Off to the bakery!

In addition to regular sliced bread, there are a wide variety of types of bread in Japan. For example, popular Japanese sandwiches might be filled with foods such as yakisoba or croquettes. There are also pizza-like breads topped with meat, vegetables, and cheese. These hearty breads can be a whole meal in themselves. On the other hand, bread filled with sweet red bean jam or cream, cake-like steamed bread, and Danish pastries are some examples of dessert breads.
Just like other foods, each region of Japan has their own special types. When you visit Hokkaido, I recommend to search the baker’s shelves for chikuwa pan. Chikuwa is a tube-shaped fish cake, which is stuffed with tuna salad and baked into a bun to produce a “fish in a blanket”. This treat was invented at a bakery in Sapporo, and has spread through various regions of Hokkaido as a bakery favorite.
Please take a look -- and a taste -- for yourself!