Did you know that Soja City is attracting attention not only within Okayama Prefecture but also from outside the prefecture as the "Bread Town"?
In a city with a population of just under 70,000, there are many bakeries ranging from small local shops to large bread factories, and a bread culture has taken root.
Among the bread-loving citizens of Soja City, there is one bakery that is mentioned first.
That is Bakery Tonguu.
Bakery Tonguu is popular among a wide range of generations, from children to the elderly, regardless of gender. Its level of affection is such that many customers buy a large number of products at once when they visit.
It is rare to find a bakery that is so beloved by the locals.
Bakery Tonguu is a long-established bakery with over 90 years of history.
It is affectionately referred to by citizens as "Tonguu," "Tonguu's bread," or "Tonguu Seipan," and has many long-standing popular products.
For me, a native of Soja, Tonguu is also the bread from school lunches, a nostalgic taste.
I would like to introduce Bakery Tonguu, the oldest bakery in Soja, which can be said to be the soul food of the citizens.
Bakery Tonguu: A long-established bakery founded in 1928 loved by the citizens of Soja City
Bakery Tonguu (hereafter referred to as "Tonguu") is located in front of JR Soja Station.
It was founded in 1928 and has a history of over 90 years.
According to my uncle, during the pre-war and post-war periods, if you brought wheat flour or adzuki beans harvested at home, they would exchange it for bread or cash.
Additionally, Tonguu has been making bread and rice for school lunches in the Soja area for many years. As a native of Soja, I grew up eating Tonguu's bread and rice in school lunches.
For the citizens of Soja, Tonguu is truly soul food.
By the way, the name "Tonguu" comes from the surname of the founder.
The Tongu surname is commonly seen in Soja.
Furthermore, Tonguu has been operating in the same location since its founding.
There used to be another store to the south of the shop, but currently, the only directly managed store is the one in front of the station.
Around 1985, a factory was established about 50 meters north of the shop to produce bagged bread and bread and rice for school lunches.
Additionally, they also participate in events in Okayama Prefecture and the Kanto region.
Currently, the representative of Tonguu, Yoshida Nobuhiro, is the third generation.
While preserving the long-loved products, he is also actively working on creating new products.
▼ You can find information about new products and events on Facebook and Instagram, where Mr. Yoshida himself shares updates, so be sure to check them out.
Moreover, customers of Tonguu include not only residents from around Soja City but also many visitors from outside the city.
Currently, Soja City is promoting itself as the "Bread Town" and is running a project called Pan World Soja. As a result, the long-established Tonguu, representing Soja, is attracting attention from customers outside the city.
Popular and recommended products from Bakery Tonguu
At Tonguu, a wide variety of breads are sold.
From long-loved classic long-sellers to newly created products, Tonguu's breads are diverse.
Here, I will introduce some popular and recommended products.
By the way, although I couldn't introduce it in this article, Tonguu also sells sliced bread.
Bagged bread
First, let me introduce the sweet breads sold in bags, commonly known as bagged bread.
All of them are long-selling products that have been loved for many years.
The top 5 popular products at Tonguu are all bagged breads.
The design of the bagged bread has a retro impression.
In fact, while there have been changes in the material of the bags, the design remains the same as it was in the past.
▼ Additionally, the bagged bread is displayed in the shipping containers called "Banjū".
Bagged bread sells well, so simply replacing the empty shipping containers allows for product replenishment, maintaining the traditional style.
Below are some of the bagged breads. There are more varieties available.
- Upper an (sweet red bean paste)
- Butter roll
- Triangular jam bread
- Pine cone
- Calpis x Pine cone
- Fruit roll
- Cream bread
- Anpan (sweet red bean paste bread)
- Uguisu anpan (sweet red bean paste with green color)
- Banana roll
- Jam roll
- Chocolate roll
- Coffee roll
Upper an (Abura pan)
The Upper an is Tonguu's most popular product.
Also known as Abura pan, it has been a long-selling product since its founding.
It is loved by a wide range of generations, from children to the elderly.
As the name "Abura pan" suggests, it is a deep-fried anpan, but it is not overly greasy when you eat it.
Inside, there is plenty of homemade smooth red bean paste. The sweetness is just right.
The smooth and velvety red bean paste inside the bread, the chewy texture of the dough, and the faint aroma of cinnamon create a unique flavor that is addictive.
The popularity of Upper an is overwhelming among Tonguu's products, and according to Mr. Yoshida, the representative of Tonguu, they sell an average of over 1,600 pieces per day.
Butter roll (Makura pan)
The Butter roll is the second most popular product after Upper an.
