5 to try: Daifuku sweets

Nakano: Inaba Harihichi

Mikan daifuku, 210 yen

This wagashi shop first opened in Osaka in 1781, the first year of the Tenmei Period. Their beautifully prepared wagashi include namako mochi and large ohagi (a bean paste dumpling filled with sticky rice), as well as special seasonal sweets. Inaba Harihichi don’t actually have a branch shop outside of Osaka, so although we’ve listed them as being in Tokyo, this Nakano location is actually a workshop. The sweets they produce are sold at different department stores throughout the city, but you can also purchase them directly when it’s not a busy season (things aren't too hectic during April). Inaba Harihichi’s speciality is the Mikan Daifuku, which is filled with a small mandarin orange wrapped in white bean paste. It’s an impressive looking sweet, and we feel that with a little tweaking it could be one of the most delicious.

Inaba Harihichi map and opening hours

＞＞ Ueno: Okanoeisen Honke ＞＞

Aoyama