Eating Japanese sweets is a must to fully appreciate a Japanese hot spring town, and Unazuki Onsen has a couple of nice traditional confectionery makers that we recommend. Each of them has a few signatory sweets that are worthwhile for a try. Although the raw ingredients are more or less the same, the confectioner at each shop has ways to turn simple ingredients into various amazingly tasted sweets!
Unazuki Onsen’s Must-Visit Confectionery Shops
- Tsuboya Confectionery (つぼや製菓舗)
- Sakai Confectionery (酒井菓子舗)
- Fukutaya (福多屋菓子舗)
- Yamatoya (とうふ&スイーツのお店やまとや)
Tsuboya Confectionery (つぼや製菓舗)
Tsuboya Confectionery is one of the best places to visit for Japanese sweets in Unazuki Onsen. The traditional confectionery maker was first opened in Kurobe’s Mikaichi (黒部市三日市) in 1883. Coinciding with Unazuki Onsen’s opening, it was relocated to the hot spring town. Besides the delicious sweets, its hospitality is another reason the locals and tourists love Tsuboya.
The recommended Manjū buns at Tsuboya differ depending on the season. In summer, it is the Onsen Manjū (温泉まんじゅう), which is a brown sugar bun filled with red bean paste. While in winter, try the Moromi Manjū (もろみまんじゅう). Instead of brown sugar, the bun’s dough is flavored with Moromi soy sauce. And because the bun wouldn’t have a good balance between the skin’s saltiness and sweetness of red bean paste, the less sweet white bean paste is used.
Like most Japanese confectionery makers in Japan, the bean paste is homemade. Reducing the sugar level, the buns at Tsuboya aren’t too sweet, so it is hard to resist reaching out for another one!
Tips:
☛ Moromi Manjū is only sold from October to the end of the Golden Week at the beginning of May.
☛ Make a reservation because Moromi Manjū is usually sold out by lunchtime. Most people reserve with Tsuboya the day they arrive at Unazuki Onsen and pick the buns up the next day.
☛ On weekends, you can purchase the buns from the steamers.
Because all Tsuboya’s sweets are freshly made each day, you might be able to see them making other confectioneries at the shop!
Tsuboya’s Business Hours and Access Information
- Tsuboya is open from 9 am to 5 pm.
- It is opposite the bathhouse, Yumedokoro Unazuki, and a 1-minute walk from Unazuki Onsen Station.
- Find out more about how to get to Toyama Chihō Railway’s Unazaki Onsen Station HERE (=ﾟωﾟ)ﾉ
Sakai Confectionery (酒井菓子舗)
For mochi rice cake, visit Sakai Confectionery. It is famous for its Yunohana Gomoro (湯の花ごろも), a sweet made by wrapping the Habutae Mochi (羽二重餅) in sweetly pickled perilla leaves. Apparently, the perilla leaves were sweetly pickled for more than 5 years!
In addition to the sweetly pickled perilla leaves, the Habutae Mochi has a layer of red bean paste in between. The entire thing is then packaged using bamboo skin, adding another pleasant scent to the confectionery.
Habutae Mochi is a type of confectionery that usually comes in the shape of a flattened sheet of rice cake. It is so soft and smooth that it is almost like Habutae silk, where it got its name.
If you like chestnuts, try their Koshihikari Manjū (こしひかりまん柔). This is a steamed bun for local celebrations. Because Koshihikari rice is used to make the bun’s skin, the skin has a similar texture to a mochi rice cake. The confectionery maker is particular about the ingredients used. The Koshihikari rice was grown using Kurobe’s mountain spring, and the water used to make Koshihikari Manjū is from the Tateyama Mountain Range that gushes out from 222 meters underground.
Important: A reservation is required for Koshihikari Manjū.
Sakai Confectionery’s Business Hours and Access Information
- Sakai Confectionery is open from 8:30 am to 6 pm.
- It is just next to Tsuboya and around a 2-minute walk from Unazuki Onsen Station.
