December 3, 2024 Maruyasu Tanakaya Main Branch On this day, foodie Kasai followed a sweet scent and visited Maruyasu Tanakaya Main Branch. Despite his busy schedule, Managing Director Tsuchihashi kindly spoke with us. The main store sits near Lake Suwa, and they also operate a shop in front of JR Kami‑Suwa Station, for two locations in Suwa City. The business began as Maruyasu Tanakaya in 1929 from the area in front of Kami‑Suwa Station. This year marks their 95th anniversary, making them a confectionery and cake shop with proud history. When people think of Maruyasu Tanakaya, they think of the mail‑order Cheese Cake Entremet!!! Beauty adviser Chizu Saeki helped bring wider attention to it. The Cheese Cake Entremet itself has been a flagship product loved for 40 years. They ship nationwide, so we hope people across Japan will enjoy it! Although Maruyasu Tanakaya is strongly associated with Western sweets, they originally made wagashi (Japanese traditional sweets). The yokan (sweet bean jelly) preserves recipes from that time. Because they once supplied azuki beans and rice, their yokan is made from carefully selected beans—please enjoy it as well! Managing Director Tsuchihashi’s top pick is Shinano no Kuni!!! This masterpiece features butter castella with chopped chestnuts inside, wrapped in a refreshing lemon cream. It has been loved for about 50 years, echoing the prefectural song beloved by residents, Shinano no Kuni. On the side of the wrapping paper you can even find the old provincial name Tenshuu, as in the song’s lyrics ♪ Shinano no kuni wa～ Ten shuu nii～. I love that packaging so much that I use the previous model of the wrapping paper as teaching material, lol. Maruyasu Tanakaya offers a variety of sweets and has an eat‑in space. Come and enjoy tea time with friends. ★ Maruyasu Tanakaya Main Branch 📍 3-1421-1 Takashima Suwa, Nagano Prefecture ☎ 0266-52-0126 ◎ Hours: 10:00 – 19:00 ◎ Closed: Wednesdays ◎ Online shop : https://www.suwa-tanakaya.jp/products/list ◎ Website: https://www.suwa-tanakaya.jp/ Today, I went to Maruyasu Tanakaya Main Branch. They have another branch near Kami‑Suwa Station. They began in 1929, so this year is their 95th anniversary. Many Japanese traditional sweets shops have long histories. On this day, Managing Director Tsuchihashi talked with me. Their famous product is the Cheese Cake Entremet. It has been loved for 40 years. Media and magazines have spotlighted the Cheese Cake Entremet. They run an online shop and ship nationwide. Please enjoy it at home. I had pictured Maruyasu Tanakaya making Western sweets like the Cheese Cake Entremet, but I was wrong. At the beginning, the shop made Japanese traditional sweets. Yokan (sweet bean jelly) remains from those early recipes. Mr. Tsuchihashi’s recommendation is Shinano no Kuni: a butter sponge cake with finely chopped chestnuts inside, finished with lemon cream. Sounds delicious, right? Definitely!!! They offer many kinds of sweets. If you visit Suwa City, please try them—I’m sure you’ll like them! ★ Maruyasu Tanakaya Main Branch 3-1421-1 Takashima, Suwa City, Nagano Prefecture ☎ 0266-52-0126 ◎ Business hours: 10:00 – 19:00 ◎ Regular holiday: Closed on Wednesdays ◎ Online shop : https://www.suwa-tanakaya.jp/products/list ◎ Homepage : https://www.suwa-tanakaya.jp/ https://www.suwa-tanakaya.jp/products/list https://www.suwa-tanakaya.jp/