ENGAWA ASAKUSA, a select shop in Asakusa where visitors can experience Japanese aesthetics and ideas, is serving two original wagashi-style sweets created in collaboration with Tanba black soybean specialty shop "Tanba no Kurotaro." Both are available for a limited time starting Saturday, July 11.
The store is also hosting a month-long exhibition from Thursday, July 2 through Tuesday, August 4, celebrating the top prize winners of "OMOTENASHI Selection," a program that introduces outstanding Japanese products to the world. Together with prized goods from across Japan, the lineup offers a cool way to enjoy Asakusa's summer.
Two Limited-Time Summer Sweets With Tanba no Kurotaro
The cafe and bar at ENGAWA ASAKUSA is offering two Japanese-style sweets made only for this summer in collaboration with Tanba black soybean specialty shop "Tanba no Kurotaro." Each dessert pairs the rich, nutty flavor of Tanba black soybeans with Japanese tea and shiratama (rice flour dumplings), making for a cooling treat suited to the hot season.
Tanba black soybeans are a premium variety of large, glossy black soybeans grown mainly in the Tanba region spanning Hyogo and Kyoto prefectures. Known for their deep richness and mellow sweetness, they have long been treasured in Japanese cuisine as an auspicious ingredient in osechi (New Year) dishes. "Kane Zen," the company behind the "Tanba no Kurotaro" brand, has supported food culture across Japan for more than 90 years since its founding in 1930.
Sales period: July 11 (Sat) to August 13 (Thu)
1. Mame-zukushi (All-Bean) Mini Parfait
Organic soy milk ice cream is layered with fragrant sencha (green tea) sauce and chewy shiratama dumplings, then topped with a kinako (roasted soybean flour) senbei made with Tanba black soybeans and soy milk. It's a refined, not-too-sweet summer sweet built from Japanese ingredients.
- Single item: ¥600
- Set with iced sencha or iced coffee: ¥1,000
2. "Wa no Shizuku" (Japanese Essence)
A jelly made generously with Tanba black soybean tea brings a gentle aroma, a faint bitterness, and a clean finish. It's paired with a lightly sweetened zenzai (red bean soup) loaded with black soybeans and adzuki beans, plus shiratama dumplings, for a fragrant, indulgent summer sweet.
- Single item: ¥600
- Set with iced sencha or iced coffee: ¥1,000
"OMOTENASHI Selection" Award-Winning Products on Display
From Thursday, July 2 through Tuesday, August 4, ENGAWA ASAKUSA's select shop is hosting a month-long exhibition celebrating the winners of the "OMOTENASHI Selection" awards. In the program's 2026 first-round results, announced June 23, 149 products and services from 37 prefectures across Japan received awards. ENGAWA ASAKUSA is displaying and selling all seven products that received the "Saiko Kinsho" (Highest Gold Award), the program's top honor.
Launched in 2015, "OMOTENASHI Selection" recognizes products and services judged by experts to embody the appeal of Japan that deserves to be shared with the world. Of the 149 items selected in the 2026 first round, only seven reached the Highest Gold Award. It's a rare chance to see, touch, and buy these top selections from across Japan, all gathered in one place in Asakusa.
Lifestyle & Daily Goods
Reikan-zakura (Temperature-Reveal Sakura) Series | Marumo Takagi Toki Co., Ltd. (Gifu)
Made by a Mino-yaki ceramics maker with more than 130 years of history in Tajimi, Gifu, these cups change appearance with temperature. Pour in a cold drink and once it drops below 17°C, vivid cherry blossoms bloom across jet-black branches.
Example product: "Reikan-zakura Champagne Pair" — ¥6,600
Onchakairo (Warm Tea Heat Pack) | Alolima (Saitama)
A "warming care" heat pack devised by an aromatherapist who is also a perfumer, scented with Japanese tea. The gentle aromas of Sayama tea, hojicha, and black tea combine with soothing warmth for the eyes, neck, shoulders, or stomach, depending on where it's used.
Example product: "Onchakairo for the Eyes (Green Tea)" — ¥3,300
Jet Monster Micro Dryer 02 | Ur.Salon (Tokyo)
Rethinking the idea that hair must be dried with heat, this hair dryer delivers powerful airflow that dries hair quickly while treating it gently. At about 285 grams, it folds down to fit in the palm of a hand and supports overseas voltages, making it a travel-friendly beauty appliance for everyday life.
Example product: "Jet Monster Micro Dryer 02" — ¥13,297
Food & Drink
KOKO HOTELS Original "Odashi" | KOKO HOTELS (Minacia Co., Ltd.), Shinmarusho Co., Ltd. (Tokyo)
Born from a hotel's welcome service, this tea-bag-style dashi pack lets guests enjoy a warm cup of umami right in their room. It comes in flavors representing different regions of Japan, with bilingual Japanese-English labeling for visitors to Japan.
Products: KOKO HOTELS Original "Odashi" — Hokkaido/Tohoku, Kanto, Hokuriku/Tokai, Kansai, and Chugoku/Shikoku/Kyushu regions (5 varieties), ¥162 each
YANAGI2022 / YANAGI2025 | HERLIX Co., Ltd. (Aichi)
Inspired by "Yanagikage," a cooling sake enjoyed in the Edo period, this premium hojicha liqueur blends hon-mirin and honkaku shochu with in-house roasted first-flush tea leaves, aged in oak casks. At a gentle 20% alcohol, it pairs well with ice or Japanese sweets.
Products: "YANAGI2022," "YANAGI2025" — ¥13,200 each
Midori no Rayu (Green Chili Oil) | Watanaya Co., Ltd. (Niigata)
A vivid green chili oil from a heggisoba (buckwheat noodle) shop with over 100 years of history. Its color and mild heat come from "Kagura Nanban," a traditional Niigata pepper. With the seeds and pith removed, it's approachable even for those sensitive to spice, and works well with soba, cold tofu, salad, and more.
Product: "Midori no Rayu" — ¥907
Umi no Kuni (Lake Country) Nama Cheesecake | Kobo Shushu (Shiga)
A rare-style cheesecake made generously with sake lees and local sake from six breweries around Lake Biwa. Each brewery's distinct aroma layers with the cheese's rich flavor for a complex taste — an adult sweet unique to Shiga that lets you compare sake lees from different breweries.
*This item is not sold in store, but samples are available to view.
All prices listed include tax.
Store Information
ENGAWA ASAKUSA
Under the concept of a hub connecting Japanese beauty and ideas to the world and the future, ENGAWA ASAKUSA houses a select shop stocking more than 400 items from across Japan alongside a cafe and bar supervised by a tea farmer from Saga. The store is a 3-minute walk from Asakusa Station and a 2-minute walk from Sensoji Temple, welcoming visitors from around the world.
Address: Fujita Building 1F, 2-1-16 Asakusa, Taito-ku, Tokyo
Phone: 03-5830-7480
Email: engawa_asakusa@engawa.global
Access: 3-minute walk from Asakusa Station
Hours: 11:00 AM to 7:30 PM (last order 7:00 PM)
Closed: Wednesdays
Website: https://store.engawa.global
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/engawa_asakusa/
LINE official account (Japanese only): https://line.me/R/ti/p/@266sinps
Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/sAkm6wwTUX5WSquM8?g_st=ipc
