If you fancy yourself a bread connoisseur, you must give Fukukuru Woodfire Bakery (薪窯パンふくくる) in Kameoka a try! Although it is a little far from Kameoka Station, the bread is very flavorful and delicious. The little store in an old folk house has a relaxing atmosphere. The couple who run the bakery are very nice and friendly. In addition, if you find the bread too big, you can likely ask to purchase only half or a quarter of it, giving you the flexibility you need!
About Fukukuru
Fukukuru was opened in 2015 by a couple who were particular about the ingredients used in their breadmaking. Each bread contains homemade natural yeast and is filled with fresh, locally sourced seasonal produce. Baked in their handmade wood-fired kiln, their bread at the bakery is crispy on the outside and has a moist texture inside (*´ω｀).
Because Fukukuru’s bread is high-quality, the showcase is usually almost empty after lunchtime. So be there early if you want to try it out!
Their traditional shopfront is another reason to visit. This type of shopfront was common up to the late 20th century but has become much more difficult to find these days.
Note that everything is in Japanese at Fukukuru. If you need help with communication, download one of the Translation Apps before visiting.
Credit cards are accepted at Fukukuru.
Fukukuru’s Dine-In Space
Before the pandemic, Fukukuru used to have an eat-in area next to the shop front. The old house’s dining and living area was renovated into a large tatami mat-covered space for customers to enjoy the freshly baked bread (refer to the second photo in the Instagram post).
Unfortunately, the dine-in space remains closed until further notice.
Our Visit to Fukukuru
While Fukukuru isn’t too far away from the Kameoka Fog Terrace, there is a large gap between the best time for seeing the amazing scenery of the sea of clouds and when Fukukuru opens.
On that day, we went to the bakery after visiting Anao-ji Temple (where a Buddha statue rests on a futon bed). Because of the infrequent bus services in Kameoka and the distance between the two attractions, we decided to catch a taxi.
Initially, we wanted to hail one from the road, but we were like taxi repellants! They all turned in the other direction when they almost got to where we were standing.
So we had no choice but to call Kyoto Taxi Co., Ltd at 0771-25-1000 because Taxi Go and Uber apps do not work in Kameoka. You can refer to the last three photos of the Instagram post for the small road leading to Fukukuru. We were confused when the taxi stopped as it doesn’t appear to be any bakery around the area (´▽｀*).
Because we are vegetarians, we asked for bread that doesn’t contain meat, seafood, or eggs. Anything with a miso or cheese flavor is really good. We regretted not getting more when we enjoyed the bread on the Hozugawa River Boat!
The taxi driver was kind enough to stop the meter while we got bread from Fukukuru. In fact, he later came in for some bread after he parked his car! After we all got the bread we wanted, he drove us to Hozugawa River Boat Terminal. The entire trip cost us around 3,500 yen.
Akechi no Modori-iwa (明智の戻り岩)
As a side note, the site called Akechi no Modori-iwa (明智の戻り岩) is close to the bakery.
Akechi Mitsuhide was a Japanese samurai general of the Sengoku period. He is best known as the assassin of Oda Nobunaga.
In 1582, on the way to assist Hashiba Hideyoshi under the order of Oda Nobunaga, he decided to go against his lord. So, the entire force reversed the direction and ambushed Honnō-ji, where Nobunaga was. This was known as the famous Honnō-ji Incident. Because there was a big rock where the army turned back, the site was later named Akechi no Modori-iwa.
If you want to know more about Ake chi Mitsuhide, refer to our article on Fukuchiyama Castle. You will realize that he wasn’t an evil person!
Fukukuru Wood-Fired Bakery’s Business Hours and Access Information
- Fukukuru is open from 11:30 am to 4 pm from Thursday to Saturday.
- Before you go, please check their calendar HERE.
- From JR Kameoka Station (亀岡駅), take Kameoka City’s Furusato Bus (亀岡市ふるさとバス) along route F21/F22 – Betsuin Loop Line (別院循環線) and get off at Green Hoki (法貴).
- Refer to HERE and click “ふるさとバス時刻表” for this service’s timetable.
- From the bus stop, it is just a one-minute walk away.
- You can also utilize one of Japan’s Transportation Apps to plan your trip.
Discover Other Parts of Kameoka City
Arashiyama in Kyoto is one of the most popular destinations in the prefecture. But Kameoka City’s scenery is as amazing as what you can get in Arashiyama, if not better! And the best thing is that it is only half as crowded!
If you want to visit Fukukuru, how about discovering a couple of attractions in Kameoka before taking the Hozugawa River Boat or the Sagano Romantic Train back to Arashiyama?
For more information about the city, please refer to our Kameoka City article (=ﾟωﾟ)ﾉ.
