Ginza Kimuraya

Having a long layover in Tokyo but a limited time to trek the city itself, I still wanted to visit a bakery. So I decided to visit one of the most famous bakeries in Japan, Ginza Kimuraya. This is reportedly the oldest and first Western style bakery in Japan that was established in the 1870’s. This is also the birthplace of the Japanese confection, anpan.
The bakery is centrally located as it very close to the main intersection in Ginza that is decked with tall billboards. The building that this bakery is located in is actually 4 levels tall and there is more than just a bakery here. The bakery is on the ground level, but you will find a café, grill and restaurant on the three levels above if you are also looking for a meal.
Since I was on a time crunch, my visit was limited to the bakery. The bakery offerings here are a mix of Western baked goods, but also Japanese-​Western items of which anpan is the signature offering. They also have a nice selection of European style breads. So if you are looking for a Western loaf as opposed to shokupan, the soft Japanese bread, this is a place to check out.
Picked up a few items here. The two things in particular that stood out were the aforementioned anpan and the melon pan. You can get the anpan singularly or buy one of the packages of anpan. I decided on the latter, going for the assorted variety that comes in different flavors. What makes the anpan special is that they use sake yeast rather than the regular variety. It gives the anpan a more complex taste that is quite noticeable when you take a bite.
The melon pan here is a good choice as well. They come in a bag of two. The ones here aren’t an sugary as other versions that I have tried. It has more of a bread flavor to it than sweetness.
Based on what I tried here, I feel the baked goods at Ginza Kimuraya differentiates itself from other bakeries by bucking the recipes used by other places which go for sweetness for taste. Here you will find quality confections with unique flavors that are a bit more restrained, but in which their deliciousness still comes through.

Ginza Kimuraya is the original purveyor of an pan. I had no idea what an pan was before I came to Tokyo. It is a sweet Japanese roll with some sort of filling — most commonly, red bean.
The sign here is in Japanese characters so it may be hard to locate, but it’s right across from the Wako department store.
Kimuraya offers traditional flavors year-​round, while rotating other flavors. When we visited, the bakery had red bean, white bean, cream cheese, sesame, chestnut, and apple fillings available. We tried a few of these, but the winners were red bean and cream cheese. The bread was light and sweet, but subtly so. You could tell that it was baked fresh, still warm at every bite. The an pan made for a great breakfast on our last day in Japan. Our only regret was not ordering more cream cheese rolls to take with us on the flight home.
An pan may be the reason people come to Kimuraya, but it represents just a small subset of the bakery’s offerings. They had many different types of bread and pastries, both savory and sweet.
Tokyo is filled with a slew of European bakeries, but if you’re looking for more traditional, Japanese style pastries, then come to Kimuraya. I wouldn’t necessarily suggest coming here if it is out of the way, but it is definitely a place to keep in mind if you’re in the Ginza area.

Beer battered red bean bread. Interesting.
Located in the most expensive city of Japan, Ginza, so you can expect high prices here.
The beer red bean bread was good, but nothing spectacular. That is what the café is known for.
The cake was whatever to me, but I did enjoy the ice cream on top. But I mean, who doesn’t love ice cream.
The milk tea drink was really good as well. They give you milk to add to your liking.
Overall, too pricy and the food is not memorable.

Kimuraya Bakery House is one of the most prestigious and old bakeries in Tokyo, originally famous for their red-​bean bread. My friend staying in Tokyo for exchange brought me plain custard and matcha custard flavor instead, the former one being on her recommendation list.
Just as expected, the plain custard is full of the smell of milk and butter, along with the texture of cream cheese, sticky and rich.
Kimuraya Bakery House is a highly recommended spot to visit for bread lovers!

The birthplace of an pan. Acknowledged as first Western bakery in Japan, it’s founder, having reportedly first made this treat for Emperor Meiji in 1875 Kimuraya reflects perfection through tradition. Oh heck, have one or three, this stuff is just good eats!
Perfectly proportioned, golden brown, hemispherical, globes of happiness. A light crust yielding to a tender but toothsome bread on the inside with a core of gently sweetened this or that. There is a perfect balance between filling and bread so each stands out. Fresh baked, warm to the touch, and the smell. Oh the smell. Ahhhh.
Use of sake yeast instead of traditional western bread yeast results in a characteristic aroma of sake and leaving the bread with a hint of tartness and bitterness.
The original, salted sakura blossom with azuki, maintains the perfect balance of sweetness and salinity. It is excellent. The standard asuka bean, lightly sweetened, well balanced by the bread. Kuri (chestnuts), creamy with the unmistakable flavor of chestnut. Very balanced sweetness. No cloying finish while the cream cheese, slight tartness that’s accentuates the flavor of the bread.
There is a café on the second floor of the building to enjoy the snacks onsite with coffee or tea else buy several and enjoy them warm, walking down the street. The factory is located on the upper floors of the building.
Service is very fast and efficient with multiple employees making quick work of the long line.
Very reasonable prices. Most selections Under JPY 150.

My favorite bakery in entire Tokyo. The Anpans here are unparalleled. Definitely check this place out whenever you are here.

this place is AMAZING. don’t miss it, you’ll regret it. Japanese baking at its finest. Simple and delicious. Go!

As soon as our tour guide pointed and said, «That is one of the best bakeries in Tokyo,» I just knew my family and I were going to be making daily visits. Oh, and at some points, multiple times a day. We’re a family full of sweet tooth’s.
Tried so many many things. The spicy sausage croissant was delicious, and my most favorite pastry? A soufflé-​like bean with peanut butter paste filled pastry (it’s in the last row, almost directly underneath the spicy sausage) was orgasmically good. I might have to add that to my last meal on earth list…
The ampan is what makes them popular. The red bean salted version made my heart sing. The cheese filling (like cream cheese) and the green bean were also pretty amazing.
There’s no going wrong here. Everything is oh-​so-​right.

When I ate the «Ampan» of this shop for the first time, I couldn’t believe that I had never been here before even though I knew how famous it was. It was delicious! I should have eaten earlier. Please don’t make the same mistake I did. Go try it!
There are many kinds of flavors so it is hard to choose… but choosing is fun as well.
Remember they don’t keep long. You shouldn’t buy too many even though they are small.
Anyway, those who want to try real Japanese «Ampan» must visit there because I’m sure that Kimuraya has the best Ampan in Japan.