Kawachiya, a Famous Dorayaki Restaurant in Shizuoka Prefecture

This video, titled “Japanese Street Food - Japanese Pancake DORAYAKI Jiggly Fluffy Cake,” was uploaded by “Sushi Bomber TV｜Cooking Front Line” (Sushi Bomber TV クッキング最前線).

Dorayaki is a classic Japanese sweet loved by the people of Japan!
These sweets are also well known from the popular anime "Doraemon."

Dorayaki is a snack that can be easily made at home with pancake mix and anko (sweet bean paste), but you'll appreciate the flavor even more after watching the skillful techniques of these confectioners!

There are many autographs of famous people inside Kawachiya, and it's frequently featured on TV programs across Japan.
Kawachiya was established in 1988 and the popular confectionery features a limit of five dorayaki per person, but this is because the owner wants as many people as possible to be able to try them.
The Coca-Cola logo at the front of the shop, where the owner is demonstrating and selling the dorayaki, gives the shop a slightly retro look.

Dorayaki – A Popular Japanese Confection

Photo：Dorayaki

Dorayaki is such a popular Japanese confection that there are famous stores all over Japan, but surprisingly few people know how to make it properly.
The recipe differs from store to store, but here we'll share a simple recipe and the origin of the name "dorayaki."

Dorayaki is a general term for Japanese sweets made of a disk-shaped sponge cake with sweet bean paste sandwiched in between.
It is said that the name "dorayaki" came from the shape of the sponge cake, which resembles a gong, which in Japanese is 銅鑼, pronounced "dora."
The dough is made of wheat flour, eggs, and honey, giving it a slightly Western feel, making it a very popular sweet regardless of age or gender.

Recently, freezing technology has advanced to allow them to be stored for longer periods of time, making them a great souvenir or gift.
The standard sweet bean paste used inside is "koshi-an" or "tsubu-an," but there are also unique stores that add "shiro-an" (white bean paste) or cream.
As you can see at 9:10 in the video, a special version with peanut butter sandwiched between the freshly baked cakes is served to the waiting customers.
Nowadays, machine made dorayaki are commonly available at supermarkets and convenience stores, but there's something special about eating freshly made, fluffy, and hot dorayaki made right before your eyes at a street vendor.

The History of Dorayaki. Why Are There so Many Dorayaki Products With the Name “Mikasa”?

Photo：Torayaki

The origins of dorayaki date back hundreds of years, and it is said that there was already a confection like the one we known today in the Kamakura period (1192 to 1333 A.D.).
It is said that the current style of sandwiching two pieces of sponge cake together became standard in the Showa period (1926–1989 A.D.), but in the Edo period (1603-1868 A.D.), it was common to fold the round baked dough around the sweet bean paste, sort of like a dorayaki taco.
It's said that the major Japanese confectionery Bunmeido made Dorayaki famous nationwide, and since this company popularized Dorayaki under the product name of "Seika Mikasa-yama," many Dorayaki products have been named "Mikasa."

There is also a theory that the names "Mikasa," "Mikasa-yaki," and "Mikasa-manju" are favored in Japan's Kansai region because they originate from Mt. Wakakusa, commonly referred to as Mt. Mikasa, in Nara Prefecture.
There are also "Nama-dora" with whipped cream, "Torayaki" with tiger patterened cakes ("tora" means "tiger" in Japanese), and "Mushi-dora" where the cakes are steamed instead of baked.

Famous Dorayaki Stores Across Japan

In this article, we introduced the famous "Kawachiya," a confectionery in Shizuoka, but there are many stores all over Japan where the popular sweet, dorayaki, is sold.
In Tokyo, there are three major dorayaki shops: "Kameju" in Asakusa, "Usagiya" in Ueno, and "Sogetsu" in Higashi-Jujo, all of which are crowded with customers seeking dorayaki every day.

Dorayaki is also very popular in online rankings. "Suzumeya" in Minami-Ikebukuro, "Seijuken" in Nihonbashi, "Bairindo" which originated in Saitama Prefecture, the popular "Kouro-an" in Yokohama, "Ryoguchiya Korekiyo" in Nagoya, "Morihan" and "Taneya" in Kyoto are all famous wagashi stores with high rankings.

Summary of Dorayaki, the Popular Japanese Confection

Photo：Dorayaki being made

One of the highlights of Kawachiya, the shop introduced here, is the is the teamwork of the husband and wife. The husband cooks up the delicious confections and the wife packages them diligently.
The dorayaki, with its fluffy sponge cake and generous amount of sweet bean paste will have you coming back for more! It is also sold in an assortment with other Japanese sweets, making it a great gift.

Some stores also offer a service where they'll print a face on the cakes for birthdays and celebrations, making it great for special occasions as well!

【TripAdvisor】Kawachiya
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g298124-d1704426-Reviews-Kawachiya-Shizuoka_Shizuoka_Prefecture_Tokai_Chubu.html