Founded in the first year of the Meiji era, "Tamai-do Honpo" is a long-established Japanese confectionery store that continues to walk alongside the history of Tamashima.

The shopping street of Tori-machi in Tamashima, Kurashiki City, exudes a Showa retro atmosphere.

A little further down the arcade is Tamai-do Honpo, which was established in the first year of the Meiji era (1868) (hereafter, Tamai-do). It is a long-established Japanese confectionery store loved across generations in Tamashima, where tea culture thrives.

Of course, famous sweets from Tamashima such as "Mizu no Tani-sama" and "Ryo-kan Manju" are popular, but also well-loved are Western confections like pound cake luxuriously made with rum-soaked fruits and apples, and waffles with fluffy dough and exquisite sweetness of custard cream.

Continuing the legacy of a long-established Japanese confectionery store must require considerable determination. I wanted to ask the current owner about the thoughts behind their confectionery, so I headed to the store.

The history of Tamashima and the long-established Japanese confectionery store "Tamai-do Honpo"

Tamai-do was born in the first year of the Meiji era (1868) as a general goods store.

After being affected by shortages of ingredients and price hikes due to the war, it began its journey as a Japanese confectionery store after the war. Tamashima once thrived as a port town, bustling with many sailors and merchants.

In this lively port town, tea culture took root, and Tamai-do has a history of over 150 years.

A warm atmosphere that brings comfort inside the store

Upon entering the store, I was greeted by Bessho-san and the lovely smiling proprietress.

In the showcase, in addition to the famous sweets from Tamashima, there are also Western confections such as roll cakes and pound cakes.

It seems that both traditional Japanese sweets and Western confections are popular.

The third generation, Bessho Yoshiharu, values tradition while developing products that suit the times

The current owner is the third generation, Bessho Yoshiharu.

He learned the techniques of Western confections at a confectionery school and trained at Western confectionery shops and Italian restaurants in Tokyo after graduation.

Bessho-san is inheriting traditional Japanese confectionery techniques while also incorporating new ingredients and methods, making efforts that align with the times.

Traditional sweets made for generations in Tamashima

At Tamai-do, sweets derived from the local area are made. The representative ones are the following three types.

"Mizu no Tani-sama" is a Japanese sweet named after Mizutani Katsutaka, the lord of Bitchu Matsuyama Castle, and is made by wrapping white bean paste and gyuhi (sweet rice cake) in a thin skin.

"Hachiman" is a Japanese sweet named after a local place name.

"Ryo-kan Manju" is a Japanese sweet named after Ryo-kan, who is associated with Tamashima.

Tamai-do has been loved by the local community.

To inherit a long-established business carries responsibilities and burdens beyond imagination. Bessho-san has paved his own way while valuing tradition, developing new products and engaging in local revitalization activities.

I interviewed Bessho-san about his commitment to making Japanese sweets and his thoughts on the community.

Data on Tamai-do Honpo

Name	Tamai-do Honpo
Address	2-6-14 Tamashima, Kurashiki City
Contact	086-522-2251
Parking	Available There are two parking areas. ・A parking lot for shoppers is located before the shopping street. ・There is one parking space for Tamai-do Honpo immediately to the right after entering the shopping street. Since vehicle traffic is prohibited in the shopping street, please refrain from driving beyond the parking lot.
Business Hours	8:30 AM to 6:00 PM
Regular Holidays	None
Payment Methods	Cash PayPay, LINE Pay, Rakuten Pay, Merpay, au PAY
Website	Official Instagram of Tamai-do Honpo

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