──Take home a taste of Hamamatsu’s flavors and culture as a perfect finale to your trip──
Hamamatsu Station, where the Tokaido Shinkansen stops, serves as a key tourist hub for western Shizuoka Prefecture, used by many travelers. Known for Lake Hamana, eel, and as a city of musical instruments, Hamamatsu offers numerous souvenirs showcasing local culture and craftsmanship. The appeal lies in being able to fully experience the essence of Hamamatsu even just within the station itself. This time, we introduce popular souvenirs available for purchase inside Hamamatsu Station or nearby, perfect for picking up on your way back from sightseeing, selected from our editorial team’s perspective.
We’ve focused on picking items that are especially popular with foreign tourists.
Unagi Pie is Hamamatsu’s famous specialty—a classic evening snack.
Unagi Pie is the famous snack that put Hamamatsu on the map.
This flaky pastry is characterized by its light, crisp texture and the subtle aroma of butter and nuts. It is manufactured and sold by Shunkado, a long-established confectionery shop founded in 1887.
It was born in the 1950s, when Western confectionery culture was still rare, from the desire to “create a local specialty for Hamamatsu.”
The name “Unagi” (eel) comes from Hamamatsu’s renowned specialty: eels from Lake Hamana. While a tiny amount of powdered eel extract is blended into the dough, the dominant flavor isn’t actually eel. Instead, it’s the rich aroma of butter and the gentle sweetness of sugar that stand out. This unique name combined with its nostalgic taste has ensured its enduring popularity over the years.
Another reason “Unagi Pie” gained nationwide recognition is its catchphrase: “A snack for the evening.” While this phrase often surprises foreign travelers, it carries a deeply homely meaning. “Evening” signifies the time when families gather after work or school. This phrase embodies the wish for families to share tea and sweets together during these moments of togetherness.
All production takes place at the “Unagi Pie Factory” in Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture, where artisans carefully bake each piece by hand. Factory tours are available, allowing visitors to watch the pies being baked one after another through glass windows. At the end of the tour, visitors can sample freshly baked Unagi Pie. Special packages like the limited-edition “Unagi Pie Mini” and “Unagi Pie V.S.O.P.”—available only here—are also popular.
Available at Hamamatsu Station and Shinkansen kiosks, its light weight and portability make it a highly popular souvenir among foreign travelers. This exquisite product embodies Japan’s unique naming sense, a culture that values family, and Hamamatsu’s local pride.
Tasting the Bounty of Lake Hamana: Unagi-Related Gourmet Delights
Unagi is a traditional Japanese freshwater fish dish. Lake Hamana, stretching across southern Hamamatsu, has long been known as the birthplace of eel farming. Eels raised in the calm waters of Lake Hamana are rich in fat, plump, tender, and have a distinctive savory aroma. Skilled artisans grill them over charcoal, repeatedly brushing them with a special sweet-salty sauce to finish. “Unaju” (eel rice bowls) are a popular dish enjoyed by locals and tourists alike. In Japan, it’s cherished as a “stamina food” to help beat the summer heat.
Shops inside the station offer a variety of eel-related souvenirs. Prepared and easy to take home, they are popular as premium items embodying Japan’s “dashi culture” and “umami” flavor.
Particularly, the “Vacuum-Packed Hamanako Eel Kabayaki” is available at souvenir shops like “Bell Mart Kiosk” inside Hamamatsu Station. Simply heat it in the microwave to enjoy the plump, fragrant taste of Hamanako eel at home. Additionally, “Eel Bone Crackers” are popular among foreign travelers, praised as “healthy and unique!” The image of “Hamamatsu means eel” remains strong to this day. In recent years, easy-to-take-home items like “Unagi Bento” (eel rice box) and “Canned Unagi Kabayaki” have also gained popularity. These are long-selling products enjoyed as snacks. Rich in calcium and healthy, they are also appreciated by health-conscious travelers.
Hamamatsu’s New Local Specialty: “Musical Instrument-Themed Sweets”
Hamamatsu is a “city of music” where global musical instrument manufacturers like Yamaha and Kawai have their headquarters.
Leveraging this unique identity, musical instrument-themed sweets have recently become a hot topic.
For example, items like “Piano Cookies” and “Mini Guitar Monaka” are gaining attention as photogenic souvenirs—adorable to look at and perfect for social media.
You can find them at shops on the first floor of the Hamamatsu Station Building “Meiwan” and inside “Ekimachi WEST.”
Traditional Flavors of Hamamatsu: Passing on the Fermentation Culture of Soy Sauce and Miso
When it comes to symbols of Japanese food culture, “fermentation” comes to mind. Around Hamamatsu, you’ll find long-established soy sauce breweries and miso shops dating back to the Edo period. Local breweries continue to uphold the traditional method of fermentation in wooden vats, resulting in a mellow aroma. As souvenirs, sweets like soy sauce-flavored Baumkuchen and miso castella have emerged, allowing you to enjoy the aroma of fermentation.
These are exquisite products that embody the Japanese obsession with “umami” and the philosophy of coexisting with nature.
It is a Japanese tradition to express not just “saltiness,” but also a “mellow and deep flavor.”
Hamamatsu Tea & Japanese Black Tea──A Taste of Japanese Tea Culture
Shizuoka Prefecture is well-known as a premier tea-producing region. Around Hamamatsu, you can enjoy distinctive teas like “Tenryu Tea” and “Mikkabi Black Tea.”
At the station’s “Kiosk” and “Marutaya Western Confectionery,” gift boxes pairing tea with sweets are popular. The appeal lies in easily taking home the “scent of Japan” through treats like matcha financiers and hojicha langue de chat cookies.
At Hamamatsu Station, take home the lingering memories of your journey as souvenirs.
Hamamatsu is a city where music, food, and tradition harmonize.
Its charm is packed into the souvenir shops right inside the station.
Just stop by during your Shinkansen wait or on your way home from your trip, and you’ll take home a piece of Hamamatsu’s story.
Make Hamamatsu Station your final stop on your journey.
Discover that one special item to add color to your travels.
