Review: Emi-pan

Let’s start with scale. Where are we between global flagship and neighborhood boutique?
The smell of fresh baked bread wafts from this tiny bakery at the edge of the woods.

Excellent! What can we find here, or what should we look for?
They have fluffy Japanese bread with sweet red bean paste or jam, ham sandwiches with a ruffle of lettuce, crumbly biscuits, fluffy apple turnovers, and jars of homemade jam. Emi bakes everything herself, using wild yeast from the Shirakami Mountains, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

If money’s no object, what goes in the cart?
It's tempting to buy one of everything!

And … what if we’re on a strict budget?
There's one little table outside, where you can breath the fresh air and look out across a field while you eat your pastry or sandwich.

Who else shops here?
It's a great place for a snack or light lunch after visiting the Mashiko Museum of Ceramics.

Any secret tips, or “don’t go home without” purchases?
If the yuzu marmalade is in stock, buy a jar to take home.