First up, we have CLUB HARIE B-studio, renowned for its Baumkuchen and nestled in the basement of Tobu Department Store.

Originally starting in 1951 as the Western confectionery arm of the traditional Japanese sweets shop Taneya, CLUB HARIE quickly made a name for itself. Its in-house baked Baumkuchen became so popular that customers from all regions made a point of visiting, and the bakery never saw a lull.

As CLUB HARIE expanded, opening outlets in department stores across Japan with Baumkuchen as its flagship product, the name CLUB HARIE became synonymous with this beloved cake.

All of CLUB HARIE's Baumkuchen are handmade by artisans who have undergone at least three years of training in Shiga Prefecture. Naturally, there's a commitment to the process of making Baumkuchen, with each layer carefully baked by the artisans who pour their hearts into their work.

The flavor of CLUB HARIE's Baumkuchen is gentle and finely textured. The perfect level of sweetness enhances the simple ingredients, giving the cake a rich depth. Perhaps due to its origins in a Japanese sweets shop that also offered Western confections, CLUB HARIE's Baumkuchen possesses a delicacy reminiscent of traditional Japanese sweets despite being a Western treat.

The outer icing is incredibly moist yet offers a crisp texture. Each delicate layer of the small Baumkuchen represents the heartfelt dedication and attention to detail of the shop.

CLUB HARIE's Baumkuchen has become a classic gift among Japanese people, perfectly matching any age group with its sweetness and texture, and its luxurious, delicate taste makes it an ideal choice for visiting guests or as a souvenir when returning home.

This time, I'd like to introduce a special item with a shelf life of only one day: the "Cut Baum." To preserve the texture of the outermost sugar layer, the sugar isn't applied at the Shiga Prefecture factory but rather by artisans at the store where it's sold.

Priced at 540 yen, it's an affordable way to enjoy a high-quality Baumkuchen, but since the icing is done in-store, it needs to be consumed on the day of purchase. If you're fond of the Cut Baum, consider the Ikebukuro store-exclusive gift box that comes in an owl-themed package with a comparatively longer shelf life. It's another great option to enjoy with family and friends.

Santino is also located on the basement floor of Tobu Department Store. It's a natural bakery that exudes the warmth of handmade goods. The name Santino carries two meanings: "from the producer" and "from Mr./Mrs. ___'s house," reflecting warmth and dedication right from its name.

Santino places a high emphasis on health in addition to deliciousness, with all breads being additive-free and handmade. Despite its small storefront, it's incredibly popular and always bustling with customers. Today, we're introducing two products, both of which are chocolate ball breads that fit snugly in the hands of the friendly store manager.

There are two types of chocolate ball bread available. One is the "Black Hole," which consists of a dark chocolate ball enveloped in chocolate bread, and the other is "Hole in One," featuring a white chocolate ball wrapped inside matcha bread. The names themselves hint at the adorable and creative ideas behind these treats.

The development idea behind the "Black Hole" was to extract the most delicious part of a chocolate croissant, create a ball by coating puffed rice with chocolate, and then encase it within chocolate bread. This results in an interesting texture that allows you to enjoy a chewy sensation, followed by the rich aroma of the bread. The chocolate ball itself is crunchy and granular, but it gently melts in your mouth, offering a multi-layered experience of flavors and textures.

This is the "Hole in One," featuring a white matcha chocolate ball. It contains a white ball made by coating puffed rice with white chocolate, nestled inside matcha bread. It truly resembles a golf ball!

This bread also has a chewy texture, and the white ganache is slightly sweeter than the dark chocolate, complementing the matcha bread well. Both the dark and white chocolate versions are delicately crafted and filled with creative ideas, making them highly recommended treats.

In addition to the two items introduced today, the store boasts a wide variety of delicious breads made with carefully selected ingredients. Each piece is handmade by the bakers, infused with dedication and care. The flavors are not only delightful but also creatively varied in taste and name.

Despite its modest size, the bakery enjoys immense popularity. Particularly around the end of the workweek, the breads inside sell out very quickly. The two items we discussed today are especially popular, so it's advisable to buy them early to avoid missing out.

The origin of the name Mihashi dates back to around the 10th year of the Genroku era during the Edo period. It is said to derive from "Mihashi" (三橋), meaning three bridges, which were built over the river flowing from Shinobazu Pond.

After opening in front of Ueno Park, Mihashi now boasts 8 stores across Tokyo. Today, I'll take you to the Tobu Ikebukuro store. This store was just renovated in May 2018, offering a spacious and pleasant space.

