The Guide for Asakusa’s Specialty Shops Offering Latest Sweets & Drinks Just Born in 2020

This time, we focused on Asakusa’s latest shops that just opened in 2020 and selected 3 specialty ones that are particular about vanilla, Amazake (Japanese sweet low-alcohol), or castella. All of them are within a 10-minute walk from Asakusa Station, so it’s perfect for walking and eating.

Vanilla from Madagascar rich in aroma and sweetness is playing a leading role －Japan’s first vanilla sweets specialty shop “Tokyo Vanilla Factory”

Reference from PRTIMES “日本初バニラスイーツ専門店「東京バニラファクトリー」が浅草地区に12月4日グランドオープン！“

Opened in December 2020, “Tokyo Vanilla Factory (東京バニラファクトリー)” is Japan’s first vanilla sweets specialty shop. They produces exquisite sweets using vanilla from Madagascar. There are 3 types of each two sweets, pudding and soft-serve ice cream. First of all, they dared to make a simple lineup hoping to introduce the deliciousness of real vanilla. Madagascar vanilla, which has a caramel-like flavor with a rich aroma and sweetness, is baked in the oven once and before extracting it to make it taste excellent. In addition, they are very careful about ingredients to select domestic milk, fresh cream, and eggs. The sweets handmade one by one at the in-store workshop are all excellent selections that give you the deep taste of vanilla. For the fascinating one ‘Tokyo Vanilla Pudding (東京バニラプリン)’ with the mellow scent of vanilla and the melting texture, we recommend to choose ‘3 piece set’ so that you can eat and compare all types. ‘Tokyo vanilla soft serve’, which has a cute and round form, is popular for its mixed type to taste plain and coffee at the same time. They will add more seasonal flavors in the future, so check it out.

Opening Hours	10:00AM – 6:00PM
Address	1-39-14 Asakusa, Taito-ku, Tokyo Prefecture
Access	A 4-minute walk from Asakusa Station
URL	https://www.tokyovanilla-factory.com

Japanese sweet drinks with over 400 years of history were reborn! －Amazake Specialty Shop “Kojiya Junosuke” offering various flavors and new tastes

Opened in July 2020, “Kojiya Junosuke (糀屋 壽之介)” offers Amazake gentle to the body by making it with rice and rice malt in their original cooking ways. It does not contain alcohol, as well as sugar, additives and preservatives, so so even children can taste it. The amazake menu includes a variety of flavors such as strawberry and matcha (green powdered tea), in addition to the standard ‘Amazake of Tonosuke(壽之介の甘酒)’ and ‘Condensed Amazake of Tonosuke(壽之介の濃縮甘酒)’ that gives you the original taste of amazake. Some of the flavors sound unusual for amazake, such as tomatoes and corn. However, all of them taste good in amazake, which has no strong taste and is easy to drink. They are actually liked by people. Furthermore, you should try to enjoy it not only as a drink but also as a sweet. The popular one is ‘Amatamagooli (あま玉氷)’, which is made by freezing amazake into a cute round shape and with sauce sprinkled on it. You can choose the sauce from the flavors used in the amazake menu, to suit your liking and taste. Also, new items will appear frequently, so you will come across new tastes every time you visit.

Opening Hours	11:00AM – 5:00PM　Closed on Tuesday and Thursday
Address	2-28-5 Asakusa, Taito-ku, Tokyo
Access	A 9-minute walk from Asakusa Station
URL	https://tabelog.com/en/tokyo/A1311/A131102/13251105/

You’re sure to be addicted to the fluffy and melting texture! －Taiwanese Castella Specialty Shop “Shin Castella Asakusa”

“Shin Castela Asakusa Store (新カステラ 浅草店)” opened on the 1st floor of ‘Don Quijote Asakusa Store’ in December 2020. What you can enjoy at this shop is the Taiwanese castella, which is called ‘Shenkaou Dangou (現烤蛋糕)’ (meaning freshly baked cake) in Taiwan, adjusted for the Japanese people’s liking. It is new castella, characterized by its gentle sweetness, fluffy and light mouthfeel, and a unique texture that melts softly on the tongue. It’s also one of the charms that its texture becomes different every time you bite. The flavor and texture that you have never experienced before should be addictive once you eat it. In the menu, there are the classic ‘plain’ made with fresh eggs, and ‘Plain with fresh cream’ that is sandwiched between plain and moderately sweet aged fresh cream, as well as monthly changed items. By the way, ‘Cup Castella’, which contains a cup of castella cut into small pieces, is perfect for eating on the street. We also recommended that you eat it after cooling or toasting.

Opening Hours	11:00AM – 10:00PM
Address	2-10-14 Asakusa, Taito-ku, Tokyo Prefecture
Access	A 8-minute walk from Asakusa Station
URL	https://tabelog.com/en/tokyo/A1311/A131102/13254341/