There was a Shinjuku Nakamuraya shop about 1-2 minutes' walk from Iidabashi Station East Exit! When you think of Shinjuku Nakamuraya, you might think of curry, but I actually love their steamed buns (*^^*). They had steamed buns that were warmed up at the storefront like at a convenience store, but I bought the ones in a bag for home. The meat bun had a thick, gooey filling. The red bean bun had a smooth filling based on black sugar! These are Nakamuraya's unique red bean buns (o^^o). They have a variety of products in different sizes and types, suitable for gifts or for home use.

Nakamuraya, famous for their anman, is located in front of Iidabashi Station. They were selling their popular anman at the storefront, but I was looking for traditional Japanese sweets to take home, so I bought a dorayaki and yokan. There was only one type of dorayaki available, but they had a variety of flavors for yokan, including matcha. They also had other items like mooncakes, so they seem to have a wide range of products. Both the dorayaki and yokan had a very traditional taste. The dorayaki had a slightly dry texture, but the red bean paste inside was not too sweet. The yokan, known for their red bean paste, had a refined taste without any unpleasant flavors, but it was also not too fragrant or sweet. Overall, both sweets were average, neither exceeding nor falling short of expectations.

Located right along Mejiro Street, just a short walk from Iidabashi Station East Exit, is Nakamuraya, which also houses a lottery ticket booth. I wonder if they also sell cigarettes? The place has a nostalgic Showa era atmosphere. As I passed by the shop, I noticed they had "anmitsu," "fruit jelly," "matcha mochi," and "kuzu mochi" displayed outside, so I decided to buy some. The fruit jelly was priced at 250 yen (tax included), and it was larger than I expected with plenty of fruit slices. It looked beautiful and was affordable and convenient to purchase. Next time, I'd like to try the kuzu mochi.

Nakamuraya @ Iidabashi Despite being Nakamuraya, it has a very old-fashioned atmosphere. They originally sold steamed meat buns, but I bought the packaged ones to eat at home!! Meat bun ★ Full of meaty flavor! The steamed bun is very soft. Sesame bean paste bun ★ The sesame is creamy!! It has a gentle sweetness. When reheating at home, the skin hardens if you use a microwave, so you can't use it. It's a bit of a hassle, but if you steam it again as instructed, it will be delicious.

Nakamuraya, which retains the atmosphere of the Showa era. Every time I pass by the store, I am intrigued by the 3 bags for 540 yen deal, so this time I decided to buy them. The 3 bags you can choose from are black karinto (100g), uni arare (80g), and okaki (unknown weight). I chose 2 bags of black karinto and 1 bag of uni arare. It had been a while since I had Nakamuraya's black karinto, and it was just as I remembered - a perfectly sweet, fragrant, and elegant karinto. The uni arare had a nostalgic taste... or rather, it tasted different from what I had imagined. I think I prefer okaki instead.

Tokyo souvenir - Nakamuraya I think Nakamuraya was also in Hakodate at YOKADO, and I thought it would be a nice souvenir, but I don't usually buy mooncakes myself, but I'm starting to think it might be nice to have one occasionally. Established in 1901, it has a long history. Cream bread was released in 1904, karinto in 1919, and authentic Indian-style curry in 1927. I feel like I've seen the karinto can before, but I'm not familiar with the curry. I found this place right after leaving Iidabashi East Exit. It is combined with a lottery ticket sales area, and the sweets are displayed in a tobacco shop-like atmosphere rather than a confectionery shop. This kind of atmosphere makes it easy for me to choose. There is no customer service, though. It feels like the uncle at the lottery ticket sales area puts the Nakamuraya bag for you. They have individual pieces and boxed options, so it's good for both personal use and souvenirs. The new release, Fuwakurumi, has custard-flavored cream in the middle of red bean paste wrapped in castella-flavored dough. I bought the Northman-like thinly sliced sweet potato that was said to have been improved for my mother. It's smaller than Northman, but at 94 yen, it's cheap. When you think of Nakamuraya, you think of mooncakes, but this was released in 1927, and it has been continuously improved to suit Japanese tastes. Mooncakes are small, but at 126 yen, they are cheap. Most importantly, they last for 30 days. My elderly mother cherishes sweets, so they usually disappear within a week. With this, I can rest assured. It's okay to not eat them right away. I also bought curry powder for home use. I wonder if it will become Indian curry. I'm looking forward to trying it out.

In the world, some people think that my favorite food, mooncakes, are traditional Japanese sweets, while others may not even be familiar with mooncakes. It was surprising to me. Mooncakes are actually a Chinese dessert. According to the not-so-reliable Japanese Wikipedia, in China, the round and flat shape resembling the moon is common, but there are differences in size, ingredients, and fillings in different regions. The most famous style is the "Cantonese style" from Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, which uses soft fillings and skin. Among them, the ones with a duck egg yolk in the center of the filling are popular. Fillings commonly include red bean paste, lotus seed paste, and jujube paste. On the other hand, mooncakes from northern regions like Beijing often use fillings with less moisture, with nuts like walnuts and pine nuts. This is where Nakamuraya's mooncakes come in. I have always loved these mooncakes, especially the red bean paste ones from Nakamuraya. Even though Nakamuraya also offers nut fillings, I personally do not like them. I have tried mooncakes from popular shops in Chinatown, but Nakamuraya's mooncakes are still my favorite. I love them so much that I could eat one every day for a week. The rich and dense sesame paste and walnut flavor are irresistible to me. The anma-karon that I bought together this time was also delicious, with a crispy and fluffy texture. The Apple Tea Sablé is made with apple liqueur-flavored apple and apple cream sandwiched between a moist tea-flavored sablé. It's like a butter sandwich with apple and tea flavors. However, I didn't know that Nakamuraya had franchised stores. It's not listed on their website. It seems like they were originally a tobacco shop, run by a kind-looking middle-aged couple.

"Shinjuku Nakamuraya" near JR Iidabashi Station East Exit is a boutique that faithfully sells Nakamuraya products. While they also offer other items like cigarettes, their dedication to Nakamuraya is evident. Today, I purchased a box of Nakamuraya's Western-style wagashi "anmakaron" with 5 pieces. The owner wrapped the box in Nakamuraya's wrapping paper and put it in a paper bag. It's a shop where you can easily buy quality products at a reasonable price.

From the east exit of Iidabashi Station, just a short walk away, I used a vending machine to buy cigarettes and ended up at Nakamuraya. I don't usually have a specific reason to visit Nakamuraya, so it had been a while since I last went. I decided to purchase a gift set with the classic sweets, mooncakes, Momoyama, and Rokuzan for home use. My family teased me saying, "You bought something fancy," but I think the dense texture of the mooncakes and the smooth yellow bean paste of Momoyama are unique to Nakamuraya. They also sell Chinese steamed buns at the store, so it's a good option to enjoy while waiting at the station!