Tokyo Cake shops
Although there seems to be a good cake shop on every corner in Japan, the basement floor of department stores often have different cake shops competing with each other side by side. The city of Jiyugaoka (自由が丘) in Tokyo has a whole department store called Sweet Forest dedicated to sweet shops. We would have gone there if we would have had time. Note: a picture above and next five were taken at Takashimaya department.
I almost bought the Lady bug cake.
For those of us who have a hard time deciding, the option of Winner takes it all ABBA approach was available. Oh! Mama Mia! Here we go again. My, my. How can I resist…
We had an accidental encounter with Dominique Saibron in Shinjyuku (新宿), it was an exceptional cake shop in my opinion. Because of cherry blossom season, almost all the cake shops we visited had a cherry blossom theme. Delicate pink color and design, it tugged at my heart. The taste was divine!
My husband and I headed to Kagurazaka (神楽坂) one day in search of incredible cake. We quickly lost our way and called the store for directions twice then asked a passerby twice more. Tucked in the corner of the Agnes Hotel property, Le Coin Vert was there. Ever since I watched the movie “Patisserie Coin de rue” (洋菓子店コアンドル), it was put on my ‘must go’ list. The charming and often funny story of young female patisserie apprentice with cooperation of the store making the film and a cake (Renard) below actually appeared in the movie too. 
I detected nuts, chocolate mousse, orange compote and coated with caramel gurasaju? Woooow!
An another customer parked red electric bicycle on front and apologized me for distracting the picture taking. No, no that bike makes this picture I assured her. 
Actor Yosuke Eguchi on the left, I had a crush on him for a while. Cute ya? 
Hypnos is my husband ‘s choice. Honey, turn the cake around, I think it’s the back side. Taste the same you said? Absolutely but think about the blog.
Cream cheese mousse with strawberry filling. Heavenly!
Time was really short on this trip. I had my favorite marron cake only one time at Harajuku’s Sembikiya. It was almost as good as mine, perhaps bit too sweet. See, looks like soba noodle on top, right?
We sometimes took cakes home (to the hotel) and ate them. Sugar overloaded for sure, not so good for our health? Certainly! But we don’t know when we come this way (store) again and we don’t want that chance. So so baaaad.
I lost 2 pounds before the trip and came home 4 pounds heavier so I gained only 2 pounds. Is this the way math works?
Anyway, my son married a cute Japanese girl. Now that’s a sweet story!