Imagawayaki

Round Japanese wheel-cake cooked in a heavy cast-iron clam mould, filled with sweet red bean paste and sold at shrine… · Japan

Also known as taikoyaki, obanyaki (Kansai), kaitenyaki (Western Japan), jindō-rikyū (in some regional dialects)

📍 Countrywide — strongest in Tokyo, Osaka and shrine towns ★ 4.1

Last updated Aug 28, 2026 · Reviewed by the WhatWhereVacay editorial team

Round Japanese wheel-cake cooked in a heavy cast-iron clam mould, filled with sweet red bean paste and sold at shrine approaches and matsuri stalls.

About Imagawayaki

Imagawayaki is the round, thick Japanese wheel-cake cooked in a heavy cast-iron mould that closes on the batter like a clam shell, sealing in a sweet filling while the outer shell crisps and browns against the iron. The most common filling is tsubuan, a smooth sweetened red-bean paste, but most street stalls offer a half-dozen — koshian strained bean paste, white-miso paste, custard cream, chocolate, sweet potato, and in recent years a dense matcha cream.

Imagawayaki is sold at stalls that line the approach to every major shrine and temple in Japan, and at neighbourhood shopping streets where the same family has run the same iron for two or three generations. The traditional shape is a flat disc about the size of a small saucer and three or four centimetres thick, which is why it is also called taiko-yaki for its resemblance to a small drum. The batter is a plain wheat-flour pancake mix, sweet and slightly eggy, and the contrast between the crisp outer shell and the soft, hot filling is the point of the whole thing.

It is the most common street dessert of any Japanese matsuri, and it is the snack most likely to be eaten straight from the paper wrapper while the buyer is still standing in line. The name comes from Imagawa Bridge in Tokyo, the spot where the cake was first sold in the 18th century, and the modern version has barely changed since.

🏛️ History & Culture

Imagawayaki, a round griddle-baked sweet filled with azuki bean paste, traces its name to the Imagawa district of Edo (modern Tokyo), where it was popularized in the mid-19th century. Its origins are debated, though the association with Imagawa Bridge is a widely repeated story, and the treat quickly spread nationwide under various regional names—such as ōban-yaki in Kansai, kaiten-yaki in parts of western Japan, and gima-yaki in Nagoya.

Beyond the classic red bean filling, modern versions include custard, chocolate, and sweet potato, reflecting local tastes at festivals and street stalls. Culturally, imagawayaki is a nostalgic comfort food tied to matsuri (festival) gatherings and family outings, often enjoyed warm for its crisp shell and molten interior, symbolizing simple, shared joy in Japanese everyday life.

🍳 How to make Imagawayaki

AI-assisted, not kitchen-tested

Imagawayaki (Japanese Filled Pancakes)

Imagawayaki are tender, sweet Japanese pancakes made from a simple batter and cooked in a special cast-iron pan with two hinged halves. They are traditionally filled with sweetened red bean paste, though chestnut cream, custard, and chocolate are popular modern variations.

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 20 min
Total: 35 min
Serves: 6 pieces
Difficulty: Medium

Recipe ingredients

150 g (1¼ cups) cake flour, or 50/50 all-purpose + cornstarch for a similar low-gluten texture; do not use bread flour
1 whole (1 large) egg, room temperature
200 ml (¾ cup + 2 tsp) whole milk
30 g (2 Tbsp) granulated sugar
2 g (½ tsp) baking powder
1 g (¼ tsp) salt
300 g (10½ oz) anko (smooth red bean paste), koshian preferred; tsubuan works if you don't mind chunks
5 ml (1 tsp) neutral oil, per batch for greasing the pan

Steps

1 Sift the cake flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg with the sugar until just combined, then whisk in the milk.
2 Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and whisk gently until smooth — a few small lumps are fine. Rest the batter at room temperature for 10 minutes while you portion the filling.
3 Divide the anko into 6 equal balls, about 50 g (1¾ oz) each, and flatten each into a disc roughly 5 cm (2 in) across so it fits the pan cavity.
4 Heat an Imagawayaki pan (or a takoyaki pan with a similar hemispherical mold) over medium heat and lightly brush each cavity with oil. The pan is ready when a drop of batter sizzles gently on contact (around 175 °C / 350 °F).
5 Pour or ladle batter into each cavity until about 70% full. Place a disc of anko on top of each, then cover with just enough additional batter to seal the filling and fill the mold (the batter should rise to the rim).
6 Close the hinged lid (or, for a takoyaki pan, use a toothpick to flip each piece after about 2 minutes once the bottom is set and golden). Cook 2–3 minutes per side over medium-low heat until the surface is a deep golden brown and a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean with no wet batter clinging.
7 Transfer to a cooling rack and serve warm. Imagawayaki are best eaten the day they are made; reheat in a 150 °C / 300 °F oven for 3–4 minutes if needed.

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🧺 Key ingredients

wheat flour
sugar
eggs
milk or water
baking powder
tsubuan (sweet red bean paste) or koshian, custard, or other sweet filling

🍴 Where to eat it

Pick one up at the stalls along the Nakamise-dōri approach to Sensō-ji in Asakusa, or the vendor lines outside Meiji-jingū in Harajuku on a festival weekend. In Kyoto, the small family-run stalls along the path to Kiyomizu-dera bake them on cast-iron plates that are older than the operators themselves. For a sit-down version, the imagawayaki sold at depachika (department-store basement) food halls — particularly the Ito-Yokado basement counter in Ueno — is a clean way to taste every filling on the same tray.

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Imagawayaki — frequently asked questions

What is Imagawayaki?

What is Imagawayaki made of?

Imagawayaki is made with wheat flour, sugar, eggs, milk or water, baking powder and tsubuan (sweet red bean paste) or koshian, custard, or other sweet filling.

Where does Imagawayaki come from?

Imagawayaki comes from Japan, and is especially associated with Countrywide — strongest in Tokyo, Osaka and shrine towns. Imagawayaki, a round griddle-baked sweet filled with azuki bean paste, traces its name to the Imagawa district of Edo (modern Tokyo), where it was popularized in the mid-19th century.

Where can I eat Imagawayaki?

How do you make Imagawayaki?

Making Imagawayaki at home takes about 15 minutes of prep and 20 minutes of cooking. The recipe on this page serves 6 pieces and is rated medium. Full ingredient list and step-by-step method are in the recipe section above.

What else is Imagawayaki called?

Imagawayaki is also known as taikoyaki, obanyaki (Kansai), kaitenyaki (Western Japan), jindō-rikyū (in some regional dialects).

→ More traditional dishes from Japan