More than a Bakery

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Today’s bakery has a special place in my heart with years of memories and emotions. Coco Kirari is a family run bakery located just a couple buildings down from my house. I live in a shopping district, so all of my neighbors are clothing stores, flower shops, and of course, this bakery. The food is amazing, but more than that, the people are amazing. I practically grew up here.

This bakery is actually built from an old Machiya, which is a traditional Japanese house. My house and most of the other shops are also renovated Machiyas. Coco Kirari, in particular, just did another renovation, and the already cozy place became even cuter!!

The name is actually a combination of the first Japanese letter (consonant & vowel) from the names of each family member!

My favorite addition to the bakery is the ground in front of the entrance. Little gold letters spelling bonjour are set into the cement in an arch like shape, which is super cute me. I honestly missed it the first time I went in after the construction was over.

With this sweet welcome, I walked into the little bakery to see the day’s selection of breads. They have everything from loafs, pastries, sandwiches, and even little treats. They also have a tiny fridge of juices to enjoy your bread with. Every week, me and my grandma buy a fresh loaf of their Shoku-pan to eat for that week, and I can’t get enough!!

They also added some really cute and vintage decorations to the shelves above the bread. I really liked the playfulness of the dolls and little blocks. I also felt a subtle retro vibe from some of the older items on display.

I also got some close up shots on my favorite treats they have. As a kid I always got melon bread or one of the little scones on display here. It brings back memories of when me and my dad, along with my sister, would bring our own plates and make the 2 min walk over to pick up our freshly baked breakfast!

Today, I decided to try their new desert item that looked too good to eat. It was a simple doughnut, that had the texture of a croissant and was filled with freshly whipped dream, strawberries, and covered in chocolate. Trust me, it tasted even better than how pretty it looks.

The strawberries look like little rubies and they were super juicy. I don’t know why, but fruits just taste so much better in Japan! The best part of this bakery is that I can see them baking all the bread and making the dough while I do my shopping. I always get to catch up with the owners when I go to pick up my weekly loaf and they are both super sweet.

I love this bakery and both of them so much. They were always so sweet to me when I was a kid, and they often tell me about how crazy I was when I was kid haha. Apparently I used to run back and forth in front of their shop and they had to scold me for bothering traffic lol 😂 . Anyway, it’s safe to say this place is so much more than a bakery to me, and I hope my readers also get the chance to feel the love and warmth of Coco Kirari some day!

As always, the rest of the photos are on the photo album page, and a new TikTok & Instagram post are also up!! Happy Eating!

-Maririn 💕