Located halfway between Sapporo and Asahikawa, Shintotsukawa is one of the best rice-producing areas in Hokkaido. The town produces high-quality, delicious rice in a lush green environment with rich soil spreading out between mountains and rivers. Have you ever heard of a small bakery that opens only once a week in such an idyllic rural area? In this issue, we will introduce you to “Tambo no Oyatsu,” a popular store offering authentic rice-flour bread and sweets made with home-grown rice.
Here is where the Tanbono Oyatsu are located!
Shintotsukawa-cho, where Tambo no Oyatsu is located, is about 1 hour and 20 minutes from Sapporo by expressway.
If you do not use the expressway, it takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes, 75.2 km from Route 275, depending on congestion.
With JR, the nearest stations are Sunagawa or Takikawa, both of which are about a 10-minute drive to the store. Unfortunately, buses do not seem to run nearby, so we recommend driving.
If you are coming from far away to visit this popular restaurant, it is best to leave as early as possible to be on time for the opening time (11:00).
About “Tanbono Oyatsu Paddies” & Background to OPEN
Tambo no Oyatsu opened in August 2021 in Yayoi, Shin Totsukawa-cho.
The bakery is vegan and gluten-free, using 100% naturally grown “Yukihikari” rice from her family’s Takayama farm.
The owners, Mr. and Mrs. Kimura, had been selling rice-flour sweets through an online store without a store before. They started making vegan and gluten-free sweets because of their child’s atopic dermatitis and food allergies.
His wife, a confectionery school graduate with skills in confectionery and baking, began her own research and development of snacks that everyone could enjoy together, regardless of whether they had allergies or not.
She then launched an online store and began taking orders.
Kimura’s flour-, egg-, dairy-, white sugar-, and synthetic flavor-free confections have become so popular that she regularly receives thank-you notes from buyers all over Japan.
Not long after that, the company decided to open its current store in Shin Totsukawa-cho, where the wife is from, out of a desire to “hear customers’ voices in person.
Regardless of allergies, age, etc., “everyone can eat” is the concept of Tambo no Oyatsu.
Generally speaking, wheat-free, egg-free, and dairy-free snacks tend to be perceived as “not tasty.
Every day, we are faced with the challenge of dispelling this image and creating something delicious without feeling uncomfortable.
I think I’m still a work in progress.”
Kimura says, always with humility.
The owner’s attitude of continuing research and effort even now that he has his own restaurant is simply mind-boggling.
From 2023, a wood-fired stone kiln will be installed in the workshop. (It’s the first gluten-free oven in Japan!)
The first rice-flour hard bread I encountered and was impressed by was baked in this wood-fired oven.
Not only hard breads, but also side dishes, breads, tarts, doughnuts, and soft serve ice cream are all of high quality. You will almost forget that they are vegan and gluten-free.
Currently, in addition to the weekly Shin-Totsukawa storefront and online store, the company also has occasional stalls at events throughout the province.
For event and store opening information, please visit the official Instagram listed at the end of this article.
The author first encountered Tambo no Oyatsu’ bread at an event in Sunagawa!
Breads and sweets in store
Upon entering, you will find an array of delicious-looking breads and baked goods, from hard breads such as campagne and baguettes to tartines, focaccia, curry bread, bread sticks, tarts, scones, and more….
Bread lovers like the author will be thrilled to see this.
No, you don’t have to be a bread lover to be excited about this.
Of course, all the breads and baked goods on the line are made with rice flour and contain no wheat, eggs, dairy, white sugar or synthetic flavors.
Ms. Kimura said that he had also planned to have donuts on display here, although he was not able to get around to it due to a combination of events that day.
No, no, no, no, it is amazing that you can make so many different kinds of products almost by yourself.
I am rather grateful…!
*An example menu*.
・Hard bread (baguette, campagne, résanneau, etc.) ¥540～
・Breads and pastries (focaccia, curry bread, cod roe, melon bread, etc.) ¥320～
・Rice bread ¥490
・Various scones ¥300～
・Various tarts ¥420～
・Rice soft serve ice cream & waffle ¥460
As of June 2024
Outside café time when the weather is nice
There are benches and tables outside the store, so you can enjoy your bread or soft-serve ice cream outside.
