Taiyaki is a street food commonly found in Japan. When you visit Kichijōji, it is the must-eat food. While there are several taiyaki makers in the area, our favorite is Amane (有職たい菓子本舗 天音). Located in Harmonica Yokochō, Amane is one of the reasons that people visit the small alley during the day. Obviously, we didn’t feature the pastry maker due to its location. Amane’s taiyaki is popular because it is still tasty when cold!
The Taiyaki at Amane
Like most freshly grilled taiyaki, the outer layer is crispy. But, instead of white sugar, brown sugar is used to make the red bean paste at Amane. This is probably the secret to its deliciousness!
Like most taiyaki makers, Amane uses a mold to make a batch of taiyaki in one go. But its pastry’s skin is surprisingly thin. So when you bite into Amane’s taiyaki, the filling bursts out in your mouth.
Probably wanting to balance out the amount of filling with the cake, the taiyaki at Amane looks like a 3-D fish-tiled pattern. The crispy edge is great to eat on its own or with the overflowing filling!
What Amane Offers
The taiyaki at Amane usually has two flavors: red bean paste and a limited edition flavor. No matter which flavor you order, the sweetness level of the filling and batter is just perfect. It is no wonder why Amane has many returned customers!
Tip:
☛ The limited edition flavor of the day usually sells out by 1 pm. Be there early if you want to try the flavor!
☛ If the black sesame paste flavor is available on the day, we recommend that you try it so that you can discover how well the taste of black sesame can be balanced with red bean paste!
In addition to its signatory snack, the dango rice cake skewers are also what people would queue up for. Be there early to try their Kurumidare (くるみだれ) dango. The walnut flavor is popular and sells out fast!
The Grilled Soy Sauce (焼き醤油) is another popular flavor. The rice cake is grilled with two layers of unsweetened soy sauce applied, making it a great snack for those who dislike sweet desserts.
Taiyaki vs Taikashi
At Amane, rather than being referred to as taiyaki makers, they call themselves taikashi (たい菓子) makers. Kashi means confectionary. Because the taiyaki made at Amane doesn’t harden but stays soft, it can be consumed as a confectionary. So instead of taiyaki, the pastry maker called it taikashi.
Amane’s Business Hours and Access Information
- Amane is open from 11 am to 6 pm or until sold out.
- The taiyaki maker is just a 1-minute walk from Kichijoji Station’s north exit.
Discover the Attractions in Kichijōji
In addition to Kichijōji Petit Mura, Kichijōj that was rated “The Most Desirable Area to Live” is great for almost everything. It is also where the famous Ghibli Museum is located!
So, for more ideas of what to do in the area, refer to our Kichijōji article!
