Asakusa, a town that retains the atmosphere of old Japan, is lined with shops where you can enjoy sweet treats. This time, we visited Asakusa Izumi, a sweet shop that was founded by the owner, Mr. Imaizumi, who was born and raised in Asakusa, and has been loved by the residents of Asakusa for 26 years.

Anmitsu filled with the taste and attention to detail of the family

Anmitsu, one of Japan's most famous Japanese sweets, is a taste that Imaizumi remembers fondly from his family. The reason behind the founding of Izumi was his desire to "have people enjoy delicious anmitsu in a nice shop."

Imaizumi reminisces nostalgically, "When I was little, my grandmother would make anmitsu as a snack. I learned how to make it by watching her make red bean paste and simmering red peas to make mitsumame."

Because it is a Japanese sweet that has been familiar to us since childhood, Izumi is extremely particular about the taste of Anmitsu. Izumi's Anmitsu was created by using carefully selected ingredients and pursuing a harmonious taste as anmitsu.

"We make mitsumame by boiling red peas from Tokachi in our shop. Our agar is a blend of several types of agar. We aimed for a taste that would be truly delicious to us."

Imaizumi-san deliberately avoids revealing the exact origins of his ingredients, and you can sense his deep commitment to them.

The most popular item is the cream anmitsu. With one bite, the rich yet gentle sweetness of the brown syrup spreads throughout your mouth, and you can enjoy the lightly sweet bean paste, juicy fruit, and crisp agar.

The bamboo forest-themed interior reflects Japanese culture

The interior of Izumi is a Japanese-style space where you can view the bamboo forest and garden. Aiming to create an interior that would make Izumi feel like "I want to spend time with important customers," the restaurant was renovated to its current form four years ago.

"The bamboo forest, where I often went to play when I was a child, is one of the original landscapes for me. There is a bamboo forest in Kyoto that has become a tourist spot, and I wanted people to enjoy it in Asakusa as well," says Imaizumi. The interior is filled with the result of thinking about what can be done to increase the appeal of the tourist destination of Asakusa.

The paintings on the walls were done by Imaizumi's grandfather, an illustrator who was known as Hikaru Tashiro. From the products to the interior design, the store is packed with Imaizumi's life.

In order to create this space, Imaizumi studied Japanese gardens and the culture of the tea ceremony, and incorporated traditional techniques into the creation.

"The Japanese garden inside the restaurant was created by an actual gardener. Because we are a town with many foreign tourists, we wanted to create an authentic garden that would look natural even to people with a deep knowledge of Japanese culture."

Enjoying anmitsu while gazing at the bamboo forest brings a sense of calm. During our interview, we saw regulars who visited the shop as a way to treat themselves, as well as foreign tourists with shining eyes smacking their lips while gazing at the bamboo forest and garden.

Unique Anmitsu and summer-only shaved ice

▲ "Wine Anmitsu" is characterized by its wine-colored syrup. The subtle grape flavor goes well with the anmitsu.

Having enjoyed anmitsu since he was a child, Imaizumi senses new possibilities in anmitsu and has created original products such as "Wine Anmitsu" and "Apricot Anmitsu."

"Wine Anmitsu is a product that is eaten by pouring a mixture of wine and honey over it. Fruit and wine, and fruit and anmitsu, go well together, so I was convinced that wine and anmitsu would also go well together."

At Izumi, you can enjoy shaved ice only during the summer (May to October). The strawberry, apricot, and plum syrups are all homemade in the shop. Of course, there is also Uji Kintoki, which can be enjoyed with red bean paste. In the winter, you can enjoy zenzai and oshiruko, making this a shop where you can enjoy different things depending on the season.

"I have pursued delicious food and an atmosphere that I myself find valuable. I want Izumi to be a restaurant that customers who find value in it can continue to enjoy."

Mr. Imaizumi, who has been watching the town of Asakusa for a long time, has created a sweet shop called "Asakusa Izumi" that is filled with his memories and passion for his family. This shop has been loved by the residents of Asakusa for its pursuit of true deliciousness and a high-quality space, and while retaining the atmosphere of the Edo period, it is a sweet shop that continues to evolve by accepting new things and is representative of Asakusa.

Asakusa Izumi

電話番号：03-5806-1620

Address: Famille Asakusa 1-chome, 1-8-6 Asakusa, Taito-ku, Tokyo

Access: 5 minutes on foot from Asakusa Station on the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line

HP:https://g491400.gorp.jp/

*For details on business hours and holidays, please check the link above.