Yakimanju
焼きまんじゅうSnack
Yakimanju is Gunma's grilled skewer of plain steamed buns brushed with a thick, sweet miso glaze, and it has to be eaten hot because it turns hard as it cools.
Where to eat Yakimanju
- Harashimaya Sohonke, Maebashi
The shop whose family dates the snack to 1857 in Maebashi.
- Chujichaya, Isesaki
A yakimanju shop in Isesaki, one of the towns with its own claim to the snack.
A yakimanju shop steams buns of wheat flour fermented with koji, threads them on a bamboo skewer, brushes on a thick miso sauce sweetened with brown sugar and starch syrup, and grills them until the glaze catches. Most have no filling. Shops sell take-home packs with the sauce in a separate packet so you can grill them fresh.
The snack dates from the late Edo period. Maebashi has the strongest claim: Harashima Kumazo of Harashimaya wrote that his ancestor Harashima Ruizo first sold it there in 1857, though shops in Isesaki and Numata also call themselves the originals. Wheat grew as a winter crop across southern Gunma, which helps explain why the prefecture eats so many flour foods. In 2022 the Agency for Cultural Affairs recognised yakimanju as a traditional 100-year food.
Worth knowing
- Isesaki Shrine offers a giant yakimanju at the Joshu Yakimanju Festival on 11 January each year.
Quick answers about Yakimanjuよくある質問
What is yakimanju?
Yakimanju is a Gunma snack of plain steamed buns on a skewer, brushed with a sweet miso glaze and grilled.
Does yakimanju have a filling?
Usually no. Most yakimanju are plain buns, though a few shops make them with red bean paste inside.
How do you order Yakimanju?
Order a skewer and eat it at the counter while it is hot.
When is Yakimanju in season?
Yakimanju: Year-round, and best hot off the grill, since the buns harden as they cool.