- Find out more about how to get to Toyama Chihō Railway’s Unazaki Onsen Station HERE (=ﾟωﾟ)ﾉ
Fukutaya (福多屋菓子舗)
Fukutaya is a long-established Japanese confectionery shop that has been in business since the early 20th century. It is known for making sweets reflecting the four seasons.
Its signatory and award-winning confectionery is called Omokage (おもかげ). It is a sweet that mimics the narrowness of Kurobe Gorge. Thin rice crackers symbolize the gorge’s stiff cliffs, and the Gyūhi (a softer and less chewy rice cake) and strained red bean paste are like the Kurobe River flowing in between.
Omokage comes in white and pink, representing the rhododendrons that bloom gorgeously in the gorge.
A confectionery that fits the area is Kurobe Monogatari (黒部物語), which means the story of Kurobe. The white starch powder is like the snow field at one spot of Kurobe Gorge, and the smashed red beans wrapped by the Gyūhi symbolize the gorge’s rocky surface underneath the snow. Because the red beans are only smashed, you can still taste the bean’s texture, which contrasts strongly with the soft Gyūhi.
Another confectionery perfect for travelers is Koshiji no Tabimakura (越路の旅まくら), meaning Koshiji’s travel pillow. The perilla leaves used in this sweet are first pickled with salt and then sugar. The moment the package is opened, your nose is treated with the refreshing scent of the herb. Combined with the strained red bean paste, Koshiji no Tabimakura has a smooth texture and perilla’s aroma with a lightly salty scent in the sweetness.
Fukutaya’s Business Hours and Access Information
- Fukutaya is open from 8:30 am to 6:30 pm.
- It is closed on the 1st of January.
- It is a 2-minute walk from Unazuki Onsen Station.
- Find out more about how to get to Toyama Chihō Railway’s Unazaki Onsen Station HERE (=ﾟωﾟ)ﾉ
Yamatoya (とうふ&スイーツのお店やまとや)
We all know tofu is healthy and good for our bodies, and it is a common ingredient for a vegetarian meal. But instead of a savory dish, tofu can be turned into a dessert! If you are interested in trying out a dessert made from tofu at Unazuki Onsen, visit Yamatoya, the tofu and tofu dessert specialist. With a good balance between milk and soy milk, the tofu pudding, tofu soft serve, and almond tofu are all top-sellers at Yamatoya. Although they look no different from the usual milk-only counterpart, the slight tofu flavor spreads in your mouth when you take a bite.
If you don’t have a sweet tooth, various handmade soybean products are also sold at Yamatoya. The tofu maker that has existed for more than 80 years is where Unazuki Onsen’s ryokans source their tofu. So, the quality of Yamatoya’s products is guaranteed. The best thing about Yamatoya is their tofu and bean curd, which can be eaten straight away. Freshly made from Kurobe’s mountain stream and high-quality soybeans from Toyama Prefecture, just a few drops of soy sauce will turn their product into a side dish!
Tips:
☛ Yamatoya’s tofu pudding is popular. It is best to call them at +81-765-62-1704 and make a reservation if you are keen to eat it. If you don’t speak Japanese, the staff at your hotel’s reception should be able to help.
☛ You can purchase the tofu or the tofu sweets and enjoy them at the resting area of Yumedokoro Unazuki.
Yamatoya’s Business Hours and Access Information
- Yamatoya is open from 9 am to 6 pm from Wednesday to Monday.
- Yamatoya is a 3-minute walk from Unazuki Onsen Station.
- Find out more about how to get to Toyama Chihō Railway’s Unazaki Onsen Station HERE (=ﾟωﾟ)ﾉ
Explore Unazuki Onsen
Now you know Unazuki Onsen’s best sweets shops, it is now time to plan the rest of your visit to this gorgeous hot spring town. Unazuki Onsen at the entrance of Kurobe Gorge is one of the most picturesque destinations in Toyama Prefecture. In addition to the natural spots, it also has a couple of museums that might interest you.
So refer to our Unazuki Onsen article for more information!
