koju

Taste and history passed on from generation to generation, Dorayaki “Koju”.

After Kinokuniya, a Japanese confectionery manufacturer in Musashimurayama, Tokyo, went bankrupt in 2022, i-Sweets Co. called the former employees and hired them to resume manufacturing and selling the products named new brand, “Takumi Kinokuniya”. That is a great comback story.

“Koju” is one of their confectionaries sold at Takashimaya in Futako Tamagawa and it is a dorayaki, bean jam-filled pancake.  The name Koju derives from koju-han, that means a snack for breaktime at 3 o’clock.

The dorayaki crust is baked on a thin paper sheet, and that gives it this tiger pattern.

The fluffy dough and fluffy red bean paste are delicious.

Due to the trademark issues, it is not possible to manufacture and sell the products in exactly the same form as when they were called “Kinokuniya,” but the concept is to reproduce the traditional taste and products. It is wonderful to see the historical taste being passed on to the next generation, even though the management body has changed.