Shimokitazawa is a town that continues to broadcast its unique subcultures, such as vintage clothing, theater, and music.
In recent years, redevelopment around the station has transformed it into a popular tourist area, attracting many visitors not only from within Japan but also from overseas.
One of the joys of Shimokitazawa is ‘souvenir hunting,’ brimming with local charm. In this article, we’ve carefully selected 5 souvenir spots where you can casually drop by during your strolls and find gifts that are guaranteed to delight.
From trendy, photogenic sweets to time-honored flavors loved by locals for generations, we introduce renowned shops where you can take home a piece of Shimokitazawa’s profound atmosphere.
Toyonchi no Tamago Shimokitazawa Store
📍 Address: 2 Chome-37-16 Kitazawa, Setagaya City, Tokyo 155-0031, Japan
‘Toyonchi no Tamago’ is a specialty store for fresh eggs, delivered daily directly from Howa Poultry Farm in Asahi City, Chiba Prefecture. It’s located about a 3-minute walk from Shimokitazawa Station, marked by its red sign and chicken emblem.
Inside, you’ll find fresh eggs like the premium ‘O-ran’ (King Egg) and the light-tasting ‘Shiro-ran’ (White Egg). However, it’s the wide variety of lavish sweets made with fresh eggs that are immensely popular as souvenirs among travelers.
Highly recommended is the ‘Nameraka Pudding’ (Smooth Pudding), presented in a charming egg-shaped container. It features the rich, deep flavor inherent to eggs and a gentle sweetness, with the container being so adorable you’ll want to use it as a trinket box after finishing the pudding.
If you’re not fond of sweets or are looking for a snack to accompany drinks at your hotel, the ‘Smoked Eggs’ wrapped in gold and silver packaging, and the hearty ‘Egg Sandwiches’ are also a must-try. You’re guaranteed to be impressed by the quality unique to an egg specialty store.
Shirohige’s Cream Puff Factory
📍 Address: 5 Chome-3-1 1F Daita, Setagaya City, Tokyo 155-0033, Japan
About a 7-minute walk from Shimokitazawa Station, nestled quietly in a peaceful residential area right by Setagaya-Daita Station, is this Western confectionery shop. Remarkably, this is the only place in the world officially authorized by Studio Ghibli to produce and sell ‘Totoro Cream Puffs’, making it an extremely rare spot.
The shop, resembling a Western-style house surrounded by greenery, envelops you in the world of Ghibli the moment you step inside. The display case is filled with adorable Totoro-shaped cream puffs. Baked slightly firm to prevent losing shape, the fragrant choux pastry is generously filled with smooth creams like custard, strawberry, and chocolate, which vary seasonally.
Due to their cuteness and uniqueness, they are immensely popular with foreign tourists, often leading to queues on weekends and during the day. If you want to secure yours, an early visit is recommended.
If fresh pastries are difficult to carry, they also sell ‘Mori no Omiyage’ (Forest Souvenir) cookies, which have a longer shelf life and are highly appreciated as a special souvenir during your travels.
Tsukushiya
📍 Address: 2 Chome-12-8 Kitazawa, Setagaya City, Tokyo 155-0031, Japan
‘Tsukushiya’, located in Shimokitazawa Minami-guchi Shopping Street, is a long-established Western confectionery shop founded in Showa 33 (1958) and cherished by locals for three generations. Amidst the ever-evolving streets of Shimokitazawa, it retains a comforting warmth of the Showa era.
Their signature product, overwhelmingly popular as a souvenir, is the ‘Lemon Cake’. It’s a moist sponge cake with a subtle lemon aroma, coated in white chocolate. With a shelf life of approximately 20 days at room temperature, it’s the perfect souvenir for travelers covering long distances. If chilled in the refrigerator, the crisp texture of the chocolate adds an extra layer of deliciousness.
Also popular is the ‘Shimokitazawa Yaki Custard’, a fluffy castella-like cake filled with rich custard cream. Its simple yet skillfully crafted taste offers a glimpse into Shimokitazawa’s real history and daily life, unlike any flashy new sweets.
Tamaiya Honten (Senbei, Arare / Rice Cracker Manufacturing and Sales)
📍 Address: Tamaiya Building, 2 Chome-31-1 Kitazawa, Setagaya City, Tokyo 155-0031, Japan
Amidst the bustling crowds of young people and tourists in front of Shimokitazawa Station, ‘Tamaiya Honten’ exudes a retro charm, as if time has stood still. Founded in Honjo in Taisho 2 (1913) and continuously making handmade senbei in Shimokitazawa since Showa 27 (1952), it is an exceptionally long-established shop.
Inside, traditional round glass cases are lined up, filled with colorful okaki and senbei. The appeal lies in the by-weight sales style and the ease of buying individual pieces starting from around 100 yen, making it feel like a shopping trip back to the Showa era.
The senbei, carefully baked by artisans, offer an authentic taste where the savory aroma of soy sauce and the sweetness of rice spread with every bite. There’s a rich variety, including nori soy sauce senbei and arare flavored with kelp umami.
They are excellent as a thoughtful souvenir for those who don’t have a sweet tooth, or as a snack to enjoy with drinks back at your hotel. Why not take home some traditional Japanese local snacks while savoring Shimokitazawa’s history?
Baby Castella Specialty Shop Aoi Renga
📍 Address: 2 Chome-25-4 Kitazawa, Setagaya City, Tokyo 155-0031, Japan
The specialty shop ‘Aoi Renga’ in Shimokitazawa has elevated ‘Baby Castella’—often associated with festival stalls—into a serious gourmet sweet. It has also been certified as a ‘Setagaya Souvenir’, awarded to excellent products from Setagaya City.
The owner, a former pastry chef, creates an exquisite batter using a unique recipe without any commercial mixes. Its biggest feature is that ‘it tastes delicious even when cold’. While ordinary baby castella tends to become dry when cold, Aoi Renga’s version is moist and smooth, offering a rich texture and eggy flavor akin to a high-quality financier or cake.
It’s a takeout-only shop, perfect for eating on the go or taking home as a boxed souvenir. If you warm them slightly in a toaster oven at home or your hotel, the freshly baked aroma and crispness will wonderfully revive.
With a simple yet profound flavor, it’s a local sweet that Shimokitazawa boasts, guaranteed to make you exclaim, ‘This changed my perception of baby castella!’
Local Souvenirs to Color Your Shimokitazawa Memories
Shimokitazawa possesses a unique charm, where the latest trends and the good old history of the Showa era intermingle like a mosaic.
The souvenirs introduced in this article are not merely ‘delicious sweets,’ but rather exquisite items that allow you to take home the story of Shimokitazawa and the warmth of the people who live there.
From adorable cream puffs that immerse you in the world of Ghibli, to long-lasting and convenient lemon cakes from a long-established shop, and handmade senbei that even those without a sweet tooth will appreciate—envision the faces of those you’re giving gifts to, and fully enjoy your strolls and souvenir hunting in Shimokitazawa.
