bakery
This may be the only time in known human history when a six-pack was achieved using carbs.
How are you supposed to eat Cookhouse’s Whirled-Up Sandwich Bread? The clue is in the name!
Yes, Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen bread, based on the viral video, actually exists, and our lucky reporters managed to get their hands on some!
It so happens that this past Saturday was kind of a big day for sweets lovers in Japan (well, at least for this writer). That’s right, June 20 was the much-anticipated grand opening of the Dominique Ansel Bakery, home of the original cronuts, in Tokyo’s Omotesando district.
For those of you who may not be into sweets, the cronut is a hugely popular baked creation the bakery is known for which can be described as a hybrid between a croissant and donut. Not surprisingly, stories of people forming long lines every morning at the New York City-based bakery for the cronuts and other delightful baked treats have reached Japan, and many sweets fans were ecstatic when it was announced that the shop would be opening in Tokyo. Not to miss out on the sugar-filled excitement, we were there bright and early on opening day, all psyched up to try the cronuts we had heard so much about!
Is it just me, or are cakes these days starting to look less and less… cakey? With all sorts of techniques, tools, and ingredients at their fingertips, it seems like bakers can now turn cake into pretty much anything, as we’ve seen before from this cake shop in Shinjuku, that sells cakes disguised as Chinese food (you can even learn to make a bowl-of-ramen cake yourself here).
Now, that same shop, called Maplies, has come out with yet another tricky treat that looks exactly like maguro-don, a rice bowl with slices of tuna sashimi on top!
Few who have not visited the country would ever imagine that Japan is practically overrun with bakeries. When people think of food in Japan, they usually think of things like rice, sushi and ramen, but the truth is, while Japanese supermarkets may not carry anywhere near as many varieties of bread as those in the West, dedicated bakeries can be found all over city centres, with pretty much every station, shopping mall and supermarket having its own shop or dedicated corner offering up freshly baked pastries, and the variety is astounding.
Check out this video to see 30 typical pastries available at Japanese bakeries.
Ah, Japanese bakeries. Rows and rows of delicious, fresh-baked treats ready for you to harvest—if you can decide among all the variety. And if you think choosing which bread to place on your tray is hard (I usually spend at least 5 minutes walking in circles with hungry tongs in hand), imagine how stressful it must be for part-time bakery staff who need to remember the names of every baked good in the store.
Luckily, Japanese web development company Brain Corporation has teamed up with the University of Hyogo to develop a POS system that uses a camera to instantly identify the kind of baked good customers have on their tray.
Check out the video below, it looks a lot more impressive than it sounds.
MOST POPULAR
Now
Is China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning affecting the lines at a popular Tokyo gyukatsu restaurant?
Japan’s first all-matcha ramen restaurant is now open in Kyoto【Photos】
McDonald’s Japan partners with anime English teacher, but did they commit a cultural error?[Video]
New Studio Ghibli stamps leave an impression on your stationery…and your heart
A robot joins the team at a fast-food restaurant, but in an unlikely city in northern Japan
Three beautiful places to see Japan’s plum blossoms after starting your day in downtown Tokyo
We eat at three Japanese family restaurants to find the one with the best-value breakfast
Ghost in the Sheel goes traditional with Japanese porcelain Tachikoma robots, only 50 to be made
Act of Japanese kindness touches one man’s heart, provides hope for elevator etiquette
In Japan, capybaras not only bathe in hot springs, they swim in your soup
Weekly
Yokai are descending upon Tokyo this spring in the latest immersive art experience- Is China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning affecting the lines at a popular Tokyo gyukatsu restaurant?
- New Studio Ghibli stamps leave an impression on your stationery…and your heart
Cherry blossom forecasts map shows Japan’s OTHER sakura season is starting right now- Three beautiful places to see Japan’s plum blossoms after starting your day in downtown Tokyo
Japanese women sound off on their minimum height requirements for a husband【Survey】
Japanese man gets drunk and falls asleep on Tokyo streets, then gets robbed by foreign national
Japan has a new bar just for people thinking about quitting their jobs, and the drinks are free
420 million yen in cash-filled suitcases stolen on Tokyo streets, incidents at Haneda and Hong Kong follow
Japan’s suicides fall to lowest recorded number ever, but one demographic hits all-time high
Monthly
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
Japan releases first official sakura cherry blossom forecast for 2026
10 times to avoid traveling in Japan in 2026
Archfiend Hello Kitty appears as Sanrio launches new team-up with Yu-Gi-Oh【Pics】
Starbucks Japan releases new Frappuccino and latte for Valentine’s Day
China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning looks to be affecting tourist crowds on Miyajima
Our 52-year-old pole dancing reporter shares his tips for achieving your New Year’s exercise goal
Studio Ghibli releases new “komorebi” plush toys from Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away
Ramen restaurant’s English menu prices are nearly double its Japanese ones, denies discriminating- Yokai are descending upon Tokyo this spring in the latest immersive art experience
Yearly
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo- Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says
Starbucks Japan reveals new sakura drinkware collection, inspired by evening cherry blossoms
Updated cherry blossom forecast shows extra-long sakura season for Japan this year
RECOMMENDED STORIES
Three beautiful places to see Japan’s plum blossoms after starting your day in downtown Tokyo
We eat at three Japanese family restaurants to find the one with the best-value breakfast
Ghost in the Sheel goes traditional with Japanese porcelain Tachikoma robots, only 50 to be made
Act of Japanese kindness touches one man’s heart, provides hope for elevator etiquette
In Japan, capybaras not only bathe in hot springs, they swim in your soup
Japan’s job-quitting service claims bosses contact it to try to make their employees quit
New Ghibli art exhibit lets you step into the studio’s anime posters. Sea of Corruption【Photos】
36th Annual International Snowball Fight Competition to be held in Uonuma this February
How to speak Japanese like a gyaru【2024 edition】
Japan’s most famous Mt. Fuji view park cancels cherry blossom festival because of overtourism
We visit the oldest remaining Komeda Coffee cafe in Japan for a retro blast from the past
-
