Nozomu Hayashi, who came up with idea of “Ankomapan,” an Anko and mayonnaise sandwich (his favorite), in his student days, the recipe for which was used as the lyrics in a song, has been a great fan of “Koshian,” smooth sweet azuki bean paste, from childhood. Here, he talks about the appeal of Koshian at “Kinozen,” a Japanese confectionary shop in Kagurazaka of which he has long been patron.
[Photography: Takuyuki Saito, d’Arc : models and factory :]

——Have you liked “Koshian” since you were child?

Yes, I have. When asked, “Which would you like, Koshian (smooth sweet azuki bean paste) or Tsubuan (coarse sweet azuki bean paste),” I would choose Koshian without hesitation. I think it’s not just me, but many people in Tokyo prefer Koshian. It seems to me that Tsubuan is more popular in Kansai.

——I know you are well known for the song “Ankomapan,” with the recipe for a cold Anko and mayonnaise sandwich as the lyrics, but could you tell us the story of how you came up with the idea for the recipe?

Well, it’s not really a story, but I invented the recipe when I was staying at a holiday home in Shinshu. That was almost fifty years ago. At the time, when I felt like eating something sweet, I used to go to a long-established Japanese confectionary shop called “Obinata” in Shinano Omachi in Nagano Prefecture to buy some Anko made there and then melted it to make sweet red bean soup, or spread it on bread instead of jam.

At some point, I recalled a friend who had transferred from his school in Kansai during my student days. He used to like sandwiches containing sweet omelets and mayonnaise. My first reaction was one of disbelief, but I found it really was delicious when I tried it. Sweet omelets and mayonnaise do go well together. When I remembered this, I was sure that Anko would go well with mayonnaise too. Even now, I still sometimes make Ankomapan sandwiches.

——“Kinozen,” the shop we are visiting today, is a long-established confectioner with a shop in Kagurazaka from the end of the Edo period, but could you tell us how you discovered “Awazenzai,” a sweet azuki bean paste with millet?

Well, a student I used to teach at Toyoko Gakuen Women’s College told me about it. She asked me if I had ever had Kinozen’s Awazenzai, and recommended that I try it, so I went along to the shop and found it to be really delicious. Although not available during the cherry blossom season, the shop sells this Awazenzai only from autumn through winter, so, it’s ideal for cold seasons like this.

Ms. Kawata became known overnight for her “love of Anko” from the episode where she related that there were always cans of boiled azuki beans in her house during her childhood, so spoon could be prepared from the can to eat right away. Here, she talks on subjects such as her “Anko pilgrimage” in Tokyo and standard Anko items such as “Ningyoyaki,” doll-shaped sponge cake filled with sweet azuki bean paste, and “Ankodama,” sweet azuki bean paste balls.
[Photography: Ren Arimura, d’Arc : models and factory :]

——You say that, from your early childhood, there were always confections on hand at home, such as Anko made by your grandmother topped with rice-flour dumplings and frozen Kaitenyaki (Imagawayaki), round-shaped waffles filled with Anko that your mother used to make. After becoming a freelance announcer and coming to Tokyo, you have enjoyed “Anko pilgrimages” in Tokyo, haven’t you?

When I came to Tokyo, I was excited at the prospect of being able to try all kinds of Anko to my heart’s content. I couldn’t wait to visit famous shops in Tokyo that I had heard of. Right away, I visited places such as the three best-known Daifuku shops and three shops renowned for their “Taiyaki (Fish-shaped pancake filled with sweet bean paste),” and spent my days off going around shop after shop. Although people wondered how I could eat so much in one day, I never felt that the confectionary was too sweet to eat.

——How did you research the shops you wanted to visit?

For example, I checked on the Internet, read articles in magazines and watched TV programs on Japanese confectionary and special features on gifts that I really enjoy. Especially, “Matsushimaya,” (Sengakuji, Minato ward), which is one of the three best-known Daifuku shops, was a place I wanted to go to right away. While I was in Kansai, I had eaten Daifuku on a TV program and the delicious taste impressed me so much that I felt that I really wanted to try the freshly made product. When I actually visited the shop and tried their Daifuku, the delicious taste was even better than I had imagined. The shop had a retro style and the elegance of a long-established shop. The showcase too seemed just as it had ages ago and the proprietor who served me was kind and polite, creating an atmosphere that put me at ease.

——Do you remember any particular impressions of Anko in Tokyo after coming here?

First of all, I got the impression that there were a lot of Japanese confectionary shops. Although there are a lot of shops in places like Kyoto in Kansai too, I imagine that the reason why there are so many shops in Tokyo is probably because ordinary people too started eating confectionary like Anko when the capital was in Edo rather than when it was in Kyoto.

——There are all kinds of well-known Anko confections in Tokyo unique to specific areas such as “Kusadango,” mugwort-flavored rice dumplings, in Shibamata, Katsushika ward, or “Ogura Ice,” ice cream mixed with sweet azuki bean paste, in Yushima, Bunkyo ward, aren’t there?

Yes. I felt that was different to Kansai. There are old shops that have been in business for about one hundred years where Anko-based sweets are made incorporating new ingredients at the same time as maintaining traditions down through the ages, and this gave me the impression of the wide range of uses of Anko.

——Today, we have prepared “Ankodama,” “Mame Daifuku” (a soft round beans-mixed rice cake stuffed with sweet azuki bean paste) and “Ningyoyaki.” You’ve actually tried all these before, haven’t you?

Funawa’s “Ankodama” look cute come in all kinds of colors, and there are seasonal items such as “Sakura-an,” cherry-blossom colored Anko, so I enjoy deciding which to choose. While these are confections that are pure Anko, I feel that the sweetness is just right. While only one is enough to satisfy, the sweetness makes you want to eat more, so I think they appeal to people of all ages. The standard azuki bean type is good too, but I love Shiroan, white Anko made from navy beans. While Shiroan seems somewhat lowkey, it highlights the other ingredients it’s served with, such as strawberry Daifuku.

I have enjoyed Daifuku from a long time ago but started eating Mame Daifuku after I came to Tokyo. Of course, they have Mame Daifuku in Kansai too, but I have the impression that “Ankoromochi,” bean-paste rice dumplings, or “Shio Daifuku,” rice cake stuffed with salt-seasoned bean paste, are the more common types. I think that Mame Daifuku in Tokyo has a more distinctive red-pea flavor. The difference is slight, but the saltiness of the beans brings out the sweetness and I really like the balance between the two.

The word “Ningyoyaki” brings images of Tokyo to my mind. The first thing that comes to mind is Tokyo confectionary that also makes an ideal gift. I’ve enjoyed Ningyoyaki since when I lived in Kansai, but after trying it after coming to Tokyo, I feel that Ningyoyaki in Tokyo and Kansai each has unique features. The shape differs, of course, but the taste is also different depending on the amount of Anko inside and the way the confectionary is baked, for example. While Ningyoyaki is delicious even cold, it’s also nice to go to a shop and eat freshly made Ningyoyaki. I also like Ningyoyaki that is so hot it almost burns my tongue with thick Anko oozing from the edges.