For many years, it has been a long-seller alongside Upper an, serving as one of Tonguu's two main products.
The butter roll is shaped like a long, thin koppe bread, and the dough contains butter.
When you eat it, the sweet aroma of butter wafts through, bringing back nostalgic memories.
There are spots where the sweetness and flavor of the butter become stronger, which adds to the enjoyment of eating it.
The butter roll is larger in size and quite filling.
In the past, it was shaped like a rectangular block, resembling an old pillow, which is why it was also commonly referred to as Makura pan.
According to Mr. Yoshida, the butter roll sells an average of over 600 pieces per day.
Triangle Jam Bread
Tonguu's 3rd most popular bread is the "Triangle Jam Bread".
The Triangle Jam Bread has been a long-selling item since the establishment. A square bread is cut diagonally, and two triangular pieces of bread are included.
The surface is made of soboro, giving it a unique flavor. Inside, there is sweet strawberry jam.
It is thick and comes in two pieces, making it a product with good cost performance.
Matsukasa
Tonguu's 4th most popular item is the "Matsukasa".
This bread is generally called melon bread, but it is sold under a unique name at Tonguu. The name comes from the fact that the bread resembles a pine cone.
I did not know until I grew up that "melon bread" is the general name for this type of bread.
Additionally, there is a Calpis factory in Soja City.
Calpis and Tonguu collaborated to create a product called "Calpis × Matsukasa".
Inside the Matsukasa, there is cream mixed with Calpis.
The collaboration of the sweet and sour refreshing flavor of the cream and the crispy texture and sweetness of the Matsukasa is interesting.
Fruit Roll
The "Fruit Roll" is the 5th most popular bread at Tonguu.
Inside the long kobbe bread, there is cream with fruit.
It is characterized by having small pieces of various dried fruits such as raisins and oranges in the cream.
Cherries and burdock were also included. Furthermore, the sweetness and texture of the cream leave a unique impression.
The sweet cream is accented by the sweet and sour taste and texture of the dried fruits.
This is a product that is hard to find in bakeries other than Tonguu.
Cream Bread
The "Cream Bread" is one of the staple products of bakeries.
Inside the bread, there is plenty of custard cream. The shiny yellow cream is impressive.
I love the rich sweetness that is characteristic of custard.
Uguisu Anpan
The "Uguisu Anpan" filled with green bean paste has been around for a long time.
The paste made from Alaska beans has a simple sweetness that is easy to eat.
I finished it in no time.
Banana Roll
The Banana Roll is famous in Okayama Prefecture for Kimuraya.
Tonguu also sells a Banana Roll, which has become one of its popular products. Tonguu's Banana Roll is also a kobbe bread filled with banana-flavored cream.
When I smell the sweet aroma of the banana cream, my appetite increases.
Fried Bread
At Tonguu, two types of ageman are sold and are quite popular.
- School Lunch Ageman
- Kinako Ageman
The ageman is exactly the same as the one served in school lunches.
The "School Lunch Ageman" is a fried bread roll coated in sugar. The "Kinako Ageman" is coated in kinako (roasted soybean flour) and is characterized by a hint of cinnamon flavor.
According to Yoshida, about ten years ago, when they set up a booth at an event called "Retro Road" in the Soja shopping district, they decided to sell ageman, which was a popular school lunch item, to match the "retro" theme.
To their surprise, it became extremely popular.
Many customers requested that it be sold not just during the event but as a regular item in the store, leading to its commercialization.
The ageman, which was once a school lunch menu item, is no longer available after graduating from school.
Therefore, many customers seem to be happy to be able to eat a once-popular school lunch item again.
Okayama Koppe Series
Despite being a new product, it has become one of Tonguu's signature items, the "Okayama Koppe" series.
Okayama Koppe is a product that features various ingredients stuffed in a bread roll, and there are many different types.
Originally, it was sold at events, but due to its popularity, it was decided to sell it in the store as well.
According to Yoshida, the origin of Okayama Koppe lies in the school lunch menu item "Self-Sandwich."
I also ate it during school lunches, so it brings back memories.
Self-Sandwich is a bread roll with a slit cut into it, where students can stuff their own ingredients from the school lunch.
Yoshida thought that if customers could stuff their favorite ingredients into the bread roll like the Self-Sandwich, they would be pleased.
So, when they tried offering it at an event, it became popular.
At the event, customers specified their favorite ingredients, and the staff would stuff them on the spot, but this was difficult in the store, so they decided to sell them pre-stuffed with various ingredients.
As a result, it quickly became one of Tonguu's representative products.
