dessert known as anpan. Anpan consists of sweet sakadane dough, encasing a filling of azuki bean paste and is still sold at this bakery today.
After discovering all this, I was intrigued and sought to visit the bakery. When traveling to the bakery, you’ll likely want to take a train to Tokyo Station because it’s about a 10-minute walk. Initially, it is hard to spot on the busy streets of Ginza, but one thing you can use to help you out is the street signs.
Once you are on the right street, a helpful sign to look out for is “Ginza Isamiya,” which is directly across the street and has a rainbow on it. Also, if you find a sign that says “Ginza 456,” the building to the left is the bakery.
When entering Ginza Kimuraya, the aroma of freshly baked bread and sugar fills the air. The first thing you’ll notice is many shelves of pastries containing anpan, donuts and curry buns. The left, middle and right sides of the room are all covered in toasty, baked goods.
In addition to the treats on display, there’s also a place where you can hand-pick different flavored treats, which a worker can then package for you. The variety in types of food and different flavors help set this bakery apart.
Out of all the amazing options, I picked out a variety pack of anpan, brown sugar pastries and a donut hole. The assorted pack of anpan came with five different flavors with both sweet and savory flavor profiles. The pack included sakura, adzuki beans, poppy seeds, white kidney beans and nightingale beans.
My favorite, and the sweetest of the bunch, was the adzuki beans. When I took a bite into the soft, Challa-like bun I could tell it was going to be my favorite before I even got to the center. The savory anpan smelled like everything bagels and had lightly salted buns that altered the flavor of the dessert, which was comparable to an elegant loaf of bread.
A happy surprise came in the form of brown sugar pastries. When I tried them I was shocked at how delectable they turned out to be. They tasted like little maple-syrup-flavored donut holes. They’re a great choice for people who love pancakes or French toast.
I enjoyed all of these treats, but my favorite was definitely the donut hole. It had a great amount of sweetness in its fluffy dough and even more in its red bean paste center. I’d recommend to those with a sweet tooth – like me – that they should get this perfectly balanced and tasty dessert.
The bakery shows its pride in its bakery and anpan in many ways, such as expanding its menu selections every few seasons and selling merchandise. The bakery sells adorable, mini anpan charms as a souvenir to commemorate visits to the oldest bakery in Japan.
It’s clear to see why you might have a hard time narrowing down which great things to buy from the bakery, but thankfully prices are inexpensive, so you can get more without worrying about cost. For the five piece assortment of anpan, I only spent 1,000 yen which translates to about $6.30 USD.
This bakery has done an amazing job preserving culture while reimagining traditional desserts with its innovative flavors and variety. For anyone traveling to Tokyo in the future, I highly recommend you check out Ginza Kimuraya. It’s fresh, delicious and has something for everyone. Try it!
