Kikugawa Hakone Manju

On the bustling souvenir street directly outside Hakone-Yumoto Station, Kikugawa is one of the town’s classic sweet shops, famous for its freshly griddled Hakone manju—small, golden cakes filled with sweet bean paste that are among the most popular takeaway treats in the region. Watching the little manju being made in the window and eating one hot on the spot is a quintessential Hakone-Yumoto moment, and a box of them is one of the town’s most traditional omiyage (souvenir gifts) to carry home.

Manju are a staple of Japanese wagashi, or traditional confectionery, and the Hakone version made here is a small, round cake of light dough enclosing a filling of sweet bean paste. Kikugawa cooks them fresh in tiered griddle molds, so a steady stream of warm, fragrant manju emerges throughout the day. Eaten warm, the thin, faintly caramelised exterior gives way to a soft interior and the gentle sweetness of the bean filling—a simple, comforting bite that pairs perfectly with green tea.

The theatre of the shop is part of the appeal. Through the shop front you can watch the manju being griddled and turned in their molds, an oddly mesmerising process that draws a small crowd, and the smell of the cooking cakes drifts out onto the street. This visible, fresh-made quality is exactly what distinguishes buying here from picking up a mass-produced box—these are made in front of you and best enjoyed within hours.

For travelers, Kikugawa fits the classic pattern of Japanese travel: sampling and buying meibutsu, the local specialty foods that each region is known for, as both a treat and a gift. You can buy a couple of manju individually to eat while strolling the souvenir street, and a boxed assortment to bring back to friends, family or colleagues—gift-giving of regional sweets being a deeply ingrained Japanese custom. The shop also typically offers related confections and seasonal variations.

The location could hardly be more convenient. Hakone-Yumoto Station is the arrival point for the great majority of visitors coming from Tokyo on the Odakyu Line and the base of the Hakone Tozan Railway up the mountain, and its main street is lined with souvenir and snack shops. Kikugawa sits right in the thick of it, mere steps from the station, making it an effortless first taste on arrival or a last-minute gift stop before the train home.

Because everything is made fresh and the shop is popular, the manju are at their best bought and eaten warm rather than left for days, though boxed sets travel fine as gifts. Prices are modest, and you can buy just one or two to try before committing to a box.

For anyone wanting a small, authentic taste of Hakone-Yumoto’s food culture—fresh, traditional, inexpensive and made before your eyes—Kikugawa’s hot-off-the-griddle Hakone manju are a delightful and quintessentially Japanese little indulgence.