What I got here was a tartine with a vegetable deli on top, which I had often seen on Instagram!
The bread is toasted so it is crispy and easy to bring to your mouth along with the vegetables.
I had all three kinds and they all went well with the bread^.
We were often happy to be able to enjoy a delicious lunch while looking out over the rice paddies.
Let me also mention the “Mentaiko France” which surprised me personally.
The following images were taken at home of the bread we purchased.
So much so that I took it with a normal mentaiko face (lol) and it tasted delicious…
It’s vegan bread, so it doesn’t have mentaiko in it.
Then what is used to make the cod roe?So much so that I took it with a normal mentaiko face (lol) and it tasted delicious…
It’s vegan bread, so it doesn’t have mentaiko in it.
Amaranth is a type of pseudo-grain, also known as a superfood. It is characterized by its small, petite texture and may be found in cereal rice and other dishes.
The taste, the texture, and the texture are not different at all. You can enjoy the taste of cod roe, and at the same time, it is rich in nutrients, which is a good thing.
On the official Instagram, the following description was provided
Vegan MentaikoThis is made with amaranth to look like mentaiko so that you can eat lots of it without feeling guilty.
Tanbono Oyatsu Official Instagram
We developed this vegan mentaiko to satisfy the occasional craving for mentaiko!
I am very satisfied.
Please note that Mentaiko France is only available in June!
And I also ordered the rice soft serve ice cream, which I was curious about.
I repeat, dairy-free.
This soft serve ice cream is made from rice, organic soymilk, natural sugar, and coconut oil.
It is rich but not cloying, cool and refreshing. The gentle sweetness of the rice and sugar is pleasantly sweet.
The flavor is doubled when combined with the sweet and sour berry sauce.
I was going to give you a taste of the chocolate sauce.
My partner had already finished eating (T_T).
(He said it was very tasty lol)
While I was relaxing and enjoying my cafe time outside, customers were constantly coming in to enjoy bread and soft-serve ice cream on the benches outside.
The clientele is not only from the neighborhood, but many come from far away. I am sure that everyone looks forward to the weekly opening.
I am grateful for online stores, of course, but I realized once again that it is a great pleasure to be able to shop in a physical store like this.
Tanbono Oyatsu Store Information
Starting with your child, then for yourself, your family, and someday for everyone.
We want to make everyone smile, whether they have allergies or not.
Rice field snacks are filled with such kindness and warmth.
If you have a chance, why not visit the store and enjoy delicious bread and snacks while admiring the rice paddies?
If you are not able to travel very far, we recommend using our online store or visiting events held in various locations.Please check our official Instagram for event information.
Thank you for taking the time to read this to the end.
| store name | Tanbobo Oyatsu |
| address | 167-5 Yayoi, Shintotsukawa-cho, Sakado gun, Hokkaido Open Map |
| Access | ・Approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes from Sapporo by car on the expressway ・Approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes from Sapporo by car via Route 275 ・10 minutes drive from JR Sunagawa Station or Takikawa Station |
| phone | 070-8593-7773 ( Open 11am-3pm Saturday only ) *Please contact us by e-mail as much as possible. tanbonooyatsu@gol.com |
| Business Hours | 11:00-15:00 |
| business day | Saturday 【Winter Closed】Mid-December to mid-March ☆Please also check our official Instagram for hours of operation and holidays. |
| parking lot | 2-3 cars on site |
| cashless payment | Cash Only |
| number of seats | Terrace seating available on nice days (6 seats) |
| accompanied by children | OK |
| Official SNS | Instagram https://www.instagram.com/tanbonooyatsu/ 田んぼのおやつ&Bakery | Kabato-gun Hokkaido | Facebook |
| Official Website | https://tanbonooyatsu.com/ Online store is also available here |
| remarks | Stay up to date on events and other store information on Instagram. |
