Introducing 8pan Bakery

Hello travelers! This is Aikero, writer for Sarukuma.

Today I’m introducing a charming bakery located in Nishihara Village, Aso District:
8pan (Hachi-pan).
When it comes to bakeries in Nishihara Village, there are quite a few favorites — Yosuga Pan, Keyaki Koubou, harepan, and the newly opened Odoru Companio (already covered, so stay tuned for the article!).

[CLOSED] Yosuga Pan – Komori, Nishihara Village, Aso District, Kumamoto – Hard-style breads and melt-in-your-mouth chocolate ganache sandwiches at this Nishihara bakery

Keyaki Koubou – Long-loved savory bread and whole sweet potato bread are must-tries! (Nishihara Village, Aso District)

harepan – Head to Aso every Friday! A house full of delicious bread (Futa, Nishihara Village, Aso District)

Sadly, Yosuga Pan has closed, but a wonderful new bakery has taken its place.
Meet 8pan (Hachi-pan)!
The bakery opened at the end of May 2025, run by a husband-and-wife team offering an array of unique breads that capture the flavors of Nishihara.The wife spent around 13 years as a pâtissière at a cake shop, while the husband previously worked in sales for confectionery suppliers.
The two had long dreamed of starting something together as a couple, and a bakery was the perfect fit.

To master breadmaking, they trained at BLUE LEAF, a beloved bakery in Ueki (Kumamoto City) where they had close personal ties.
Drawing on her pâtisserie background, the wife creates breads that incorporate cake-making techniques, and they plan to expand into baked sweets and cakes in the future.

I had the chance to chat with the owners about the shop, so please read on to learn more!

BLUE LEAF – A popular bakery with eat-in seating, a terrace, and even a nursing room! Plenty of seasonal and new breads (Endaiji, Ueki, Kita-ku, Kumamoto City)

The shop occupies the same building as the former Yosuga Pan, making it easy to find.
It sits along the main road through Nishihara Village, so you shouldn’t have any trouble locating it.

The parking lot has only 5 spaces in front of the shop.
Please avoid parking in surrounding areas out of respect for the neighbors.Here’s the inside of the shop.
The atmosphere is much like Yosuga Pan’s, but please note there is no eat-in space.
The breads are kept in a display case and the staff will retrieve your selections for you.

This photo shows the lineup around 10 a.m. on a weekday.
On weekends and holidays, the selection between 10 and 11 a.m. can be smaller.
Fresh batches are baked through midday, but the shop closes once everything sells out.

If you have your heart set on a particular item, visiting at opening or around lunchtime is your safest bet.
I revisited around 12:30 p.m.
Breads that had sold out or weren’t on the shelves earlier were now available, and there were about six other customers in the shop.
Visiting at different times of day can be a great way to discover something new!
＼Owner’s recommendation／
・Croquant Melon Pan – 230 yen

A name that’s just fun to say! Drawing on the wife’s pâtisserie expertise, this melon pan blends in the crunchy texture elements of a French croquant choux.
・Choco Koppe (Chocolate-filled hot dog roll) – 250 yen
・Quiche Tart – 420 yen

・Apple Pie – 420 yen
・Raisin Bread – 380 yen・Melon Pan – 230 yen
・Pork Toro Sausage Bread – 420 yen
・Pain au Chocolat – 360 yen
・Sweet Potato Bagel – 330 yen
・Cheese Honey Bagel – 330 yen
・Koppe Pan with Blood Orange – 250 yen

Blood orange marmalade is a rare find!
The roll is decorated with powdered sugar and topped with an adorable little bee charm. ♡
・Cranberry Walnut Bread – 300 yen

The jam on top is the wife’s homemade strawberry jam.・Sweet Potato An (Sweet Bean Paste Bread) – 320 yen

The homemade sweet potato paste is the husband’s specialty — he’s the cook of the family.
Made with rock sugar, his handcrafted sweet potato paste is a must-try!
The refrigerated case features sandwich breads filled with red bean butter or pistachio condensed milk!
・Rice Flour Madeleine – 200 yen

The shape is modeled after a loaf of bread — adorable and very fitting for a bakery!
Made with 100% rice flour and zero wheat.
It’s specifically designed so guests with wheat sensitivities can enjoy it too.
・Carrot Cake – 380 yen

Recommended Items at 8pan Bakery

There were so many tempting choices — after some serious deliberation, I picked these four:

・Melon Pan
・Pain au Chocolat
・Quiche Tart
・Pork Toro Sausage Bread

I should have asked for the owner’s recommendations first — guess that’s an excuse to come back!
“At first I taste banana, then chocolate — so good!”
Banana?? I was a little surprised! It’s actually filled with frangipane (almond cream), so that must be what tasted banana-like to my son.“Bread! Melon pan!” my son shouted, eagerly chomping into it.
The biscuit topping is gently sweet and the bread itself is wonderfully fluffy.
Here’s the quiche tart sliced open.
Look at those beautiful pastry layers!
It’s loaded with fillings, making it a satisfying meal on its own.
My son must have agreed — he claimed half of it for himself.
The pork toro sausage bread features a hearty, chewy hard-style dough.
It gives your jaw a workout but is so worth it.
The juicy sausage paired with the crunch of multigrain creates a perfect balance from the first bite to the last.

About 8pan Bakery

I asked the owners about their philosophy and the things customers often wonder about.

Aikero

Could you tell us the story behind the name 8pan (Hachi-pan)?

We get asked that a lot!
We wanted to include a number, and chose 8 because in Japan it symbolizes prosperity and ever-expanding good fortune (the kanji widens at the bottom). It’s also a nod to the image of bees flying through the sky.
In a beehive, worker bees devote themselves to the queen.
In that same spirit, we want our shop to support and energize the Nishihara Village community.

Owner

Aikero

What a beautiful meaning behind the name!
A lot of people must be curious about it, and it’s such a lovely story — I hope many people learn about it.

You mentioned breadmaking that draws on pâtisserie experience — are there any specialties or things you take particular pride in?

Our Croquant Melon Pan combines croquant pastry with melon pan, and I make all our jams and creams from scratch.
Going forward, we’d like to expand into baked sweets and cakes — and since we’re called 8pan, we definitely want to start using honey too!

Owner

When it comes to ingredients, we want to use products from Nishihara growers and shops as much as possible.
My husband makes the sweet potato paste with sweet potatoes sourced from Nishihara, and we’re considering bringing in sausages from Warauya, a nearby shop.
We also use strawberries from Kinouchi Farm in Aso to make our jam.

Owner

Aikero

Your love for Nishihara really shines through.
From what I’ve heard, your shop opening was made possible by many wonderful connections — and that same warmth is clearly woven into your ingredients too.

Just like a bee gathering nectar from a flower field, 8pan collects the finest local ingredients from across Nishihara Village.
The shelves are filled with breads lovingly handcrafted to bring out the very best of each ingredient.

If you’re a visitor exploring Aso and Kumamoto, why not add a Nishihara Village bakery tour to your itinerary?

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Frequently Asked Questions

*Information is current as of the time of reporting. Prices and hours are subject to change. Please confirm before your visit.