One of the pleasant joys of strolling around Japanese suburbia is the treasure of a bakery you are guaranteed to discover. You only need to pick a station, get off and sooner or later a magical bakery will appear in front of your eyes.
Once such bakery lies a short walk from Yashio station in south-east Saitama Prefecture. A bedroom community about 20 minutes from Tokyo, Yashio was once known for its industrial parks. Those parks still exist but with the opening of the Tsukuba Express Line in 2005, Yashio is now a developing residential area, full of sky and a sense of space.
But enough geography. Let's get back to the bread. Japanese bread. It is delicious. It is inventive. It is everywhere. And Little Bakery Michi Kusa is a lovely little place to buy it from. With its squirrel logo, Michi Kusa's residential location features a modern Japanese interior design space, sparse to some but airy and light to others. Oh, and the bread is delicious.
Soft with a touch of deep fried crispiness, curry bread is a perennial favourite in Japan, and Michi Kusa's will set you back about 180 yen. The sausage bread is a great way to get some substance to your bite and goes for 200 yen. Raisin rolls and cheese rolls start from 80 yen. Really, for such a small suburban space, the variety of breads and rolls on offer is impressive, reflecting as it does a sense of conscientious effort and pride.
If you ever find yourself in the area, don't be shy and do take the stroll down to Michi Kusa, Yashio City's 'little bread shop.' You won't be disappointed.
