Samurai Theologian in Tokyo - Anpan
Sunday, January 28th, 2007
Daniel here. Reporting for JapanesePod101.com.
In the dialog and explanation for Beginner Lesson Season 2 #10 - Morning Coffee, they discussed あんパン (anpan), which was described as a bun filled with sweet bean paste. Also, they discussed 木村屋 (Kimuraya), the bakery in Ginza, Tokyo, that is most famous for it. So, I headed down to Ginza to get a closer look. But, first, a look at the origin of anpan.
Yasubei Kimura was a samurai in latter part of the 19th Century who, like many others, lost his job during the Meiji Era. He took on the role of baker and moved his business to Ginza. He was unsatisfied with taste of the bread at the time, and came up with anpan as a bread that was more to the liking of the Japanese palate. He knew he made it big when one of his customers introduced his delicacy to the Emperor and the Emperor requested to have it brought to him daily. The word got out. And as we say, the rest is history.
The easiest way to access the store is to ride the subway (either the Ginza line or the Marunouchi Line) and get off at the A9 exit, which comes out right in front of the store (and only a block away from the Apple Store!). Ginza is the famous shopping district in downtown Tokyo, and is one of the few places in crowded Tokyo with wide sidewalks.
There were many people walking by in both directions shopping at the expensive boutiques and stores. Kimuraya has a glass front, and there is an accompanying restaurant occupying the immediate floors above the store, with the actual bakery above the restaurant.
There are many baked goods sold at Kimuraya, but anpan is their signature product. So, as you enter the store, the anpan is on display near the door and can be bought directly from the sales people who bag your choice of anpan and other types of buns (I noticed cheese buns, sesame buns, chestnut buns and jam buns in addition to four types of anpan). For the sake of our investigation , I picked up the original style anpan, the signature style anpan (anpan with a small pickled piece of sakura), and shiro-anpan (the white bean paste mentioned in the podcast).
After performing a very scientific test at the JapanesePod101.com labs, the consensus was that the shiro-anpan was the best. However, I found all three varieties to be excellent.
If you would like to download the enhanced version (podcast file with photos, urls and/or chapter marks) of this audio, visit my Samurai Theologian Podcast page. Consider subscribing to receive future enhanced podcasts. You can also these photos in an online slide show from my site.
Daniel
Posted by Daniel Beck in Samurai Theologian |
January 28th, 2007 at 6:30 pm
ダニエルです！Daniel here!
In this blog series, I will be writing reviews of various restaurants and hangouts in and around Tokyo. I also plan to provide a glimpse of what goes on behind the scenes at JapanesePod101.com.
Please leave comments and suggestions of reviews you would like to see!
よろしくお願いします！
Daniel
January 29th, 2007 at 3:40 am
Interesting post, I’d like to try anpan some time
January 29th, 2007 at 8:03 am
Great, thank you this post, and I am looking forward to all the others. Going to Tokyo in April, so I am interested in as much insider information as possible (and I’d like to be able to speak a bit). Is anpan actually a type of yeasted bread or is it something like mochi balls filled with bean paste? Anyhow, I’m sure to try it when I’m there.
January 29th, 2007 at 10:28 am
Daniel-san, your website seems to suggest that you’re a Christian. I am somewhat of a rurouni Christian myself. Looking for a Japanese church in NYC is almost impossible. And you would think NYC is the melting pot of the world. But I suppose Christianity is a really minor religion among the Japanese.
January 29th, 2007 at 9:16 pm
Jacobさん、
Thank you. Yes, give it a try!
Elisabethさん、
Let us know what else you would like to learn about. Re: anpan & yeast. Anpan is made with sakadane, a type of liquid yeast used in Japan.
bakanekoさん、
I don’t know about NYC, but in Southern California there is a plethora of Japanese churches. Good luck!
-Daniel
January 30th, 2007 at 12:56 am
Very good Daniel-san!
More reports onegaishimasu! 
Now I have hungry…
January 30th, 2007 at 12:31 pm
mmm..another place to add to my list of places to visit when i come to japan this fall! thanks daniel-san! ^_____^
January 30th, 2007 at 1:20 pm
Daniel-san
Great report! but you forgot something yeah you and Vicky-san forgot to accept me on Mixi!
I saw it all you both were log on and saw my invitation message then you both click on the No and erase it
Well it doesn’t matter, you have your reasons and they are acceptable
S_R_C
January 30th, 2007 at 5:40 pm
Hugoさん、
I’m glad you enjoyed it. Please let me know what other topics would interest you.
Lulu-chan,
Yeah. And the great thing is, it’s only one block from the Apple Store!
Oh yeah, and there may be few nice boutiques as well. 
Sindyさん、
I’m glad you enjoyed the report. I’m sorry, but what you wrote about Mixi is not true. Please be careful before making accusations. Thank you.
みなさん、
If you didn’t notice already, you can see more photos by going to my website by clicking on my name.
January 31st, 2007 at 1:29 pm
Daniel-san
Ok I will Thank You very much!
S_R_C
February 5th, 2007 at 11:27 am
Daniel-san, my itune isn’t working this one…
No wonder I didn’t know what you were talking about
I guess I have to contact Eran-san about this?