■The Charms of Hakkōya KOGURA, the Café & Bakery Run by a Sake Brewery
▲At the brewery shop, you can sample and compare different Japanese sakes.
The interior has a modern-retro atmosphere that feels relaxed and inviting. True to its sake-brewery roots, the shop is particular about kōji, and the natural-yeast bread dough is made using the waters of Tenryō Hita — the same water used in the sake-brewing process — giving it a characteristically soft, pleasant texture. As soon as you bite into the Ginjō Anpan, a clean sake-lees aroma drifts right through your nose. The slightly textured koshi-an filling is blended with sake lees from Kuncho Shuzo's prized daiginjo. I took mine home as takeout and warmed it up in the microwave, which made the aroma bloom even more.
▲Around 5–6 varieties of bread are always available. You can also eat in at the shop.
Other options include a sakura anpan, salt bread, and mentai (spicy cod roe) bread. While mentai bread at other shops tends to come in a harder-dough style, here the soft dough melds beautifully with the mentai for a well-rounded flavor. It pairs well with coffee, but also goes wonderfully with a warm cup of green tea or hōjicha.
■A "Fermentation Lunch" Packed with Fermentation Wisdom
▲The menu keeps it simple with a single lunch option: one soup, three sides, and a dessert.
You can also enjoy a "fermentation lunch" at KOGURA. The dishes are loaded with fermentation wisdom at every turn — think "Tenryō mochi-pork grilled with shio-kōji," miso soup made with sake lees, and panna cotta sweetened with amazake. It's a colorful, satisfying, body-friendly spread.
▲The sweetness is gentle and never cloying — a quality unique to amazake. A matcha flavor also appears in summer.
In the frozen display case near the register, amazake ice cream bars are lined up in a row. They have a slightly firm, crisp texture and go down easily without feeling too indulgent — practically a guilt-free dessert. Depending on the season, when I visited in summer these were nearly sold out just past midday, just like the anpan.
Whether you're a sake lover or not, this brewery's anpan has something for everyone, young and old alike. It's satisfyingly hefty in the hand, and one bun is genuinely filling — a must-try whenever you visit Hita.
*Photos and text by Megumi Moto*
【SHOP INFO】
Hakkōya KOGURA / Kuncho Shuzo
Address: 5-21 Mameda-machi, Hita City, Oita Prefecture
Hours (café): 9:30–16:30 (L.O. 16:00)
※ Lunch: 11:30–14:30 (L.O. 14:00)
Closed: Wednesdays
Kuncho Shuzo Website
【AUTHOR PROFILE】
Megumi Moto | Works for a food manufacturer in Fukuoka Prefecture. Focusing mainly on ingredients and food products from Kyushu, she explores items that feel trustworthy from both a manufacturer's and a consumer's perspective, paying close attention to raw materials and production processes. Certified Food Analyst, Level 2.
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