Kashiwaya Usukawa Manju: Koriyama Thin-Skin Bean Buns
Kashiwaya Usukawa Manju is a Koriyama sweet with abundant azuki bean paste inside a very thin brown steamed wheat skin. Koshi-an is smooth; tsubu-an retains soft beans and has a gentler...
At a glance
| Name | Kashiwaya Usukawa Manju: Koriyama Thin-Skin Bean Buns (Usukawa Manju) |
|---|---|
| Prefecture | Fukushima |
| Region | Hokkaido & Tohoku |
| Type | Kashiwaya's steamed thin wheat skin filled generously with smooth or chunky azuki paste |
What is it?
Kashiwaya Usukawa Manju is a Koriyama sweet with abundant azuki bean paste inside a very thin brown steamed wheat skin. Koshi-an is smooth; tsubu-an retains soft beans and has a gentler sweetness. Kashiwaya began in Koriyama in 1852.
History and local context
The regular 5-, 8-, 10- and 16-piece koshi-an and tsubu-an packs have an unopened best-before period of 30 days from manufacture. Single buns and two-piece Tsuitsui boxes have 8 days. The mini 8-piece packs also have 30 days. These are the maker’s product conditions checked on 16 October 2026; seasonal and seiro products need their own labels.
The longer period followed a packaging change in June 2025. Thirty days starts at manufacture, not purchase or delivery. The official shop lists around 20 days remaining on arrival for the koshi-an 8-piece and tsubu-an 5-piece packs; this is an indication, so use the date on the actual pack for gift plans.
For a small household, a 5-piece pack keeps the quantity modest. For eight people receiving one bun each, check the wrapping unit of the 8-piece pack. Tsuitsui gives each recipient one smooth-paste and one chunky-paste bun in a small box; the five-box set contains ten buns, but its best-before period is still 8 days from manufacture.
How to enjoy it
Enjoy a bun as it is with green tea or hojicha. Smooth koshi-an emphasizes the contrast between the thin skin and fine paste; tsubu-an adds the texture of azuki beans. Mini is smaller than the regular bun.
Keep the regular products away from direct sun, heat and humidity. After opening the sealed pack, eat promptly regardless of the printed date; an individual film wrapper does not automatically preserve the original 30-day period. For a gift, leave the sealed packaging intact until the recipient opens it.
The checked koshi-an 8-piece and tsubu-an 5-piece labels list wheat. Their factories also make products containing egg and milk. If allergy is a concern, check the current product’s ingredient and factory notices, including other sweets in an assortment.
Sources and further reading
Order from Japan
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