Hello, fellow bread lovers!
This is Cho-san, writer for [Sarukuma]!

Today’s article is a little different from the usual format. [Sarukuma] brings together three writers for a special roundtable
tasting and comparing premium shokupan from eight specialty bakeries in Kumamoto ♬
Our taste-testing team consists of Gussan, Saamama, and Cho-san — all self-proclaimed bread lovers.
For us, this was a dream come true!

Let’s start by introducing the 8 bakeries we sampled ☆

① Kakumei Towa Konokoto (“This Is What Revolution Means”)

2-loaf size
¥864
(Takahira, Kita-ku, Kumamoto City)

② Idainaru Hatsumei (“Great Invention”)

2-loaf size
¥864
(Karashima-cho, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto City) — Now closed

③ Mohaya Saiko Kessaku (“Already a Masterpiece”)

2-loaf size
¥864
(Kengun, Higashi-ku, Kumamoto City) — Now closed

④ Unmei no Ichimai (“Slice of Destiny”)

2-loaf size
¥864
(Musashigaoka, Kita-ku, Kumamoto City) — Now closed

⑤ Nogami Hanare

2-loaf size
¥864
(Minami-Tsuboi-cho, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto City)

⑥ Sakimoto

2-loaf size
¥900
(Hikari-no-Mori, Kikuyo-cho, Kikuchi-gun)

⑦ VIKING BAKERY F

2-loaf size
¥918
(Shinshigai, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto City) — Now closed

⑧ Shokupan Robosu

1.5-loaf size
¥670
(Nagamine-Minami, Higashi-ku, Kumamoto City)

From these 8 bakeries, we tasted only the plain (original) variety for a fair comparison.
First, we tore each loaf by hand to test the texture and pull of the bread.

Even before tasting, two things stood out as we tore into all 8 loaves:
The weight of each loaf was completely different!
The texture of the dough varied dramatically too!

The heaviest loaf was
② Idainaru Hatsumei (Great Invention) — incredibly dense and substantial.
A close second was
① Kakumei Towa Konokoto (This Is What Revolution Means) — equally hefty and impressive.

Looking at dough texture, we found:
① Kakumei Towa Konokoto, ② Idainaru Hatsumei, ③ Mohaya Saiko Kessaku, and ④ Unmei no Ichimai
all share a similar style — buttery, rich, and almost like Danish pastry dough.

On the other hand,
⑤ Nogami, ⑥ Sakimoto, ⑦ VIKING BAKERY F, and ⑧ Shokupan Robosu
have that classic “shokupan” character — fluffy, wheaty, and clearly different from the first four.

Then we sliced everything! ♪
At first glance they all look similar, but lined up side-by-side, each loaf revealed unique characteristics. In the photo above, they’re arranged from ① to ⑧ left to right.

Loaves ① through ④ (the Danish-style breads) were so soft they couldn’t always hold their square shape.
The four on the right, ⑤ through ⑧, kept their shape neatly.

And now — finally, the tasting! ✨

First up, ① Kakumei Towa Konokoto ♪
“So sweet!”
“It’s incredibly fluffy!”
Despite the heavy, dense feel in our hands, biting into it revealed an airy, pillowy lightness — a wonderful surprise!

Next, the very similar-looking
② Idainaru Hatsumei!
Similar in style to ①, but with subtle differences. The sweetness here is gentler than ①. You can clearly taste the kokuto (Japanese brown sugar) — a deep, mellow sweetness with rich flavor.
Next, ③ Mohaya Saiko Kessaku…
Excellent bite! A very different texture from ① and ②.
Now ④ Unmei no Ichimai.
Compared to ①, ②, and ③, this one has noticeably more chew and structure. While ① and ② are quite sweet, ③ and ④ have a much more restrained sweetness.

Now for ⑤ Nogami ♬
Wow!
Totally different from anything before it!
The moistness is unmatched!
Even the crust is fluffy and tender!

※ Confession:
From this point on, we got so absorbed in eating that we ran out of photos… Sorry!
(A writer’s true downfall! 😅)

Next: ⑥ Sakimoto.
Overwhelming wheat flavor!!
The aroma of wheat was the strongest of any loaf so far — a clear winner in that category!
Mochi-like chewiness combined with a clean bite. This is shokupan at its purest.

Then ⑦ VIKING BAKERY F…
The crust here is the most pronounced of the bunch! Plenty of bite, and the wheat flavor blooms with every chew ♪

And finally, ⑧ Shokupan Robosu.
Somewhat similar to ⑦ — a firm, defined crust on the outside, but the inside is wonderfully soft and pillowy. Each bite delivers a satisfying wheat flavor!

Honestly, before this tasting, I (Cho-san) suspected that all premium shokupan would taste basically the same.
But after sampling them side-by-side, I was proven wrong — each bakery has its own distinct personality!

Some differences are subtle and only become clear when sampling them simultaneously. Broadly speaking:
① ② ③ ④ are sweet, Danish-style doughs.
⑤ ⑥ ⑦ ⑧ are wheat-forward, classic shokupan-style doughs.

“Which is the most delicious?” comes down to personal preference, but here’s how our team voted:
Gussan, who loves sweet bread, picked ① and ② as her favorites.
Saamama and I (Cho-san), who prefer wheat-forward bread, leaned toward ⑥, ⑦, and ⑧.

If you have the chance to do your own taste test, here’s our tip:
Pick one from ① to ④ and one from ⑤ to ⑧.
The contrast makes the differences much easier to appreciate, and the comparison is so much more fun!

All three of us are bread lovers, and even though we’d each been to some of these bakeries individually, having all 8 loaves together at once was an extraordinary luxury — a truly happy moment.

Tasting 8 different premium shokupan was a dream project. The whole room was filled with the wonderful aroma of fresh bread, and we got to discover the unique character of each shop. ☆

For detailed reviews of each bakery featured here, our writers have published individual articles — please check them out for more bread inspiration!

And… stay tuned, because Roundtable Vol. 2 might be in the works! ♪

If you’d like to suggest products for our next taste-test feature, drop us a comment on Instagram anytime ☆

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※Information is current as of the time of reporting. Prices and hours are subject to change. Please confirm before visiting.