Sweet Potato Stops Around Tokyo
A warm half in Ginza. Syrup-coated daigaku-imo in Asakusa. Little pastry treats in Sangenjaya. On a chilly day, let the sweet potato you’re craving pick your next stop.
An afternoon for picking up a little something sweet
You planned to keep walking until evening, but the wind has turned cold. You’re a little peckish, and catching the train home feels premature. A roasted sweet potato gives you a reason to pause. Peel back the skin, wait for the steam to ease, then try a small piece. A few minutes spent warming your hands can be part of the pleasure.
In Tokyo in 2026, the Yakiimo Festival was held in Nakano from October 30 to November 8. The lineup went beyond roasted sweet potatoes, with parfaits, sandwiches, and even potage. Tokyo offers plenty of ways to enjoy sweet potatoes, far beyond buying and eating a whole one. Here are three shops you can drop by on an everyday stroll: Ginza, Asakusa, and Sangenjaya. Pick up a treat in whichever neighborhood you’re in, then enjoy remembering how they differ when you get home.
What kind of sweet potato treat sounds good today?
Even if the menu photos look similar, each treat is a little different to eat and carry around. Picture the texture you’re after before you get to the counter, and it’ll be easier to choose.
- 焼き芋
Break the skin and savor the soft center
- For a day when you want something warm to eat bit by bit. Ginza Tsuboyakiimo slowly roasts sweet potatoes over charcoal in clay pots until they’re moist and tender. Try the first bite without toppings, so you can taste the sweet potato on its own.
- 大学芋
Nibble on a syrupy bite
- A snack of fried sweet potato coated in syrup. At Oimoyasan Koshin in Asakusa, it’s a good choice for sharing with family or friends when you get home.
- 生スイートポテト
Pair a flaky pastry with smooth sweet potato
- OIMO in Sangenjaya makes a treat with creamy sweet potato confection layered over pastry. You can also choose flavors like purple sweet potato and tea. If you’re buying a gift, consider when you’ll hand it over and how long you’ll be carrying it.
Just half a roasted sweet potato in Ginza
Ginza Tsuboyakiimo is on the first floor of the GINZA7 Building in Ginza 7-chome. It’s about a three-minute walk from Exit B3 of Ginza Station, and the orange clay pots outside are easy to spot. If you find it while shopping, start with a size you think you can finish. The menu offers a whole potato, a half, and a small size. A half makes a nice solo snack, a small one is good before dinner, and a whole one is easy to share.
The shop says it roasts aged sweet potatoes in special clay pots over charcoal on low heat for about three hours. The flesh is soft, so it can fall apart if you squeeze it too hard. Hold it in the bag, peel back the skin a little at a time, and check the temperature as you eat. The shop notes that even the syrup-coated skin is roasted until fragrant—a tempting invitation for anyone who usually leaves the skin behind to try a little.
The menu also offers cold “ice yakiimo.” Choose according to where you’ll eat it. The shop recommends an insulated bag for ice yakiimo carried for 10 minutes or longer. You could also try the Tsubo Sweet Potato Latte, made with roasted sweet potato and fresh milk, served hot or iced.
Take Asakusa’s daigaku-imo home and enjoy it at your own pace
If you’re exploring Asakusa, stop by Oimoyasan Koshin’s Asakusa Kaminarimon shop in Kaminarimon 2-chome. Pick up a bag near Kaminarimon and save it for a snack to open in your room or at home. There are several shops in Asakusa with the same name. The map link here is for the shop at 2-18-12 Kaminarimon; its official hours are 10 a.m.–8 p.m., open daily. If you’re heading to another branch, check that shop’s address and hours.
Kawakō Shōten, the company behind Koshin, began as a sweet potato wholesaler in 1876. It opened a sweet potato confectionery shop in Asakusa in 1984. When choosing daigaku-imo, take a look at which sweet potato variety is available that day. The shop’s website describes its classic Miyabi as soft and moist. Pick up the pieces one at a time, savoring the black sesame sprinkled on top. If you want to enjoy the syrup left behind, find somewhere comfortable to sit.
When deciding how much to take home, it can help to tell the staff how many people will be sharing. The 500 g frozen product sold online and the packages available in the shop may not have the same storage or serving instructions. If a photo of the frozen product caught your eye, ask in person about the portion size, how long it can be carried, and how to store the item you’re buying. The official site also lists sweet potato confections and sweet potato karintō, a crunchy fried snack.
In Sangenjaya, sweet potato meets flaky pastry
If you’re taking the Den-en-toshi Line from Shibuya, consider getting off at Sangenjaya. OIMO Sangenjaya is about a two-minute walk from the south exit, at 1-35-15 Sangenjaya. Pick up a few small treats for an afternoon tea when you get home. The latest store information lists hours of 11 a.m.–7 p.m. daily. Older listings say it’s closed on Mondays, so check the current official information before setting out.
OIMO’s signature nama sweet potato pastry is a creamy sweet potato confection layered over 256-layer pastry. Unlike eating a whole roasted potato by hand, you get the texture of pastry in every bite. The six-piece assortment on the official online store includes plain, purple sweet potato, brûlée, matcha, hojicha, and cacao. Try the plain one first, then a tea flavor, and compare them. Check the day’s selection and combinations in the shop.
When you buy OIMO pastries, tell the staff whether you’ll eat them soon or hand them over as a gift a few hours later. Ask how the shop goods are packed and how to keep them cool on the way home. The frozen product sold online comes with instructions to eat it on the day it is thawed. Milk and wheat appear in the ingredients, so check before buying for anyone who needs to avoid them.
The length of your journey home matters when choosing a snack
Even if you plan to eat a warm roasted sweet potato as soon as you buy it, the center may still be very hot. Peel the skin back a little and wait, then break off a small piece to try first. When you pick it up, ask whether the shop has somewhere you can eat and whether you’ll need a spoon or hand wipes. While you’re out walking, step aside from the flow of people, and keep the wrapper with you so you can take it away when you’re done.
Ginza Tsuboyakiimo lists three days of refrigerated storage from purchase for its ordinary whole and half sizes. The small size should be eaten the same day. Sealed products and ice yakiimo have their own instructions. Follow the label for the item you receive. If you’re taking a snack to someone during your trip, plan to buy it near the end of your outing.
Buy half a roasted sweet potato, and you might find yourself wanting a cup of hot tea next. Pick out a box to give someone, and get one for yourself, too. Even a quick stop just to buy something sweet can give you another reason to come back to the neighborhood.
Official information and photo credits
Menus, prices, store details, and storage information were checked against each shop’s official listings. Online products and items sold in the shops may have different requirements. Photos are from the shops’ official websites, with credits included.
- Yakiimo Festival TOKYO 2026 event information
- Ginza Tsuboyakiimo hours and product updates
- Information on the clay-pot roasting method and aged sweet potatoes
- Ginza Tsuboyakiimo tax-included prices and storage information
- Ginza Tsuboyakiimo directions and closing days
- Oimoyasan Koshin product and branch information
- Information on Koshin’s 500 g frozen Miyabi product
- OIMO’s latest store information
- OIMO’s sweets and flavor lineup
- Ingredients and thawing instructions for OIMO’s classic six-piece assortment
