Luxury fillings you won’t find anywhere else.

Back in late March, before the coronavirus state of emergency was declared in Japan, a small store opened in Tokyo’s trendy Nakameguro district and immediately started selling out of its products.

As the days passed, the queues at the front door grew, and photos of the store’s wares started going viral on the Internet, quickly making it the hottest must-visit destination and the newest best place in the city to get…fruit sandwiches. 

Filled with pieces of fruit and latherings of whipped cream, fruit sandwiches are an iconic Japanese snack, and this particular store stands head and shoulders above its competitors as it was originally founded as a local greengrocer called Daiwa Super (Daiwa Supermarket) in Okazaki City, Aichi Prefecture.

Daiwa has been selling exquisite fruit sandwiches in Okazaki for a while now, using only the freshest ingredients and including some unique options that can’t be found anywhere else. The popularity of their products led them to expand with fruit sandwich stores in Kyoto and nearby Gifu prefectures, and now, the specialist fruit sandwich makers have come to Tokyo.

We visited the new Daiwa store just after they opened, and were surprised to find a huge array of options, all listed in beautiful calligraphy on an inside wall.

▼ We purchased four sandwiches that were highly recommended by staff on the day.

The Amaou Sandwich (730 yen [US$6.80]) uses “Amaou” strawberries, which are known for being one of the most expensive and sought-after varieties in Japan.

▼ Sooooo plump and juicy

The Strawberry Daifuku Sandwich (600 yen) uses the Beni Hoppe (“red cheeks”) strawberry, a specialty product from Shizuoka Prefecture which is known for its rich sweetness.

▼ All the usual strawberry daifuku mochi ingredients are there, only inside a sandwich.

The Tarocco Orange Sandwich (700 yen) packs half a whole orange in between two slices of bread.

▼ Tarocco oranges are known for their ruby red blush

The Premium Banana Sandwich (380 yen) might seem ordinary, but the high quality of the fruit was evident upon tasting, and according to the store clerk this is one of their most popular products.

We were blown away by the fine quality and flavour of every variety we tasted, and the sandwich store is still creating lines outside its front door today. In fact, Daiwa has gone viral online again, this time for their giant mango sandwiches, which are made with fruit sourced from Miyazaki Prefecture.

Image: Twitter/@pe_8800

Image: Twitter/@pe_8800

Twitter user @pe_8800 posted the above photos online, showing just how much of a heavy handful these giant mango sandwiches are, and the tweet instantly went viral, earning over 300,000 likes.

@pe_8800 also shared this photo below, showing the glorious display of generously packed sandwiches inside the store.

Image: Twitter/@pe_8800

The mangoes inside Daiwa’s sandwiches aren’t just oridnary mangoes, as Miyazaki is famous for being Japan’s primary producer of the luxury fruit, with locally grown varieties often fetching in the market of 5,000 yen each.

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この世の全てのものにランクがあるように 宮崎マンゴーの中でもランクがあります。 . . その宮崎マンゴーの中でも 🅰️品だけ。 . . 宮崎マンゴー使ってます って言ってCランクでもそれ以下でも 宮崎マンゴーと言えちゃいます。 . . . ダイワが使う宮崎マンゴーは その全てが最高級レベル。 . . Cじゃだめなんです Bでもだめなんです 🅰️じゃなきゃ僕が嫌なんです😅💓 . . . . . マンゴー苦手です ってゆー人たまにいます。 . はい。是非そんなあなたに食べてもらいたい! 1番好きなフルーツがあなたの中で逆転する時が来ますよ☺️💓 . . . "八百屋の作る本気のフルーツサンド" . . 只今、コロナの影響で 本店のスーパーでの販売は行っておりません。 . . 全てダカフェにて10時から販売しております。 (火曜日を除く) . . #ダイワスーパー #フルーツサンド #日本一#八百屋 #世界一#宮崎マンゴー #くちゃくちゃうまい #愛してます #とにかくマンゴーにうるさい私です #いつもこれ買ってとか言わないけど #人生で一度でいいからこれは食べて #食べたことないは人生の半分損してる #もーお願いだから食べてみりん #三河弁#(笑)

A post shared by ダイワスーパー (@358daiwa) on

The mangoes Daiwa uses are A grade, making them one of the best — and most expensive — money can buy. And how do they taste? Find out in the epic moment at the end of this clip.

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中目黒担当者:弟 @who_is_358 . . 太陽のタマゴに関して 熱く語ります。 . . . #ダイワスーパー #中目黒店 #ダイワ中目黒 #宮崎マンゴー #太陽のタマゴ  #うますぎてたまらん #買うとき値段食う時味 #日本人って難しい #笑笑 . . . [東京中目黒店情報] フルーツサンド テイクアウト専門店 定休日無し 毎朝10時〜 なくなり次第終了 (10時ー17時) 中目黒駅から徒歩2分 目黒区上目黒1丁目13-6 . 主に旬のフルーツを使用して 役10種類以上のフルーツサンドを 毎日ご用意しております。 八百屋の作る本気のフルーツサンド

A post shared by ダイワスーパー (@358daiwa) on

The mango sandwiches are priced from roughly 1,080 yen for a half-mango variety, 1,580 yen for a small whole and 3,000 yen for a larger whole mango sandwich. If you’re planning on making a visit to Daiwa to get your hands on the most Instagrammable fruit sandwiches in town, make sure you arrive early, as they close their doors once they sell out, and they do sell out, sometimes even by noon or 2 p.m.

▼ Sign posted on the door lets customers know their products are all gone for the day

If you’re outside of Japan and hankering for a fruit sandwich right now, don’t despair! This easy-to-follow recipe and video will show you how to make fruit sandwiches wherever you are, and they’re arguably even more beautiful, as they’re arranged to look like beautiful flowers.

Store information
Daiwa Nakameguro / ダイワ 中目黒店
Address: Tokyo-to, Meguro-ku, Kameguro 1-13-6
東京都目黒区上目黒1-13-6
Hours: From 10:00 a.m. until sold out; no regular holidays
Website (Instagram)

Featured image: Twitter/@pe_8800
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[ Read in Japanese ]