Another gem in Bakurocho, an old Japanese sweet store.

I discovered Kameya Yamato while wondering around the neighborhood looking for somewhere decent for lunch. The store front looked very cozy and old. The logo of the store gave me a sense that this establishment seems really old… As I opened the sliding door and stepped inside, there were tons of stuff, posters from I don’t know when, flyers, catalogs, photos, at first sight this place looked very chaotic but yet everything was neatly arranged.

The sweet selection was pretty simple. I think there were 10 types of sweet to choose from. I got Daifuku-mochi, a sweetened Azuki bean wrapped in a soft thin layer of mochi with red pea on my first round. (right pic below) The mochi was soft, the salty red pea contrasted so well with the sweet Azuki filling. Hey, this is good!

I decided to google Kameya Yamato to check and I found out that this establishment started around mid Edo era around 300yrs ago. It is now taken cared by the 9th generation. Wow. The Kameya Yamato moved the shop several times after the earthquake and the Pacific war. The beautiful wooden door was made during the reconstruction by the 7th generation and when they recently rebuilt the wooden old shop house into a building they keep the old entrance door.

On my last visit to Kameya Yamato, I got some Kashiwa-mochi, a mochi come wrapped in a Kashiwa leafs (Oak leafs) which are stuffed with sweetened Azuki beans or sweetened miso sauce. I heard that Kameya Yamato’s miso sauce was special so decided to get some. Their miso sauce was so soft, sweet but yet salty at the same time. The texture was so smooth, a strong matcha will go really well with this. Kashiwa-mochi are available year round but on May 5, the Children’s day in Japan we celebrate the day by eating this sweet. (That is why I’m posting it today!)

My experience with this place was very good. Living in Japan, especially in Tokyo, you can purchase the famed Japanese sweet in department stores. You can get the best ones from Kyoto, Kyushu, Hokkaido, pretty much anywhere from Japan. All those sweet are superb and great for special occasion but I prefer these kinds. The mom-and-pop kind of store, everything made in the kitchen right behind and you can buy it right of from the owner. Anyway, if you happen to be in the area and love Japanese sweet, you should give it a try.