A sweet temptation for all fans of My Neighbor Totoro and Studio Ghibli
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If you’re a Ghibli’s fan thinking of visiting Japan, one of the places where you should definitely visit is Shiro-hige’s Cream Puff Factory, in Setagaya (Tokyo). Setagaya is a residential area near Shinjuku popular for its more bohemian and retro-style coffee shops and stores in Shimo Kitazawa
The Studio Ghibli is probably the most famous animation company in the world, and they don’t need a presentation. Hayao Miyazaki, the founder and direct of the studio, is world renowned and admired by critics and animation fans. The souvenirs or merchandising of the Studio Ghibli films are the most wanted by foreigners as well as Japanese and the tickets of the Ghibli Museum in Mitaka are sold out after a few minutes of going on sale.
▶︎Best Ways to Get Ghibli Museum Tickets for Foreign Tourists
But although there are all kinds of objects about the films of Miyazaki and his team (towels, glasses, stuffed animals, watches, etc.) there’s only one bakery in the world with official permission to make sweets (cream puff, cookies, cakes, etc) with the shape of Totoro, one of the most iconic and popular characters of Studio Ghibli.
Shiro-hige’s Cream Puff Factory it is close to the station but in a really residential area of Setagaya, without any other stores or coffee shops nearby. That is why at the beginning it can be a bite confusing and some people think that they’re going to the wrong way. But then you will find a sign indicating that you have almost reached your destination.
It’s a small building but it has two floors. On the ground floor is the shop and the bakery where they make the sweets (cookies, cakes, etc.). You can buy your Totoro here and take it home or anywhere else. They pack it carefully inside a box for take out. But if you can’t resist the urge to try these famous cream puffs, you can savor them on the second floor of the cafe while sipping a delicious coffee or tea. And on sunny days and in good weather, there’s also a terrace on the ground floor outside the store.
The cream puffs are made only once a day, in the morning before opening. So we recommend you to go soon because once they’re sold out there’s no more until next day. There are up to eight different flavors! The bad part is that most of them are seasonal flavours and they’re available only a few specific months. The only ones that are available during all the year are cream and chocolate one.
- Green leaf: Classic cream
- Sakura blossom: Cream with Wakayama strawberries (only available from January to June)
- Mei’s hat: Yamanashi white peach cream (only available from July to September)
- Chestnut leaf: Kumamoto chestnuts (only available from October to December)
- Blue ribbon hat: Chocolate
- Yellow ribbon hat: Caramel and banana (only available from January to March)
- Yellow ribbon hat: Mango cream (only available from July to September)
- Yellow ribbon hat: Strawberry jam and cream cheese (only available from October to December)
They also make cookies, although these are less popular. But it’s a good souvenir for your Ghibli fan friends who couldn’t come to Japan this time! And if you’re living in Japan and looking something different for a special occasion, they have the option of making cakes on request! I haven’t had the pleasure of eating them but I have seen the photos and they seem suuuper yummy! At the moment I’n writing this article, they have models for Christmas cake! They have several models and all of them include a Totoro’s cream puff.
Although it’s small, the store is full of figures, stuffed animals, drawings and details about Totoro and other characters in the movie. There’re even some autographs and sketches! So we recommend you to look carefully in every corner to not miss any details.
< Shiro-Hige’s Cream Puff Factory >
 Access |
3 minutes walk from Setagaya-Daita Station/ 8 minutes walk from Shimo-Kitazawa Station exit South West |
|---|---|
 Address |
5 Chome-3-1 Daita, Setagaya City, Tokyo 155-0033, Japón |
 Business Hours |
10:30 to 19:00 |
 Closed |
Tuesday and holidays |
 Price |
1.000~ yen |
 Telephone Number |
03-5787-6221 |
 Nearest station |
Setagaya-Daita Station/ Shimo-Kitazawa Station |
If you want to know other cool and unique places to go in Tokyo check these articles too!
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Written by
From Barcelona to Tokyo. Coffee & Adventure lover🌏☕️
I started to like Japan because of the anime, music and doramas, but after my first trip to the country I found what I love the most: traveling around, the culture and history. I have travelled a lot in Japan, but I still have many places to discover that I want to share with you🙋🏼♀️ Let’s discover Japan together!
Also, as a foreigner living in Japan for over 6 years I understand what kind of things are difficult when you move here and I want to help other people in the same situation that I have in the past.
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