Umeda, located in northern Osaka, has good traffic access and shopping malls that lead fashion trends, but it's also a battleground for Osaka's sweets. It's filled with popular dessert specialty shops from around Japan and overseas. This time, we carefully selected 5 sweets shops loved by the locals that opened in recent years. We included everything from cheesecakes and fruit daifuku to churros going viral in Korea. Let's look at these popular sweets that everyone is lining up for!

coucou churros: Super popular dipped churros specialty shop from Korea

HEP FIVE is a landmark of Umeda, Osaka with its red ferris wheel. On September 9th, 2023, it opened its dining floor, TAMLO, on the 7th floor. This time we went to the super popular churros specialty shop, coucou churros, located in TAMLO!

These extraordinary churros have been going viral in Korea and finally made their first appearance in Japan, here at TAMLO. Since its opening last year, it became an instaworthy spot for young people. The store has a brick-like interior and has a cute and sophisticated atmosphere.

The reason these churros are so popular is because they are freshly fried right after an order is made and don't use frozen dough. The most popular menu item is their "Hokkaido ice cream and chocolate churros." There are 2 ways to eat them. First, eat them as is without adding anything. You can savor the crunch of the sugar coating and the light interior. Next, dip the churros into the chocolate, ice cream, or both, and enjoy. You can order the churros alone or as a set with a drink.

Kannonya: Melt in your mouth cheesecake from Kobe

Have you ever had cheesecake that melts in your mouth? You've got to try the Danish cheesecake, Kannonya's signature product! Kannonya is a popular cafe that opened in Motomachi, Kobe in 1975 and opened their first store in GRAND FRONT OSAKA in 2023.

The Danish cheesecake's greatest feature is the soft and fluffy spongecake topped with fresh cheese imported from Denmark that is heated to create a melt-in-your-mouth feeling when you bite into it. The rich, slightly salty cheese and sweet spongecake meld together in your mouth, and when paired with coffee or tea you're sure to feel happy!

The shop is bright and spacious with a modern atmosphere. There are 10 different seating space concepts to choose from, so you will want to come back again and again because you can choose the right space for your mood and preferences of the day. In addition to the Danish cheesecake, there is a variety of cakes, desserts, and drinks. Not only that, they also serve meals such as pasta and risotto. Whether you come here for a meal or afternoon tea, you are sure to have a relaxing time here.

Dipper Dan: Crêpe specialty shop with around 50 flavors

While sweet trends change rapidly and new styles of sweets are coming out every day that surprise us, the classic crêpe from France has always remained popular in Japan. If you want to try such crêpes, we recommend Dipper Dan, a chain restaurant specializing in crêpes for over 50 years. The main attractions are the variety of flavors and very affordable prices. They offer a series of different sweet flavors, mainly fruit-based, along with meal crêpes combining shrimp, tuna, sausage, vegetables, etc., special flavors available for a limited time, and an ice cream series. There are 50 menu options available.

The batter is made with Japanese rice flour and cultured butter from France. The baked crêpes are thin and crispy, yet moist and elastic. They go well with a variety of fruits and whipped cream, or you can opt for the meal crêpe series as a light lunchtime meal, so you'll never get tired of them. We especially recommend the "Berry mille-feuille rose" crêpe. Fresh strawberries, crispy crêpe, and sweet whipped cream are layered and stacked like a rose flower. It looks beautiful and tastes absolutely divine!

Dipper Dan offers special deals on the 9th, 19th, and 29th of each month. These are opportunities not to be missed if you want to try something new!

Kakuozan Fruit Daifuku Benzaiten: A treat for your eyes and mouth

One of the most popular fruit daifuku shops is "Kakuozan Fruit Daifuku Benzaiten." It's a popular fruit daifuku specialty shop in Nagoya, now with a shop in Osaka as well.

The shop normally has around 12 varieties of fruit daifuku. The fruits they use are carefully selected for each season such as Amaou strawberries, muscat grapes, figs, peaches, etc. The daifuku's exterior is made with soft and thin "Habutae" flour. The filling is a perfect combination of fresh fruits and white bean paste and is very tasty!

At the store, the fruit daifuku comes with a string to cut it. This way you can capture a photo of the beautiful cross-section of the fruit daifuku. It's super tasty and you can experience the evolution of Japanese sweets. We also recommend the limited edition "Ougonzari-mochi." The soft exterior is filled with rich soybean flour and peanut butter, giving it an impressive mouthfeel and aroma.

Seiichiro Soymilk＆cafe: Enjoy foods using soymilk all in one place!

Seiichiro Soymilk & cafe uses carefully selected domestically grown soybeans, free of additives such as defoamers and preservatives, to ensure health and flavor! The menu includes soymilk drinks and soymilk-based baked goods, soups, and meals. Their popular baked donuts are available in over 8 different varieties!

In addition to tempting beverages like their soymilk cafe latte and soymilk matcha, we highly recommend their "tofu miso soup" made with fresh tofu from the soymilk they make onsite! The tofu, made right after being ordered, is rich and smooth, and you can taste the flavor of the beans. This dish will warm both your stomach and your heart. You can eat in or get it to-go.

As a friendly reminder, please refrain from bringing in any outside food or drinks. Additionally, each person is required to order at least one item, and there is a time limit of one hour.

If traveling to Osaka by bullet train, from Shin-Osaka Station you can access Osaka’s Umeda district by JR train or by taking the Midosuji Subway Line to Umeda station.
If you are traveling from Namba Station, take the Midosuji or Yotsubashi Subway Line to Umeda or Nishi-Umeda Station, or take the Hanshin Namba Line to Osaka-umeda Station.
From Kansai International Airport, you can reach Osaka Station in about one hour on the JR Airport Express Haruka.
For more details on how to get to Umeda, see here.

For more information on Umeda, check out some of our Trip Ideas.

*Information in this article is accurate as of the date of posting. There is a possibility that details regarding these products and services have changed, or that some shops have since closed.