Rare Single Yaki Taiyaki in Nagano Prefecture (Taiyaki Furusato, Matsumoto City)

  • Nagano
  • Eating
Taiyaki with feathers

Matsumoto's shopping street, Namate-dori.

Stores along Nawate-dori lined up along the Metoba River
It takes about 15 minutes on foot from JR Matsumoto Station. There is Matsumoto's shopping street, Nagatte-dori, lined with unique stores. It is an essential spot for sightseeing in Matsumoto, and is also a pedestrian paradise, attracting many tourists. The symbol of Nawate-dori is a frog. The origin of the frogs is said to be because many Japanese fluvial sculpin frogs, which can only live in rivers with clean water, used to live in the Metoba River that runs right next to Nawate-dori. Today, it is difficult to see the frogs except in some upstream areas, but there are many monuments and stone statues of frogs along Watarate-dori, as well as face-framed panels, where visitors can enjoy taking pictures. Please stop by when you come to Matsumoto.
Monument and face-framed panel.
A frog with its arms crossed.

A lively store on Nawate-dori...

Exterior view. Here is another frog.
There are many souvenir stores and cafes along Nawate-dori, as well as stores where you can enjoy eating and walking around. Among them, there is one store that is particularly lively. Its name is Taiyaki Furusato. There are many tourists and local students lined up in front of the store. What kind of taiyaki are they serving?

About [Taiyaki Furusato

The mold of a single taiyaki at the storefront.
Taiyaki Furusato is a long-established shop that has been located in the vicinity of Matsumoto Castle for about 70 years. The specialty is the now rare "ippon-yaki" taiyaki. Ippon-yaki is different from the current mainstream taiyaki in which multiple taiyakis are baked at the same time by pouring the batter into a separate mold. The single taiyaki is also called "natural taiyaki," and is often featured in the media due to its rarity.
Taiyaki Furusato] Official website

Ippon-yaki taiyaki for you.

There is no space between the mold and the taiyaki.
I actually visited the store and tried the ippon-yaki taiyaki. I chose the red bean paste recommended by the store staff. I took a bite while it was still hot. The inside of the taiyaki was stuffed with a thick layer of anko (sweet red bean paste) that still had a grainy texture. The red bean paste is made by boiling Japanese azuki beans and sugar in the store, so it is not too sweet and you can enjoy eating it without hesitation. The dough was hard and well baked, with a crispy crust at the edges. In fact, this is a characteristic of Ippon-yaki. Now that ippon-yaki has become a rarity, there are only a few taiyaki shops where you can enjoy the crispy crust, and they are very rare. Nowadays, it is rare to find a taiyaki shop where you can enjoy the crispy skin.

Let's eat Ippon-yaki Taiyaki at least once!

A taiyaki-style menu.
In addition to the anko (red bean paste) flavor I enjoyed this time, Taiyaki Furusato also offers custard and chocolate flavors, sausage flavor, which is rarely seen, and taiyaki ice cream, among others. It is a perfect place to enjoy taiyaki on Nawate-dori. If you stop by Matsumoto, be sure to try Ippon-yaki Taiyaki.
We recommend the JR East View Dynamic Rail Package for travel to Matsumoto!
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