The Okayama Koppe series is a product that leverages Tonguu's strength of having provided bread rolls for school lunches for many years.
Currently, they sometimes conduct face-to-face sales of Okayama Koppe at events, so please check the official Facebook for information.
By the way, there is also a type of Okayama Koppe that is eaten chilled.
Among the many Okayama Koppe, the following three types are particularly popular.
- Jidori Chicken and Shaki Cabbage
- Peanut Butter
- White Fish Fry
Jidori Chicken and Shaki Cabbage
The "Jidori Chicken and Shaki Cabbage" is a product that features slices of jidori chicken and shredded cabbage stuffed in a bread roll.
According to Yoshida, many Okayama residents love chicken.
Therefore, when it was added to the lineup, it became the most popular product.
Despite the interview being conducted in the morning, it was already sold out.
You can see the level of popularity of Jidori Chicken and Shaki Cabbage.
Peanut Butter
Another popular product in the Okayama Koppe lineup, alongside Jidori Chicken and Shaki Cabbage, is "Peanut Butter".
When they asked customers what they wanted to stuff in the bread roll, many responded with peanut butter and strawberry margarine.
As a result, they created the Okayama Koppe with peanut butter.
Tonguu's peanut butter contains large chunks of peanuts, which is its most distinctive feature.
Therefore, the flavor, aroma, and texture of the peanuts can be enjoyed more strongly than in other companies' peanut butter.
At Tonguu, they manually fill the peanut butter, allowing them to include large peanut pieces.
White Fish Tartare
The "White Fish Tartare" features white fish stuffed in a bread roll, seasoned with sweet chili sauce and tartare sauce.
Many of the Okayama Koppe products are inspired by the staff's meals.
Additionally, products bought and eaten from the deli section of supermarkets have also served as references.
This White Fish Tartare was also incorporated into the Okayama Koppe because Yoshida found it delicious when he tried it.
As a result, White Fish Tartare has become one of the popular products.
Savory Breads
At Tonguu, in addition to bagged bread, there are also many savory breads available.
A particularly noteworthy product is the "Japanese Cuisine Kiku-I x Tonguu Passion Collaboration Curry Bread" in collaboration with "Kiku-I," a Japanese restaurant in Okayama City.
Japanese Cuisine Kiku-I x Tonguu Passion Collaboration Curry Bread
The "Japanese Cuisine Kiku-I" restaurant in Okayama City, run by Mitsuki Kikui, and Yoshida from Tonguu, who once worked at the same workplace, gave birth to the "Japanese Cuisine Kiku-I x Tonguu Passion Collaboration Curry Bread".
When Kikui and Yoshida met again after a long time, the idea of creating a collaborative product together was born.
After about three months of trial and error, this curry bread was born.
You can feel the dedication and passion from the packaging as well.
Inside, the roux contains chunky pieces of meat, providing a strong impact and satisfying bite.
Desserts
Tonguu also offers refrigerated desserts.
The main products are cream puffs and pudding.
Both the cream puffs and pudding are made in-house.
The pudding uses milk from Yasutomi Farm (Asomori, Okayama), domestic cane sugar, and eggs from Soja.
In addition, seasonal limited desserts are also sold.
The 10th of every month is "Tonguu Day"
At Tonguu, the 10th of every month is celebrated as "Tonguu Day".
The services offered on Tonguu Day include the following:
- All products 10 yen off
- Sales of limited edition products for Tonguu Day
- During summer and other times, a gacha machine for children is set up
In addition to the above, various projects are carried out each month on Tonguu Day.
Tonguu Day was planned as a countermeasure against the decrease in customers due to the expansion of Aeon Mall Kurashiki and the influx of large companies into Soja, which increased the number of workers and reduced foot traffic.
The name "Tonguu" plays on the "to" in Tonguu and the "to" in the 10th (tooka).
Thanks to Tonguu Day, many customers have returned, and it has now become a well-established event among customers.
Tonguu has many popular menu items.
We conducted an interview with the representative director, Yoshida Nobuhiro.
Bakery Tonguu Data
| Name | Bakery Tonguu |
|---|---|
| Address | 1-2-3 Ekimae, Soja City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Contact | 0866-92-0236 |
| Parking | Available 10 cars |
| Business Hours | 8:30 AM - 6:00 PM |
| Regular Holidays | Monday, Sunday For other holidays (long holidays, Obon, New Year, etc.), please refer to the official Facebook |
| Payment Methods |
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| Website | Bakery Tonguu - A bakery with over 80 years of history located in front of Soja Station, Okayama Prefecture |
