One of the places we missed visiting the last time we were in Japan was Shiro-Hige’s Cream Puff Factory. This time, we made sure to visit for some adorable cream puffs! If you are a huge Ghibli fan like us, you really must have their cream puffs, shaped in Totoro! They now have two locations, but we went to the original location in Daita, at Shimokitazawa station. Shiro-Hige’s Cream Puff Factory is located in a very residential area, there is nothing but houses around there. We were a bit concerned and confused if we were going the right way, but then, we found it! The shop looks like another regular house, blends in perfectly…but you will most likely see some people standing around in the front.
It might look like a regular house, but once you step inside, you are in the Ghibli world! There were cute stuffed animals everywhere, also posters, figurines, signs, etc, all from the Ghibli movies. As you can imagine, it is a popular spot for photos. The cream puff shop is to the left on the ground floor.
It was exciting to walk into the shop, filled with Ghibli magic!
In the window showcase, there were Totoro cream puffs, neatly lined up and waiting to be chosen. They have different flavor fillings, and you can distinguish them by the little accent on Totoro’s head, like a leaf or a hat. I believe they only bake them once a day, in a morning. Therefore, once they run out of a flavor, that is it for the day. So, if you want all the possible selections, I recommend you get there early.
They also have other items, such as cookies in all sizes and Ghibli themed shapes. They make a great gift to another Ghibli fan friend or family. You can find these items at other places though, like the Ghibli Museum and other Ghibli exhibit/pop-up, etc. The only thing you can NOT get anywhere else is the cream puffs.
Above the shop, up the staircase, is a cafe, managed and operated separately from the Shiro-Hige’s Cream Puff Factory. However, if there is a seat available, you can get a table here and have the cream puff right here as well. You can also have regular food from the cafe. We wanted to get a table, but they only have a handful or less of tables up there, and wait time seems to be long, so we decided to just get the cream puffs to go.
They had four flavors that day, and so we got one of each flavors. The staff carefully packed them into a box with a couple of ice packs. And just look at these adorable Totoro cream puffs!!!! Shiro-Hige’s Cream Puff Factory is the ONLY bakery in the world with official permission to create these Totoro cream puffs and Ghibli themed cookies and such. If I have my information correctly, one of the brother’s of the legendary Director Hayao Miyazaki opened the Shiro-Hige’s Cream Puff Factory. The brother and his wife runs the shop, and it is currently managed by their son, and thus nephew of Director Hayao Miyazaki.
So, now you know the reason why this shop has the official permission from the Ghibli Studio of make these amazingly adorable cream puffs and more! I mean, just look at them, they are so cute, it should be illegal to be this cute. The Totoro with a green leaf on his head is the original, Custard Cream filling (520 yen), offered all season long. It has custard and whipped cream in it, with vanilla beans you can see. They use organic flour manufactured in Japan for their puffs, way to support Japanese economy! The Totoro with a blue ribbon hat is Chocolate Cream filling (520 yen), also offered all year long. The filling is made with two kinds of chocolate, and from the description, it has a slight orange aroma. So, maybe it has orange liquor or something in it?
I know what you are thinking… What does the inside filling look like??? Well, I can show you right here! The Totoro with a pink cherry blossom is Strawberry filling (560 yen). This one is offered between January and June. They use strawberries from Wakayama prefecture, and mix it with fresh cream. They only add some sugar and strawberry liquor, and nothing else. You can really see bits and pieces of real strawberries in here, it was awesome! And the amount of filling inside was great too, it was packed in there. Each Totoro cream puffs had a nice weight to it. The filling was creamy but almost fluffy, with distinctive strawberry flavor. We LOVED it.
The last Totoro also had a hat, but with yellow ribbons, which was Banana & Caramel filling (560 yen), offered during January to March. It is made with caramel cream and sautéed bananas, with a hint of salt. Just like the strawberry one, you can see the bits and pieces of bananas, for stronger flavor. The caramel cream was amazing too, fluffy and sweet. The dash of salt enhances the sweetness of the filling, it was delicious!
We were so happy we got to visit the Shiro-Hige’s Cream Puff Factory. We enjoyed all the different Totoro cream puffs! They offer different flavors throughout the season, so each time you go, you can taste something new (unless you go there at the same time of the year). The puffs were light and airy, with the perfect crunch. The fillings were velvety and flurry, and so amazingly delicious! They will be sure to delight any and all Ghibli fans and all dessert lovers as well.
Shiro-Hige’s Cream Puff Factory – 5 Chome-3-1 Daita, Setagaya City, Tokyo
白髭のシュークリーム工房 – 東京都世田谷区代田5-3-1