Petit Gateau PouPon, a store in Tokyo's Suginami Ward that opened in October 2020, is known for its original "bolo" cookies and baked goods. The theme of their shop is "sweets you eat for the first time in your life."

On August 5th, 2021, they began selling 「なみすけのすぎぱん」 "Namisuke no Sugipan," a cute cake created in collaboration with residents of the ward and intended to become a new souvenir. Five minutes after the Commucul Shop (Communication and Cultural Shop) in the lobby of Suginami City Hall opened for business on August 5th, all the cakes had sold out. Fortunately, these adorable cakes are now on sale again, limited to three boxes per customer.

"Namisuke no Sugipan" Story

In September 2016, Suginami Ward launched the "Suginami Ward Citizens Roundtable for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games" in which 30 ward residents and other participants discussed what kind of image and legacy they wanted the ward to aim for.

With the idea of "creating a souvenir that is unique to Suginami Ward," the council held an open competition. Petit Gateau PouPon Chef Kamimura's entry won the Excellence Award and the council requested the shop to commercialize the product. After a series of discussions and tasting sessions with the council members on the shape, ingredients, and product name, the end result was "Namisuke no Sugipan."

The finished product uses a financier cookie base, molded into a pointy shape, then covered with white chocolate with matcha green tea to create the image of a Sugi cedar pine. The ward's name Suginami, originally Suginamiki 杉並木, meaning "avenue of cedars," originates from the time when Lord Tadayoshi Okabe, a land baron, planted a row of cedar trees to mark the bounds of his property. Therefore, the Sugi pine (Cryptomeria japonica) became the ward's symbol.

"Namisuke no Sugipan" was featured in the Tokyo Shimbun newspaper in July, and is currently sold individually at the Commucul Shop, and in an original box set of six with stickers and a limited edition card on the Petit Gateau PouPon website.

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Product details

• Product name: なみすけのすぎぱん Namisuke no Sugipan
• Released on: August 5th, 2021
• Price: 250 yen per piece
• Weight: About 35g
• Main ingredients: Butter, egg white, granulated sugar, wheat flour, almond powder, mizuame (glucose syrup), green tea powder, white chocolate
• How to purchase : Commucul Shop in the lobby of Suginami City Hall or on the Petit Gateau PouPon website
• Note: At the time of writing, since the first batch already sold out, the online shop is currently taking advance orders with delivery expected between September 9th and 20th.