The Many Marvels of Chofu
Chofu is city with lush, green landscape a rich historical background located conveniently not too far from central Tokyo.
Don’t forget to pick up a keepsake after exploring the various sightseeing highlights of the region.
First off, we’d like to get you familiar with some of “Chofu’s Recommended Souvenirs” that are considered popular choices even by the local people.
Contents
Chofu Souvenir MAP
Japanese Confectionery Imakiya
Imakiya was founded in the Nihonbashi district in the first year of the Meiji era (1868). Following a temporarily closure during WWII, the longstanding Japanese confectionery store reopened in its current Tsutsujigaoka location.
As one of the notable stores of Chofu, Imakiya has preserved its traditions that span an entire century while maintaining a meticulous standard of quality in ingredients, and their selection includes everything from traditional wagashi (Japanese confectionery) to innovative creations that incorporate elements from the most modern tastes of any given time.
Each dessert is made with particular care, and the mildly sweet treats pair especially well with tea. The exquisitely intricate appearance of each dessert also subtly complements the colors and ambiance of the season.
Savor Authentic Dorayaki
Imagiya’s homemade Japanese confectionery are made with a heartfelt sincerity and an artisan’s finesse.
One of the local favorites is the [Dorayaki] (170 yen), a sweet, red-bean pancake confectionery that is not only a local favorite, but also has the distinguished designation of being served to the Imperial family.
The cake has a fluffy, chewy consistency, and is only made with the highest grade of domestic wheat and fresh eggs. Hokkaido-produce adzuki red beans are boiled to a decadent perfection to make a sweet red bean paste that has a reserved touch of sweetness.
Other popular options include the [Karinto Manju (a deep-fried brown sugar bun stuffed with red bean paste)] (120 yen) with a flavorful crunch of brown sugar, and the [Kitsune Dango] (90 yen), that has an addictively soft and chewy mochi texture.
Details
Adress：3-25-11 Nishi Azaleagaoka, Chofu City, Tokyo
2 minute walk from Tsutsujigaoka Station
Phone：042-482-3619
Opening Hours：
9:30～19:30
Closed：Wednesdays
Cash only
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Jindaijimairi Ameya
Situated alongside the approach leading to Jindaiji Temple, “Jindaijimairi Ameya” offers a tranquil space to catch a spot of rest for many of the temple’s visitors.
Even among the countless souvenirs to choose from, the “soba pan” (bread made with buckwheat flour) and the “Akagoma” folk craft are two especially popular regional specialties.
The Regional Specialty Soba-pan and Akagoma
The Jindaiji specialty [Soba Pan] (300 JPY) is almost like a kind of local fast food that’s convenient for eating while you’re on the move.
A combination of whole wheat and buckwheat flour are used in the homemade, steamed bread that has a light and fluffy texture. The bread comes in 4 varieties that include takana (leaf mustard), anko (red bean paste), Keema (minced meat), and sousai (varied side dishes) which are used to stuff the bread.
There is also a [Soba-pan Ice Cream], a popular combination of soft-serve ice cream and soba-pan that many enjoy for its one-of-a-kind combination of textures. (400 yen each)
The [Akagoma] folk craft is a horse-shaped doll made using straw. Each one is handmade by Ameya’s proprietress.
The horse has long been cherished as an omen of good fortune that watches over the ties of fate you have with the people you hold dear. The souvenir is one of the most notable and highly coveted souvenirs in Jindaiji. (500 yen – 2,500 yen)
Details
Adress：
5-15-1 Motomachi, Jindaiji, Chofu-shi, Tokyo
Phone：042-485-2768
Opening Hours：
9:00～17:00
Closed：Mondays
(may also be closed due to severe weather conditions )
If the national holiday falls on a Monday, the shop will close on the next day.
Cash only
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Kamenoko Honpo
Kamenoko Honpo is a Japanese confectionery store located right by Kokuryo Station, and was founded in the 23rd year of the Showa era (1890).
A bevy of Japanese confectionery treats are prepared with a refined selection of ingredients and a thorough process inspired by ensuring the highest standard of quality, so you don’t have to think twice about giving them to your children.
Some of their original treats include traditional Japanese confectionery made with some creative twists inspired by Western pastries, while other treats incorporate seasonal elements.
The [Nagasaki Castella (a Japanese sponge cake)] is baked in a gas-powered pot until moist. Other extremely popular choices include the [Ceylon Daifuku] that has a fragrant black tea flavor, and the [Yamato Daifuku (a rice cake with a sweet filling)], stuffed with matcha anko (green-tea flavored bean paste).
Namada!! Dorayaki
Kamenoko Honpo’s specialty product is the [Namada!! Dorayaki] (190 yen).
The [Namada!! Dorayaki] is a traditional, sweet pancake confectionery made with an original improvisation of fresh Hokkaido cream and Dainagon adzuki beans (a large-grained variety of sweet red bean) produced in Hokkaido.
Each one is made by carefully calibrating the heat of a gas-fired kiln while preparing it, and the finished delicacy has a subtle honey fragrance. The flavorful cake batter is fluffy and light in texture.
The flavors of the Dainagon adzuki beans and the fresh cream are distinctly pronounced by adding them separately by hand.
