After somehow regaining my sanity with a normal bowl of ramen, I stumbled upon this sweet corner. I'm not sure if they're here every day, but I seem to see them every time I visit (*^ω^*). The "Tomiya Kashiya" shop is famous for their an donuts. They have their original store as well, but I often end up buying from here. Today, I'll get some again. The stick cake costs 135 yen, perfect for when you want a small, slightly sweet treat. I like fruit cakes, especially orange ones, so I sometimes buy from Seikoma as well. Even though they're small, they're quite satisfying to eat, and the orange peel is delicious. They will stamp your parking ticket at the neighboring shop. Bon appétit! (*´∀`)♪

After eating the rice cake, we moved on to donuts. It wasn't too far away. It may seem like we're only eating sweet things, but my body is screaming (skipping the rest). Of course, I shared it with my family (really?). These donuts cannot be compared to anything else. They are universally delicious, easy to buy without much thought, and make you smile when you hold them. They are sold on top of a glass case, in small quantities. I heard that they make more if they run out, so sometimes you have to wait. But the way they sell them seems so kind. I hope this shop continues to thrive.

I suddenly felt like eating an an-doughnut, and when I thought about it, there was no other place to go but here. I couldn't think of any other shops (lol). Is there anywhere else? I went on a weekend afternoon, so the selection was a bit limited. But I found the an-doughnut I was looking for! I bought one as a souvenir and enjoyed the other one. It was delicious! It's always nice when you can eat something you've been craving, right?

✲Atmosphere and Customer Service✲ The consideration and friendliness upon entering the store were excellent. The customer service was very polite. I was impressed when the staff bowed with both hands together after receiving the product. ✲An Donuts✲ Each donut is hand-rolled one by one. The taste was as expected, but you could tell it wasn't mass-produced. The dough is moist and not too oily, with a fairly thick texture. The red bean paste is not too sweet, with a gentle flavor. Before I knew it, I had finished it all in one go. ✲Overall✲ With meticulous craftsmanship and a pleasant demeanor, it's a shop that makes you want to support them.

I heard a rumor and went to buy An Doughnuts, and they were freshly made and delicious!

Asahikawa, I'm alone, going around the list as much as time allows. Unexpected temporary closure at the 5th place. I was aiming for red bean mochi, but it's okay, it happens. What's important is recovery. The next move is to make the best of the situation. When I went to the shop that unexpectedly closed, I passed by a shop with a sign saying "An Donuts," so I changed my plan from red bean mochi to An Donuts. It's important to be flexible. An old lady came out, but I couldn't find it. The An Donuts are gone. The lady quickly said, "Oh, it's already gone." She's impatient, but it's refreshing. There was nothing else tempting... I thought, "Oh, keipon, think of the next best thing!" How about a dorayaki? Yes, dorayaki is available! Let's get two. "I'll take them!" I said a bit dramatically, but it felt good. It cost 240 yen. Later, I thought, why not collect the sign when it's gone? Are they using it as a customer attraction tactic? If I may express my preference, I like the dough to be moist and the red bean paste to have a strong bean flavor with less sweetness. This dough looks a bit pitiful, not moist at all, rather dry. It reminds me of the dough from the old days when I didn't eat dorayaki. I don't want to dislike it, so I'll stop at half.

I have been passing by this shop for quite some time, but it is not easy to enter as it is located next to a pedestrian bridge. I always just ignored it, but what caught my eye was the sign for "An Donuts." I love red bean paste, so I decided to finally stop by after a few years. I was only interested in the An Donut, so I didn't even glance at the cakes or pastries in the glass case. I silently stuck to my original plan and went home with just the An Donut. When I finally opened it, I found that it was small in size but had plenty of red bean paste, and the sugar on the surface made my hands sticky. It was just as I had hoped for. The sweetness was just right, not too overwhelming. I shared one with my family, but I ended up eating the rest all by myself. I have no regrets. It would be sad to only find An Donuts at the supermarket, so I will remember this place for when I crave red bean paste again.

