Anpan
Anpan typically refers to round bread buns stuffed with anko – sweet red bean paste, which is usually mashed to a smooth consistency or left with a little texture. The first ever anpan is credited to Kimuraya Sohoten, a bakery in Tokyo’s Ginza district, which developed a particular type of dough thought to please the Japanese palate, using sake yeast in favour of wheat yeast. Anko is a common feature of Japanese sweets and desserts, meaning the inclusion of the paste in sweet breads was a straightforward step for Kimuraya Sohonten’s bakers, who presented their creation to Emperor Meiji in 1875. Chindonya marching bands helped spread word of the bakery’s creation, cementing anpan’s popularity around the country. The bakery still stands, serving their generously stuffed anpan today.