Established in the Edo Period in 1803, Tsuruya Yoshinobu has been making Japan's best traditional sweets (or wagashi) for more than 200 years. It gained fame as the specialty shop in Kyoto that served the ancient Imperial Household as well as the tea ceremony head masters.
Today, you can enjoy the same quality confections at the Nihonbashi shop. An open counter allows you to witness how the wagashi artisan shapes the sweets from lumps of dough and sweet bean paste.
Wagashi is made with wasanbon, a very fine and expensive sugar with hints of butter and honey, resulting in an intricate sweet that melts in your mouth. It is best to slowly enjoy these with green tea.
Wagashi designs are inspired by the seasons so the shop offering changes each month. Aside from these freshly made wagashi, the shop sells beautifully packaged sweets you can give as gifts. They have also expanded into making Western-inspired flavors like agar sticks flavored with chamomile, lavender and jasmine.
Getting there
Easy access from Exit A7 of Mitsukoshimae Station of the Ginza Line or Hanzomon Line. Head towards COREDO.
Sherilyn Siy @sherilyn.siy
For Sherilyn Siy, Asia is home. Born in Hong Kong, Sherilyn spent time in the Philippines, China, and now lives in Japan. She speaks English, Filipino, Chinese (or putonghua), and Hokkien, her family's local dialect. Running is one of her favorite ways to explore Japan. She proudly finished the 2...