In addition to its signature anmitsu, the store also offers seasonal products and light meals such as ozoni. Anmitsu can be enjoyed inside the store or taken out. If you have some time to spare, it's nice to take a break and enjoy some sweets in the store, or if you're on a tight schedule, taking it back to your hotel to savor at your leisure is also a great option.

First up, let's talk about the shop's popular menu item: anmitsu. It's a delightful mix of agar-agar, smooth red bean paste, mochi, red peas, and mandarin oranges, all drizzled with black sugar syrup. Each ingredient is carefully selected for its quality. The smooth red bean paste is made from top-grade adzuki beans from Hokkaido's Tokachi region, chosen personally by the artisan who makes a special trip to Tokachi each year to select them.

The preparation method is simple: the adzuki beans are cooked and stirred in a copper pot, with just sugar added. The secret to its deliciousness lies in using fresh adzuki beans and slowly cooking them over an extended period, resulting in a smooth texture that perfectly complements the agar-agar and beans.

Next in importance to the smooth red bean paste in anmitsu are the red peas. Preparing these peas alone takes two days. First, they are carefully cooked for three hours, and then the next day, they are steamed using a bamboo steamer. Only then do you get red peas that retain their firm texture, offering a refreshing bite.

Another crucial ingredient in anmitsu is, without a doubt, agar-agar.

Made using tengusa seaweed harvested from the seas of Shizuoka, the quality of the agar-agar is paramount, given that it has no taste of its own. The most important aspect of good agar-agar is its "freshness." From Mihashi's agar-agar, one can appreciate the freshness, the unadulterated taste, and a texture that is smooth and elastic on the tongue, offering a visually sparkling appearance that seems to make the heat fade away. This refreshing texture is something you might not find elsewhere.

After introducing three department store basement sweets, we're finishing with the editorial team's favorite: Fukuroshosabo Cafe. It's a unique and pleasant library-style cafe that offers a distinctive atmosphere.

This cafe, themed around "books," showcases creativity at every turn. As you enter, you're immediately welcomed by shelves filled with books.

Fukuroshosabo Cafe isn't just any cafe; it doubles as a clandestine bookstore. It features about a thousand books curated by Kyohei Yanagita, the proprietor of the distinctive "Kamome Books." The pairing of books and coffee is intriguing, but might not seem unique at first. However, imagine discovering that each book cover has been meticulously crafted. How would that enhance your experience?

This is actually the most distinctive feature of Fukuroshosabo Cafe. All books sold here are wrapped in original book covers, so not only can you not choose a book by its cover, but you also can't see the title. The only clue to the content is a brief "blurb" of about 100 characters written by Mr. Yanagita. Deciding whether a book matches your taste relies solely on this short introduction.

What's more intriguing is the process of choosing a book. As you randomly pick up a book and read its blurb, you're guided to select the next book by a specific instruction, leading you to books that resonate with your heart.

It's like a treasure hunt, allowing you to explore to your heart's content within the world of books. Each book is numbered, so some customers choose books based on their birthday number or a significant number to give as a gift!

Fukuroshosabo Cafe boasts a spacious design, with seating areas divided into three main sections. Each area has its own unique features. For instance, the area to the right of the entrance feels like a grand palace, with its high ceilings and beautiful tables giving off an aura of dignity.

The individual seats to the left of the entrance evoke the elegance of study desks in a historic European library. Equipped with authentic library lamps, the spacious desks eliminate any feeling of confinement typically associated with single seating.

Moving further in, you enter a space filled with light, creating an ambiance reminiscent of being at a resort. It's a perfect spot not just for enjoying sweets while reading a book but also for having a pleasant and relaxed time with close friends.

The sweet treat I'm introducing today also carries the book-themed creativity of the cafe: the "BOOK Chiffon."

The BOOK Chiffon is designed to resemble a thick book with whipped cream sandwiched in between, offering a simple yet charming appearance.

Its texture is soft and melts in your mouth, reminiscent of cotton candy. The cake itself is tender and fine-textured, with a rich aroma. The whipped cream in the middle is whipped just right, preventing it from melting too easily. Maintaining a certain resilience while being subtly sweet, the BOOK Chiffon pairs wonderfully with coffee.

The Strawberry Mille-feuille combines rich-textured layers with ample custard filling and adorable strawberries topping the pastry, satisfying one's maidenly heart.

With its rich custard, crispy pastry layers, and fresh, sweet-sour strawberries, this dessert surprises with its multi-layered finish. It's a warm and comforting treat that brings happiness to those who indulge in it.