About the Shop

Hello travelers!
It’s Binako, your SaruKuma writer, here to bring you another tasty discovery from Kumamoto.

Today’s spotlight is on Tanuki no Shippo Honpo, a charming sweet potato sweets shop that opened on December 14 in Saburo, Higashi-ku, Kumamoto City.

“Tanuki no Shippo” — literally “Raccoon Dog’s Tail”!
The name alone had me hooked!

There’s room for one car to park right in front of the shop.

Candied sweet potatoes… sweet potato tempura…
sweet potato soft serve…
Hmm, decisions, decisions!

The customer waiting behind me and I bonded over the menu, chatting back and forth: “Which one looks good to you?” “Tough call, isn’t it!” — we had a wonderful time agonizing over the choices together.

Recommended Menu

Here’s the menu lineup:
Kumamoto-grown Beni Masari Sweet Potato Tempura — 5 pieces / 400 yen
Sweet Potato Tempura “Senba Tanuki no Shippo” — 5 sticks / 450 yen
Kumamoto-grown Beni Masari Candied Sweet Potatoes — 400 yen
Sweet Potato Tempura Soft Serve (made with house-roasted sweet potato paste) — 420 yen

Karaage fried chicken (soy sauce / salt / spicy tomato chicken flavors)
100g, 3 pieces — 250 yen
200g, 6 pieces — 500 yen
300g, 9 pieces — 750 yen, etc…

Karaage & Sweet Potato Tempura Set
(9 karaage pieces + 4 sweet potato tempura) — 1,000 yen

Karaage Bento — 500 yen
Karaage Bento (with mini candied sweet potatoes) — 600 yen

An absolute parade of mouth-watering options!
But today, I had my heart set on the silver-prize-winning Tanuki no Shippo…

I went with the Sweet Potato Tempura “Senba Tanuki no Shippo” — 5 sticks / 450 yen!

If you know the Japanese folk song “Antagata Dokosa,” you’ll catch the playful reference here — “Senba” appears in this beloved children’s song from Kumamoto, and locals can’t help but hum along.

And just look at them — they really do look like raccoon dog tails!
So cute, with adorable black sesame seeds sprinkled on top.
Fresh out of the fryer, they were piping hot, fluffy, and smelled heavenly.

So sweeeeet!
The sweet potato inside is moist and pillowy, with such a deep natural sweetness.
The lightly salted, crispy batter creates the perfect contrast — I couldn’t stop reaching for more.

The black sesame adds the loveliest finishing touch.

At Tanuki no Shippo Honpo, the natural sweet potato flavor really shines — sweet, satisfying, and absolutely delicious.
The shop staff were warm and welcoming too.

If you love sweet potatoes, this place is a must-visit!
Go check it out for yourself — you won’t regret it!

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Frequently Asked Questions

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