Anko (red bean paste) is the defining feature of Japanese sweets. Typical types include red bean paste made from red beans, white bean paste made from white beans, and green peas, but depending on the method of preparation, it can be divided into smooth bean paste and chunky bean paste. There are also bean pastes that are made to suit the season, so there is a truly wide variety of bean paste in Japan.

Senshuan Souhonke, with its main store in Horaicho, is a long-established Japanese confectionery store in Hakodate that sells sweets that are particular about red bean paste only in the southern Hokkaido area. It is a famous store that everyone in the city knows.

Senshuan Souhonke, the foundation of Hokkaido sweets

Senshuan Souhonke was founded in 1860 when the founder, Yoshibei Sasaki, a feudal lord of the Akita domain, started selling sweets in Hakodate. This was around the time when Hakodate was opened to foreign trade by the Treaty of Peace and Amity between the United States and Japan and Western culture was gradually introduced. At that time, they sold sweet bean jelly made from kelp and butterbur soaked in honey.

In the Meiji era, they started selling not only Japanese sweets, but also sweets with Western accents. The deliciousness of their sweets attracted many craftsmen to train at Senshuan Souhonke, which then branched off from them. Thus, Senshuan stores named after various places in Hokkaido were born, and their techniques are still passed down in Sapporo and Obihiro today.

Our commitment to using different bean paste for each product

Throughout its history, Senshuan Souhonke has developed a variety of products. Since its founding, the shop has been committed to kneading the sweets by hand, with craftsmen carefully finishing each one. Surprisingly, all of the products use bean paste with different sugar content and hardness, totaling more than 50 varieties.

When we asked Hiromi Horita of the Product Department for more details, he told us, "The finished taste of the product, the manufacturing process, the season... we take all of these conditions into consideration, and our craftsmen spend about three days making the red bean paste in a place called the 'anko-ba', so that the finished product is in the best possible condition."

For example, their signature product "Dorayaki" has a slightly viscous bean paste filling that blends well with the batter and allows you to enjoy the deliciousness of the red beans. "Hakodate Sanpo", a popular souvenir, has a slightly moist bean paste filling that takes into consideration the sweetness of the castella batter and the baking time. It is precisely because of their continued dedication to pursuing the deliciousness of sweets that never get old that they have been loved by the people of Hakodate for so long.

An eat-in space where you can enjoy the history of Hakodate through sweets and drinks

In May 2024, Senshuan Souhonke renovated the historic storehouse attached to the store to create an eat-in space, in conjunction with a renovation of the storehouse due to the aging of the building. "We had long been receiving requests from locals, as well as tourists, for an eat-in space," and so the open design and use of colors reminiscent of the bricks of the western Hakodate area create a relaxing space.

You can also enjoy some of the products sold in the store with tea or coffee in the space. The tea leaves are from Maruyamaen Tea Shop and Sanwaen, and the coffee beans are from Jujiya Coffee, both long-established stores in Hakodate. Enjoying sweets and drinks in a historic building will give you a taste of the good old days of Hakodate.

A new challenge from Senshuan Souhonke, which has been working with bean paste for a long time

At the same time as the store was renovated, new confectioneries incorporating new ideas were also sold. The cake-like "Souffle Dorayaki Fukuru" and the "Goho Castella," made with sake lees from Hakodate Jozo's "Goho" brand and pure rice ginjo sake, have a moist texture and gorgeous aroma and are only available at the main store.

In addition, the new brand "an'd an" was announced at the same time, and its concept is "a fusion of homemade bean paste and Western ingredients." This is a genre that "Senshu-an Souhonke" has not had before, and it falls into the category of neo-wagashi. "We wanted to mix the essence of Japanese and Western cultures and develop sweets that go well with not only tea, but also coffee and alcohol." This is a new challenge for Senshu-an Souhonke.

"Senshuan Souhonke takes great care in making our bean paste. We have been a favorite of people in southern Hokkaido, especially in Hakodate, for a long time, but I think there is a strong image that Japanese sweets are only bought by older people. From now on, we would like to develop products and open stores that can be enjoyed by younger generations and families," says Hotta. Even after more than 160 years since its founding, this long-established store continues to protect what is important and continue to innovate, giving us a glimpse of the potential of bean paste.

---

Senshuan Souhonke Main Branch
Phone: 0138-23-5131
Address: 9-9 Horaicho, Hakodate, Hokkaido
Access: 1 minute walk from Hakodate City Tram "Horaicho" station
HP: https://sensyuansohonke.co.jp/
Social Media: https://www.instagram.com/sensyuansohonke/
*For details on opening hours and holidays, please check the link above.