During this Tokyo free and easy trip, we stayed at a great location, Book And Bed Tokyo, just across from the Asakusa Kaminarimon Gate. Every day when we returned to our accommodation, we would pass by the long queue at the souvenir dessert shop “Asakusa Kamejuu“. After searching online, we found out how popular it is!
Selected as the number one souvenir castella cake by a Japanese magazine, Usagiya is a century-old shop in Japan and one of the three largest castella cake shops in Tokyo along with Kamejyu and Seijuken. They sell almost 3,000 handmade castella cakes every day, so it’s no wonder that there is a huge crowd of people as soon as they open at 10:00.
【Transportation Information】Asakusa Kameju
- Address: 2-18-11, Asakusa, Taito-ku, Tokyo
- Business hours: 10:00~20:30 (closed irregularly)
- Phone: 03-3841-2210
- Transportation: 3 minutes walk from Asakusa Station A4 exit on Toei Asakusa Line, 1 minute walk from Asakusa Station No.2 exit on Tokyo Metro Ginza Line
Asakusa Kameju is located on the Nakamise-dori street where the Sensoji Temple is situated, but it is diagonally opposite to the Kaminarimon Gate’s large lantern. It takes only one minute to walk towards the Kaminarimon Gate direction from the Asakusa Station’s Exit 2 on the Tokyo Metro.
Must Read: 9 Best Things to Do in Asakusa to Help You Capture 100 Years of Tokyo within a Day
Asakusa Kameju – Products for Sale
Due to its convenient location, Piao Er can be easily found downstairs of the hotel. Therefore, she arrived early in the morning and joined the queue with about ten groups of customers in front of her. After waiting for about ten minutes, she finally got to try the famous Asakusa Kameju. It felt like a more delicate version of Keelung Li Hoo Cake Shop in Japan. There were not many service staff at the counter, and each customer had to pick their desired products along the sales area before going to the counter. The service staff would then carefully package the selected desserts into exquisite gift boxes, which resulted in a longer waiting time. If you come in the afternoon, it is possible to wait for an hour in line!
In addition to the must-buy specialties and the daily limited “Taiwanese-style castella cake,” Gui Shi also sells Japanese-style sweets and snacks such as mochi and wagashi.
Put the golden candy into a shaped light bulb to turn it into a bean bulb.
Special Japanese snacks for the cherry blossom season, including cherry blossom mochi and sakura cakes.
Follow the queue and walk through these snacks. If you only want to buy the signature “Taiyaki”, you have to wait in line until you reach the counter to place your order. Asakusa Kameju Taiyaki is limited daily and comes in two flavors: “black filling (red bean paste)” and “white filling (white bean paste)”. The price for each is 325 yen, and if you buy them separately, you can choose not to use a gift box to protect the earth.
The shelf life of Guishitong Taro Cake is only three days, so be sure to consume it as soon as possible after purchase!
Turtle Ten – Review of Eating Copper-Plate Pancakes
The taiyaki that is not packaged in a gift box is wrapped in a paper bag. After opening it, you can directly distinguish between white bean paste and red bean paste by the “white” and “black” words on the plastic packaging, with white being white bean paste and black being red bean paste.
Upon closer inspection, the Turtle Ten Copper Cakes are much larger than regular Copper Cakes, and have a very antique feel to their appearance. The surface is charred and pitted, truly indicating that they are handmade Copper Cakes.
Black Copper Castella Cake (Red Bean Filling)
Let’s start with the commonly eaten red bean paste (black). When you take a bite, you’ll notice that the texture of the pastry is completely different from that of a regular taiyaki. It has a delicate and chewy texture like a pancake, but with a slight softness that is neither too moist nor too dry and greasy.
The red bean filling is full of red bean flavor, with distinct and dense grains, and slightly sweeter than regular Japanese dorayaki. It is recommended to pair it with Japanese unsweetened tea for a better taste.
White Copper Castella Cake (White Bean Filling)
The crust of the white bean paste has the same texture as the red bean paste, but the sweetness of the white paste is overwhelming and those who don’t like sweet food will definitely not be able to accept it. For those with a moderate acceptance of sweet food, it can be paired with unsweetened tea as an afternoon tea snack. However, those who don’t like sweet food may only be able to take three bites before being unable to handle the cloying sweetness of the white paste.
The price of Guishiten Copper Castella is twice as expensive as regular Copper Castella (almost 100 NTD for one), but their pastry skin has a refreshing and chewy texture. The red bean filling is considered above average in Japan, with good quality red beans that have a distinct texture when eaten. However, the white filling may be too sweet for those who do not like sweet foods. If you are not a big fan of Copper Castella, it is recommended to try the “black” one instead, and be sure to pair it with Japanese unsweetened tea to experience a different taste from the typical Tokyo Copper Castella.
Everything You Need to Know about Tokyo
Explore more of our adventures around Tokyo:
- Guide: A Comprehensive Tokyo Travel Guide
- Attractions: Best Places to Visit in Tokyo
- Food: Ultimate Tokyo Food Guide
- Hotel: Where to stay in Tokyo
- Tokyo Disneyland Planning Guide
Simplify Your Tokyo Trip