In October 2016, there is a long-established confectionery shop on Hanasaki Street in Asahikawa. The location may be a bit difficult to find at first. It's visible, but hard to enter, it's hard to explain. The exterior looks like a traditional confectionery shop, but they surprisingly have a wide variety of products. Especially, they have about 10 different types of stick cakes, each with a cute ribbon attached. This would make a great souvenir. They also have many stylish baked goods. It seems like a popular shop that has been featured on TV and magazines. I bought stick cakes like "Seeds of Happiness" and "White Earth". Looking at the photos later, I realized that this place is famous for their red bean donuts? I missed out, I have to buy them next time I go.

I knew about this place before moving due to road expansion, and I always thought I would visit someday. The trigger finally came, and I visited "Tomiya Kashido" this time. Located at 1-3-1 Shintomi, Asahikawa City, the map is here → https://goo.gl/maps/FZtrWpksKsz Open from 9 am to 8 pm, closed irregularly. Parking available. This is the 24th out of 47 participating stores in the Asahikawa Sweets Stamp Rally. Oh, finally halfway there!! \(^_^)/ It used to look like a typical local sweets shop, but it has become quite impressive after moving. I thought it was a traditional Japanese sweets shop from its appearance and name, but they also have plenty of Western sweets. Oh, this one looks convenient and good. So, I tried the apple stick cake for 130 yen. Humming happily, I enjoyed this casual style of eating. It's really delicious and reasonably priced. I think this could be a hit. My thoughts on the Asahikawa Sweets Stamp Rally → http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/dc2raka/65525312.html Asahikawa Confectionery Industry Association FB → https://www.facebook.com/asahikawa.okashi Asahikawa Sweets Stamp Rally FB → https://www.facebook.com/asahikawa.sweets

◆The Story of "Tomiya Kashipan" and their "An Donut"◆ When driving on Route 39 from Asahikawa towards Nagayama, you will come across a crossroads with "Asahikawa Ramen" on the right and "Ooyuki Shokudo" on the left. If you turn left at that crossroads and cross the new bridge (I don't know the name), you will find "Tomiya Kashipan" on your right. This time, I visited for the first time based on a recommendation from a friend. Inside the store, they also have Western sweets like shortcake, but what caught my eye and I ended up buying was the "An Donut" for ¥350. It has a history of 40 years. I bought it and tried it at home, and it was a comforting treat. Generally, flashy flavored "An Donuts" may or may not exist, but this one is something I crave once in a while. The anko filling has a gentle taste. Traditional sweets tend to be overly sweet, but this one is not. It goes really well with milk. It would be a nice gift to receive. I also tried the madeleine for ¥120, and it was delicious too. They also sell shortcakes for ¥250 each. I'll try the shortcake next time.

Located near Shin-Asahikawa Station on the JR Soya Main Line, is ToMiya Seika-ten Seika, situated in Shin-Tomi 3-jo 1-chome. They offer Brownies in cup form. The Brownies are not made individually, but are served in cups for easy consumption with a spoon. The top may be a bit dry, and there is an abundance of nuts. The inside is rich in chocolate flavor. The dryness issue may not be due to ToMiya Seika-ten's production, but possibly due to poor handling by the distributor or retailer.

I went to the city hall for some errands. I ran out of ink in my ballpoint pen, so I went to the underground shop to buy a new one. There was a sweets shop selling their products in front of the shop. It seems like they have regular pop-up sales at the city hall's underground area. Their main store is located in Asahikawa City, Shin-tomi. I had never heard of this sweets shop before. So, I decided to buy something. The most popular item was the "An Donut." I bought the An Donut (4 pieces) for 380 yen. It had a slightly sweet taste, reminiscent of a traditional An Donut. I also bought two other sweets: "LOVE Ai" for 145 yen, which was a heart-shaped tart with almonds, walnuts, and cherries, and "Seeds of Happiness" for 120 yen, which had a crispy texture with white chocolate inside. I thought I knew most of the stores in Asahikawa, but it turns out there are still hidden gems to discover!