Asakusa Kagetsudo

Asakusa Kagetsudo is extremely proud of their jumbo melon pans, and most of all, for its fluffy and crispy texture that they attribute to their secret fermentation method. Unlike ordinary bread that ferments only for 40-60 minutes, Asakusa Kagetsudo ferments their melon pan for over 3 hours. This is typically considered a taboo in the industry as the bread becomes over-fermented, developing an alcoholic smell, and doesn't puff up like typical bread dough. In order to counter this, Asakusa Kagetsudo uses their own method of fermentation that resembles the nihonshu (日本酒, Japanese rice wine) brewing process more than it does the typical bread fermentation process. The dough is kept in a state where the yeast is closely monitored and kept active for a longer time period, leading it to puff up into the jumbo bread that they sell today. The baking method also changes based on the season in order to keep the product at the top quality, after all, fermentation is greatly affected by temperature, humidity, and condition of the flour, which also varies greatly by season. The lessons from the founder who specialized in fermentation continue to be passed down through the generations in order to continue selling the best quality melon pan.

Asakusa Kagetsudo was founded in 1945 by its founder who had majored in Fermentation at the Tokyo University of Agriculture. Before opening Asakusa Kagetsudo, he worked for over 10 years in research for the flour milling industry. He then used all the knowledge he built up over the years to create the jumbo melon pan (メロンパン, Meron Pan) that Asakusa Kagetsudo still sells today.