Written by Jane Pipkin
Toshimaya Honten is a long-established Japanese confectionary store, best known for selling Kamakura’s most famous treat: Hato Sabure (鳩サブレー).
Founded in 1897, this store is beloved by locals and tourists — making it one of the most popular souvenir shops in the area. For those unfamiliar, Hato Sabure is a dove-shaped butter cookie, cherished for its rich, buttery flavor. While butter may be common today, it was a luxury in Japan at the time the cookie was first created.
Interestingly, the biscuit also has a symbolic link to Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine. The kanji for the number “eight” (八) looks like two doves.
In addition to the biscuits themselves, you can also buy hato-shaped merchandise, including pens and keyrings.
How to get there
Toshimaya Honten is a 4-minute walk away from Kamakura Station.
- 249 m from Kamakura Station Yokosuka Line (JO13)Enoshima Electric Railway (EN15)
- 1.0 km from Wadazuka Station Enoshima Electric Railway (EN14)
