No trip to Tokyo’s other otaku neighborhood is complete without a visit to this local landmark.

As people stream out Tokyo’s Nakano Station, it’s a safe bet that a lot of them are ready to do some shopping. Though not as famous as Akihabara, Nakano boasts one of Japan’s most incredible concentrations of otaku-oriented retailers, with the Nakano Broadway shopping center packed with all sorts of emporiums of esoteric anime-related media and memorabilia. Nakano Broadway also has a number of high-end second-hand wristwatch merchants, making for an eclectic mix of shoppers with a hunger for rare items related to their hobbies.

However, whether you’re there to look for a Gunpla or a Rolex, you shouldn’t leave the Nakano neighborhood without also making a purchase at Refutei, which is located right across the bus rotary from the station’s North Gate, right next to the entrance to the covered shopping street that leads into Nakano Broadway.

▼ れふ亭 = Refutei

Refutei is a snack stand that specializes in what they call oyaki, but which is more commonly called imagawayaki by Tokyoites. Honestly, there’s a serious lack of consensus on what their name should be, with no fewer than six different ones used in different parts of Japan, but they all refer to hockey puck-shaped discs of batter, cooked in a special folding flat grill with various delicious fillings.

Refutei has been cooking up oyaki/imagawayaki/whatever you want to call them since 1984, and it’s not just the shop’s prime location, but also its outstanding quality that’s made it a local landmark, both for nearby residents and for those coming to Nakano for shopping or to attend fan events.

Refutei’s oyaki are a great size. They fit easily in the palm of your hand, making them easy to munch on and big enough for you to enjoy their flavor through multiple mouthfuls. But they’re not so huge that you couldn’t eat two of them if you were in the mood, which is especially important since Refutei makes them with close to a dozen different fillings for you to choose from!

Exercising considerable restraint, we limited ourselves to five, which the staff lovingly placed in a to-go box for us to carry them in. Not that they stayed in the box very long, though, because as soon as were back home we got to snapping photos and tasting oyaki.

● Tsuki: custard cream (180 yen [US$1.15])

Oyaki usually puts a different kanji character on different types of their oyaki, and the ones marked with 月, read as tsuki and meaning “moon,” have custard cream inside. The custard is right in that magical spot where it’s flavorful without feeling heavy, and we’re confident we could eat several back-to-back without getting tired of the taste.

● Matsu: anko with cheese (220 yen)

No, we’re not sure why these ones bear the kanji 松, which means “pine.” And yes, we understand that, to some, the idea of combining anko (Japan’s traditional sweet red bean paste) with cheese might sound blasphemous. For those willing to give it a shot, however, the cheese here feels more salty than sour, which helps draw out more of the sweet notes in the anko. Oh, and for those who can’t forgive fusion cuisine of this type, don’t worry, as Refutei always has regular anko-only oyaki available for purchase too.

● Fuyu: apple cream (220 yen)

Marked with 冬, meaning “winter,” this is a seasonal flavor that’s only offered in winter. It uses the same custard cream that we tasted earlier, but has bits of apple mixed in, adding little pockets of crunchy texture and a touch of tart fruit flavor. It’s a very pleasant team-up, and one that’s definitely worth trying before spring comes and they leave the grill.

● Aki: pork sausage with mayonnaise (200 yen)

We’ll be the last people to scold you for filling up on sweets…but we’ll also be the last people to try to talk you out of eating sausage. Technically, you could argue that this is really closer to thick-cut ham, but either way you’ve got a slab of pork in there, giving you some filling protein and allowing you to grab both lunch and dessert in one fell swoop at Refutei if you’re buying multiple oyaki. Oh, and even though this one’s kanji, 秋, means “autumn,” unlike the “winter”-marked apple cream, the sausage oyaki isn’t a seasonal version, and can be purchased at any time of year.

● Heart: chocolate cream (180 yen)

This one might also seem like a seasonal flavor, what with the romantic imagery and Japan’s particularly strong association of chocolate with Valentine’s Day. But Refutei wisely understands that people’s love of chocolate lasts all year long, and so the availability of the chocolate oyaki does too. The chocolate used, like the custard, isn’t overpoweringly sweet, and even has a touch of sophisticated bitterness to it, in contrast to the cute heart.

Aside from the ones we tried and the above-mentioned anko-only oyaki, Refutei also offers fillings of white anko, cream cheese, anko with mochi, sakura anko, and sweet potato anko. With the apple cream being winter-only and the sakura anko limited to spring, the entire lineup won’t be available on any given day, but whenever you visit, Refutei will have something very, very tasty for you to try.

Shop information
Refutei / れふ亭
Address: Tokyo-to, Nakano-ku, Nakano 5-63-3
東京都中野区中野５丁目６３−３

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