Kikumi Senbei Sohonten

Kikumi Senbei Sohonten (菊見せんべい総本店) is a Japanese rice-cracker (beika) manufacturer and retailer founded in 1875 (Meiji 8) at the foot of Dangozaka in Sendagi, Bunkyo ward, Tokyo. The company is operated as a yugen kaisha (limited company), formally established on 1 April 1961, with stated capital of 3 million yen and representative director Yoshiyuki Amano. Its flagship product is a square senbei, an unusual shape at the time of its founding, inspired by the concept of "ten'en chihō" (heaven round, earth square) and intended to be loved by the people of the land. The brand's origins are tied to the Edo- and Meiji-era菊 (chrysanthemum) viewing spectacles held on Dangozaka, which drew large crowds and were even depicted in Natsume Soseki's novel "Sanshiro." The first generation, Amano Rokugoro, began selling rice crackers as souvenirs for these visitors under the name "Kikumi senbei." The shop also ran a rice-grain business before the war, and its products were favored by literary and artistic figures of the area such as Mori Ogai, Takamura Koun, and Takamura Kotaro. Today Kikumi Senbei continues to make senbei and arare using traditional methods, selected domestic rice, and soy sauce from a Choshi, Chiba prefecture soy-sauce maker with over 400 years of history. The product range spans hard-baked senbei with a firm bite to softer-textured items suitable for children and the elderly, and from savory to sweet-salty flavors. Gift sets are offered for various occasions, including online-shop-exclusive packages illustrated with watercolor chrysanthemums evoking the "Kikumi" name. The main store is located at 3-37-16 Sendagi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, a one-minute walk from Sendagi Station on the Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line, and operates from 10:00 to 19:00, closed Mondays. The surrounding Yanesen (Yanaka-Nezu-Sendagi) area attracts many tourists and international visitors, and the company positions itself as preserving the nostalgic taste of home while carrying forward its inherited techniques.

Kikumi Senbei Sohonten traces its origins to 1875 (Meiji 8), when it was founded at the foot of Dangozaka in Sendagi, Bunkyo ward, Tokyo. During the Edo and Meiji periods, Dangozaka was a site for chrysanthemum and chrysanthemum-doll exhibitions, an event so popular that people spoke of "going to see the chrysanthemums" (kikumi ni iku). These spectacles drew large crowds and were even depicted in Natsume Soseki's novel "Sanshiro." The first generation, Amano Rokugoro, began selling rice crackers as souvenirs for these visitors, naming them "Kikumi senbei." At a time when round senbei were the norm, the square shape was highly unusual and became a popular souvenir. The business also operated as a rice-grain merchant before the war, buying rice in large quantities. Because the area was a center of learning, the products were appreciated by cultural figures including Mori Ogai, Takamura Koun, and Takamura Kotaro. The current corporate entity, Yugen Kaisha Kikumi Senbei Sohonten, was formally established on 1 April 1961, with stated capital of 3 million yen. The company has continued to make rice crackers for over a century using selected ingredients and traditional techniques. Its flagship square senbei reflects the concept of "ten'en chihō" (heaven round, earth square), intended to be loved by the people of the land. The company uses selected domestic rice and soy sauce from a soy-sauce maker in Choshi, Chiba prefecture, founded more than 400 years ago. It produces a range of senbei and arare, from hard-baked crackers with a firm bite to softer ones suitable for the elderly and children, and from savory to sweet-salty flavors. Gift sets are offered, including online-shop-exclusive packages with watercolor chrysanthemum illustrations. The main store remains at 3-37-16 Sendagi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, a one-minute walk from Sendagi Station on the Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line. The surrounding Yanesen (Yanaka-Nezu-Sendagi) area has become a popular destination for tourists and international visitors. The company states its intention to preserve the unchanging taste of home and to carry forward both its inherited techniques and its will, walking together with customers into the future.

• 1961

  Yugen Kaisha Kikumi Senbei Sohonten formally established on 1 April with stated capital of 3 million yen.

• 1875

  Founded at the foot of Dangozaka in Sendagi, Bunkyo ward, Tokyo, by first-generation Amano Rokugoro, selling square senbei as souvenirs for chrysanthemum-viewing visitors.

Traditional, long-established Tokyo rice-cracker maker preserving a century-plus heritage, using selected domestic rice and traditional techniques, with a nostalgic hometown taste.

• Square senbei

  Signature square-shaped rice cracker inspired by the concept of ten'en chihō (heaven round, earth square).

• Arare

  Small rice crackers made with traditional methods.

• Hard-baked senbei

  Firm-textured senbei with a satisfying bite.

• Soft-texture senbei

  Softer senbei suitable for the elderly and children.

• Gift sets

  Assortments of senbei and arare for various occasions, including online-exclusive watercolor chrysanthemum packaging.

1. 1菊見せんべい総本店 - 東京 千駄木 団子坂kikumisenbei.tokyo
2. 2菊見せんべいとは｜菊見せんべい総本店kikumisenbei.tokyo
3. 3Kikumi senbei, Sendagi - Wikidatawikidata.org