Nowhere does bread quite like Japan. While rice and noodles are staples, bread is also very much an important part of the Japanese diet. Plus, it’s hard to ignore the smell of freshly baked bread as you pass by one of the city’s wonderful bakeries, many of which specialise in Japanese-style baked goods like loaves of shokupan or buns filled with different sweet and savoury fillings. You might find some of them sold as sozaipan, a mash-up of the Japanese words for side dish (sozai) and bread (pan).
While you can find classics like croissants and baguettes at many Japanese bakeries, it’s worth expanding your horizons and trying out these uniquely Japanese breads that you won’t find anywhere else. Here are some of our favourites.
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This luxurious bread has been getting a lot of hype lately thanks to Tokyo’s Truffle Bakery chain. As the name suggests, these bakeries specialise in turning out rich treats like white truffle salt rolls and egg salad sandos infused with truffle. The stores often see queues out the door in the mornings, so best to turn up early. Open up one of these white truffle salt rolls and you’ll find a pocket of truffle baked inside, ensuring each bite has that full savoury flavour.
This savoury bread elevates your boring baguette with a delicious Japanese twist. The bread is covered with mentaiko (spicy cod roe) before being toasted until crisp. Some bakeries make variations using a mentaiko mayo mix, but you can easily spot it by its light pink topping. Johan inside Mitsukoshi Ginza’s depachika food hall makes a wonderful version of this savoury, spicy bread.
Think of this Japanese favourite as a hot dog roll filled with savoury yakisoba noodles rather than a sausage. Yakisoba pan makes for the ideal meal on the go and also saves you having to choose between bread and stir-fried noodles. Tokyo’s Lotus Baguette makes a fine version and is known for using organic, all-natural ingredients in all its baked goods.
Kare pan is a popular savoury snack you’ll find all over Japan with bakeries putting their own spin on it. Kare pan basically consists of a crunchy, deep-fried bun filled with a healthy dose of meaty Japanese curry. Best served piping hot, kare pan can even be found at your local convenience store or grocery store, but we prefer the decadent version from Ikejiri-Ohashi bakery Tolopan.
Nothing is more Japanese than fluffy white shokupan, otherwise known as Japanese milk bread. Known for its soft, airy texture and milky sweetness, shokupan is often sold in thick slices that make a great base for butter, jam and other toppings. One of the best spots to try this bread is at Centre the Bakery, where you can toast it to your liking right at the table.
As classic as it gets, anpan is a simple white roll filled with sweet anko (red bean paste). Anpan can also be found in different variations with other fillings such as shiro-an (white bean paste) or goma-an (sesame bean paste). Seasonal flavours are also a hit, so keep an eye out for options like kuri-an (chestnut bean paste) in the colder months. Japan’s oldest bakery, Kimuraya, is a must-visit to try a typical anpan.
This one is a favourite among chocolate lovers for its rich chocolate custard filling. The bread itself has an eye-catching spiral shell shape. Nantoka Presso in Jiyugaoka is particularly well-known for classic Japanese baked goods including a decadent chocolate cornet. However, if you can’t make it all the way to Jiyugaoka, you can easily snag this bun at many bakeries and local convenience stores around the country.
This sweet Japanese bread is simply a fluffy bun filled with custard cream. It was first made in Tokyo in 1904 by a baker in Shinjuku who loved cream puffs and decided to put a similar creamy filling into his buns. Ideal for anyone with a sweet tooth, you’ll find these at pretty much any bakery or convenience store in Japan. Maison Kurosu in Setagaya makes a decadent version using all natural ingredients.
This distinctive Japanese bread is characterised by its crisp, cookie-like exterior, made to resemble a cantaloupe melon. Despite the name and appearance, a typical melonpan is not actually melon-flavoured – it’s got a mild, sweet taste accentuated by the sugar-coated cookie top. However, these days you can now find melon pan in many different flavours like chocolate, matcha, and yes, even melon. Maison Landemaine in Shinjuku offers an exclusive plant-based vegan melonpan for those with food intolerances.
Mister Donut’s signature Japanese doughnut has a cute flower-like shape and is so popular, it’s inspired many copycats. The pon de ring has also been dubbed the ‘mochi doughnut’ thanks to its springy, or mochi mochi, texture. Mister Donut offers the original glazed version, along with chocolate and strawberry flavours, plus regular seasonal varieties. Surprisingly, 7-Eleven also does an excellent rendition of this chewy doughnut.
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