Fukubishi and Kagerou Café

Fukubishi is a renowned Wakayama Prefecture confectioner that was founded in 1933 and has just a single store. Its sweets are a famous souvenir from the region, particularly for Japanese holidayers who stay at the nearby Shirahama Onsen.

The Fukubishi motto is “Confections put a smile on people’s faces.” It creates products that incorporate local flavors while being both traditional and full of originality, and is best known for three sweets: Yuzu-monaka, Hamayu, and Kagerou.

Yuzu-monaka is the oldest of Fukubishi’s three signature products, on sale since the company’s launch in 1933. A combination of yuzu and white bean paste sandwiched between two crisp rice wafers, it is popular year-round.

Hamayu is a sweet of red bean paste wrapped in gyuhi (a kind of rice cake made from glutinous rice) sandwiched between two thin and crisp wafers made from rice powder. It is named after the white crinum flowers that grow by Shirahama’s beaches.

Created in 1967, Kagerou is a sweet of buttercream sandwiched between two thin cakes that are crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. The name Kagerou means “heat shimmer” and was inspired by the ephemeral heat shimmer over ocean waves in summer. Its delicate sweetness appeals to customers of all ages, and it was even presented to Emperor Showa and Empress Kojun when they visited Wakayama for the Kuroshio National Athletic Meet in 1971. Fukubishi also sells green tea-flavored “Cha-kagerou” and other versions of the sweet inspired by the changing seasons and Wakayama’s tea culture.

Fukubishi opened Kagerou Café in 2016, the only place where Nama-kagerou, a version of Kagerou filled with freshly whipped cream, can be eaten. Several Nama-kagerou varieties are on sale at any given time, some filled with matcha cream or chocolate cream, others topped with seasonal fruits. These sweets go exceptionally well with pour-over coffee.

On weekday lunchtimes, the café also serves a range of dishes, including deep-fried pork cutlet sandwiches, spaghetti bolognese, egg sandwiches, a hamburg steak and deep-fried shrimp set, seafood gratin, and a “hearty soup” set. These sweet and savory foods guarantee delicious memories of Wakayama. Various other local souvenirs are available for purchase from PRESENT HOUSE, next to the Kagerou Café parking lot.