5 Popular Sweets You Can Buy at Hankyu Umeda in Osaka

Hankyu Umeda is a department store located in Osaka. Their sweets section on the first basement floor is packed with shops so popular that people start waiting in line even before opening time! Here are some especially famous shops and their products.

What is Hankyu Umeda?

Hankyu Umeda is a department store representative of Osaka, and is close to Osaka and Umeda Stations. It is very favored especially by women as a source of fashion and cosmetics, but is also known for its large, second-to-none selection of sweets.

KishujiRapid/Wikimedia Commons

What is Hankyu Umeda?

1. Dojima Roll from Patisserie Mon Cher

First is the Dojima Roll, the specialty of Patisserie Mon Cher which has a main shop in the Dojimahama area of Osaka. It is an extremely popular product that Osaka is known for, and is priced at 1,260 JPY for a whole roll, 680 JPY for a half roll, and 324 JPY per slice (all incl. tax).
The cream, made with several different kinds of carefully-selected raw milk from Hokkaido, and completed with a proprietary manufacturing method unlike any other in the world, is fresh as freshly squeezed milk and has a taste which even people who normally do not like cream will love. Also, the softness of the sponge made with mixed flour is adjusted differently each day according to the temperature and the level of humidity, and is baked in order to keep it nice and moist, so this cake is to die for. Enjoy the texture and the way it melts in your mouth.

Tsutomu Kamimori/Flickr

1. Dojima Roll from Patisserie Mon Cher

2. Namagashi from Toraya

Toraya, an extremely famous long-established wagashi (traditional sweets) shop, that is known for their namagashi (fresh Japanese sweets which are usually made with red bean paste).
There is a variety of namagashi, including yokan (steamed or jellied bean paste made from red beans) and manju (red bean paste wrapped in a flour dough and steamed). Their beautiful and lovely looks which reflect motifs from the four seasons are just like pieces of art. The delicate, sweet, irresistible taste is part of their charm as well. Depending on the type of namagashi, it costs around 400 to 500 JPY.

Yuichi Sakuraba/Flickr

2. Namagashi from Toraya

3. Namacha Jelly from Nakamura Tokichi

Nakamura Tokichi has a long history since its establishment in 1854 in Uji, the home of matcha. The famous Namacha Jelly made by this long-established matcha shop is an addictive gem made with tea that has a rich flavor and cool wobbly texture. It comes in many different flavors such as matcha with a deep taste, houjicha (roasted green tea) with a fresh fragrance and aftertaste, and seasonal limited edition flavors. It is around 400 JPY per piece.

※The photo is for illustration purposes. This shop does not have a cafe space.

Stin Shen/Flickr

3. Namacha Jelly from Nakamura Tokichi

4. Chestnut Terrine from Adachi Otoemon

The next one is a Chestnut Terrine, the most popular product from Adachi Otoemon, which has a main shop in Fukuchiyama, the northern area of Kyoto. It is a gem made with plenty of chestnuts of three different kinds in the dough. This sweet is baked yet remains moist. The texture of the flaky chestnut and the elegant sweetness of the cake made with wasanbon (Japanese sugar traditionally manufactured in a part of Shikoku) has such a tender harmony and it leaves a rich flavor in your mouth. It costs 4,230 JPY (incl. tax) per piece.

※The photo is for illustration purposes

Jun Seita/Flickr

4. Chestnut Terrine from Adachi Otoemon

5. Eemon Black Soybean Madeleine from Gokan

Gokan, with a main shop in the Kitahama area of Osaka, offers a simply flavored madeleine called Eemon (starting at 173 JPY each (incl. tax)).
The dough is made from rice flour and wheat flour manufactured domestically, with honey from an apiary in Osaka, fermented butter from Hokkaido, and topped with domestically produced large black soybeans called Tanbakuro. It is a Japanese madeleine characterized by its moist texture and rich umami.

※The photo is for illustration purposes

Nori Norisa/Flickr