Details
Adress：4-8-3 Kokuryo-cho, Chofu-shi, Tokyo
A 1 minute walk from Kokuryo Station
Phone：042-482-3030
Opening Hours：
9:30～19:00
Closed：Tuesdays
(may be subject to change if a Tuesday overlaps with a National Holiday)
Cash only
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Wagashi Factory Inazuru Seika
Wagashi Factory [Inazuru Seika] is a petite, Japanese confectionery factory located about a 5-minute walk from Nishi Chofu Station. The store can be found in the quiet alley of a residential street where they’ve been doing business for over 60 years.
The employees are experienced veterans who deftly prepare an assortment of senbei (rice crackers), manju (sweet rice cake filled with red bean paste), and ningyo-yaki (sponge cakes in various shapes).
They also carry outlet products from brand-name confectionery stores at cost-friendly prices, and have a strong local following.
The Cost-Effective [Cracked Senbei] Assortment
One of the bargain deals to keep an eye out for at Inazuru Seika is the [Koware (cracked) Senbei] assortment. The cost-efficient package is a great way to get senbei (rice crackers) in bulk at a discount because the products have slight cracks or aesthetic deformities.
Although nonuniform in appearance, they taste no different from their uniformly shaped, full-priced counterparts. They have an especially satisfying crunch that make them hard to stop eating.
They come in a few different varieties, and the bargain prices make it much easier to make bulk purchases without too much thought.
Details
Adress：2-20-1 Shimoishihara, Chofu City, Tokyo
5 minutes on foot from Nishichofu Station
Phone：042-485-4703
Opening Hours：
09:00～17:00
Closed：Irregularly
Car parking available
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Kitaro Tea House
Experience the Peculiar World of Yokai Depicted in the Classic Japanese Cartoon, “Gegege no Kitaro”
“Kitaro Chaya” is a tea house that gets its name from the popular series drawn by Mizuki Shigeru. The store is also located right in front of Chofu Jindaiji Temple, a city that was a second hometown to the author.
There tea house is home to the “Yokai (demons from Japanese lore) Shop”, stocked with various goods from the “Kitaro” series, as well as the “Yokai Café”, a popular section of the store where the creative yokai-themed menu features characters like the “Medama Oyaji (eyeball father, a character whose entire head is a single eyeball)”.
The “Yokai Gallery” features a rare collection of gekiga (a Japanese equivalent of graphic novels) and yokai figures on display.
Popular Gegege no Kitarou Souvenirs
[Cookies with Heartwarming Mizuki Shigeru Quotes] (1,000 yen)
These popular cookies are inscribed with some floridly drawn quotes by the imaginative luminary alongside some adorable brush drawings.
Other recommendations include the [Gegege no Kitaro Yokai Ningyo-Yaki], a collection of adorably designed character sponge cakes filled with red beans, and the [Gegege no Kitaro Family Cookie] (648 yen) which recreates the Kitarou family in a box with the iconic chanchanko (a sleeveless kimono jacket) from the series.
Store-exclusive products like the [Medamamochi], shaped the like the Medama Oyaji, and Kitaro’s Goshuin-cho (a notebook to collect stamps from temples) are also definitely worth checking out.
Details
Adress：5-12-8 Motomachi, Jindaiji, Chofu, Tokyo
Near The Jindaiji -Temple
Phone：042-482-4059
Opening Hours：
10:00～17:00 / L.O16:30
*Final admission to the Yokai Gallery: 4:45 pm
Closed：Mondays
(closed the following day if a National Holiday falls on a Monday)
Credit card and electronic money available
Photo
Chofu Brand Shochu and Yamaguchi Shuten
[“Giant Killing” Chofu Ginmaku (Shochu liquor distilled from barley)] based on a theme of “Chofu, the Movie Town” 1,254 yen
The [Chofu DE Moyai “Let’s Scrum”] (Shochu Distilled from Yams) 1,606 yen
Purchase “Original Chofu Brand Shochu”!
An original shochu prepared by the collaborative efforts of a Chofu and Niijima sake store.
The well-cured sake comes in a set with an original Chofu bottle along with an original decanter & glass handcrafted by a Niijima-based glass blower.
The bottle also has a rugby illustration sandblasted onto it.
Every one of the decanters and glasses are handmade by a glassblower from Niijima.
The original brew of Chofu shochu is highly acclaimed by customers from Japan and abroad, and their current plans to release a new shochu is highly anticipated.
You can only buy it in Chofu! You can only drink it in Chofu! Please be sure to consider taking the special opportunity to try a shochu that’s wholly exclusive to the region.
The Chofu-brand, original shochu is sold at “Yamaguchi Shuten” as well as various other sake stores and souvenir shops in Chofu.
Yamaguchi Shuten: The Homely Sake Store
“Yamaguchi Shuten” is a local business with a history spanning over 100 years, and has been a local sake store for 45 years.
The gregarious manager asks that you “please feel free to ask us anything when it comes to sake” while exploring the selection at the neighborly atmosphere of a local sake store that’s near and dear to the locals.
Details
Adress：2-39-1 Fuda, Chofu-shi, Tokyo
5 minutes on foot from Chofu Station
Phone：042-482-3348
Opening Hours：
09:00〜21:00
Closed：Sundays
Car parking available
Cash only
Photo
Chofu Recommended Sightseeing Course
A town of history and culture, Chofu.
Introducing various attractive sightseeing courses in Chofu.
INFO
Tourist information of Chofu
The Chofu-shi tourist association secretariat
Phone： 042-481-7183・042-481-7184
FAX： 042-481-7391
Adress：
〒182-8511 2-35-1, Kojimacho, Chofu, Tokyo Chofu-shi city office 3F
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