This review was first published in Japanese on January 14, 2026. Prices, selection, and sales information below reflect that review and may have changed.

Product Details

Product: Creamy Melon (クリーミーメロン)
Shop: Shinjuku Takano’s main store, Tokyo
Price at the time of the original review: ¥346

This is melonpan, a Japanese sweet bun, made with melon purée in the dough and a soft, melt-in-the-mouth melon cream filling.

At the time of my original review, it was sold exclusively at Takano’s Shinjuku main store and described as the most popular bread in the regular range. It was reportedly baked in the bread-making facility on the Takano building’s B3 basement level.

The bread was displayed alongside fruit salads and fruit jellies. Everything looked so good — almost like cakes. How was I supposed to leave without buying something?

There were three melon breads alone: one with diced muskmelon from Shizuoka Prefecture, this Creamy Melon, and a Crème de Red Melon version.

The selection also included breads with seasonal fruit such as apples, mandarins, and strawberries, as well as curry bread, quiche, and cinnamon rolls. It felt like a full bakery in its own right.

The Shizuoka muskmelon version — not the Creamy Melon I bought — was listed as available only from the 1st to the 15th of each month. I’d love to try that one someday.

My Creamy Melon had a simple construction: a smooth surface, melon-flavored dough, and melon cream inside. This was a bun that put the flavor of the fruit front and center.

To keep it from getting squashed on the way home, the staff packed it in a puffed-up bag. The air inside was filled with melon aroma. Even before I opened it, that bright, sweet fragrance was enough to make me happy.

My Impressions

Oh, this was delicious. The first bite stopped me in my tracks.

The cream had a rich, elegant melon flavor. Alongside the fruit, I could taste a deep milky richness, with a little saltiness and a faint green bitterness that reminded me of melon rind. There was more going on than simple sweetness.

The bread was chewy, with a texture that clung slightly to my teeth. It feels almost unfair to compare them, but it reminded me of a Crown Melon bread I’d had from NewDays. I like that kind of texture.

In fact, it felt closer to a cream-filled bun than to what I usually think of as melonpan.

This was a level of deliciousness I don’t find in supermarket packaged bread. I wanted everyone to try it.

Overall Thoughts

My rating: 5.0/5

For context, on the scale used in my original review, an ordinary bread scores around 3.3, while 3.8 means I’m very satisfied.

If I had to pick a favorite melon bread, I’d choose this one. It was the best I’d tasted.

Originally published on my Japanese blog. Adapted for Daily Bread Japan.

This review was first published in Japanese on November 2, 2026. Prices and shop information below reflect that review and may change.

The Bakery

I visited Sandwich Parlor Matsumura, a shop with a lovely retro storefront.

The shop sits between Ningyocho and Suitengumae stations in Tokyo, less than a three-minute walk from either. The hours listed in my original review were 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays, with the shop closed on weekends and public holidays.

I visited at around 12:30 p.m. on a weekday, and quite a lot of the bread had already sold out! You can see what was left in the display photos further down.

Luckily, I still managed to get the bread I had come for. There’s seating inside, so I settled in to eat.

What I Tried

Nakayoshi Combo — ¥200

On the right in the photo is a slice of white bread spread with peanut butter cream and koshian, smooth sweet red bean paste.

What is this wonderfully retro little thing? It suits the shop so perfectly. This was exactly what I wanted to eat here!

The silky bean paste goes beautifully with the soft, moist bread. The bread isn’t toasted, so there’s no crunch. It has the nostalgic feel of an old-fashioned Japanese sandwich shop.

The peanut butter cream is completely smooth, with no peanut pieces, and has a lovely aroma.

Eat both spreads together and, although they’re both sweet, a little saltiness from the peanut butter comes through. Delicious.

That little border where the bean paste meets the peanut butter? That’s the best bit.

You can take your time over the bread and a drink here. Coffee was ¥330, which felt remarkably inexpensive. I actually ordered hot milk on this visit, also ¥330, though it isn’t in the photo.

Apple Salad Roll — ¥160

This roll was filled with apple, cabbage, cucumber, and raisins.

The dressing was mild and sweet. It reminded me of French dressing with the sharpness taken out, although I couldn’t say exactly what it was.

Apple in a salad takes me back. It’s another taste of old-fashioned Japan.

I especially liked the crisp cabbage.

As the name “Sandwich Parlor” suggests, there were plenty of sliced-bread sandwiches too: egg, katsu — breaded cutlet — and sweet options such as peanut butter. Staff kept making more at the back of the shop and bringing them out to the display.

Inside the Shop

These photos show the selection at around 12:30 p.m. on a weekday. Even with quite a few things already gone, there was still plenty of variety.

There were bagels, too.

Roll sandwiches and baked treats.

The “Special Sandwich” looked tempting…

And here was the savory and sweet bread section.

Overall Thoughts

I’m glad I visited. What stayed with me was the whole experience of the shop, as much as the bread itself.

I’d guess the seating area could hold around ten people. A few customers were taking a quiet break, and it felt easy to come in on my own.

The Nakayoshi Combo wasn’t out on display when I arrived, but when I asked, the staff made one for me straight away. I appreciated that kindness, too.

Originally published on my Japanese blog. Adapted for Daily Bread Japan.

Product Details

Product: お店で焼いた明太フランス (in-store-baked mentaiko baguette)
Sold at: Participating 7-Eleven stores in Japan, as part of the Seven Café Bakery range
Price: ¥250 at the time of the original review
Product renewal date: April 7, 2026

This review was originally published on April 14, 2026. Prices, recipes, and availability may have changed. This item was not available at every 7-Eleven.

Nutrition information listed in the original review: 212 kcal; protein 6.4 g; fat 8.6 g; carbohydrates 27.6 g; salt equivalent 1.4 g. These figures came from the packaging before the product renewal and may not apply to the version reviewed here.

Mentaiko is chili-seasoned pollock roe. In Japan, it is also a popular bread topping: mentaiko France pairs it with French-style bread.

I ordered mine at the counter, and the staff baked it in the store’s oven. About two minutes later, it was ready. There wasn’t one sitting in the hot-food display, but I was still able to buy it by asking.

With curry bread, apple pies, pizza, financiers, and chocolate cookies in the bakery range, I started wondering whether 7-Eleven was turning into a bakery itself.

My Impressions

It was still warm when I received it, so I ate it straight away.

Delicious. This was the kind of quality I would expect from a bakery!

There was plenty of mentaiko, with just the right amount of heat, and the bread had a wonderfully crunchy crust.

Inside, the bread was moist and chewy. Outside, it was astonishingly crisp. Could a convenience-store oven really produce this much crunch? I’ve never managed the same result by warming up packaged French-style bread at home.

The sound when I opened wide and took a bite was the best part.

The mentaiko was warm all the way through, too. It wasn’t just spread across the surface; there was more tucked into the cut in the bread.

The heat was noticeable but didn’t linger. For me, it was just right, although it might be a little spicy for children.

I also liked how the richness of the mentaiko cream soaked into the bread. If you enjoy this combination, you know the appeal.

That said, it wasn’t overly rich or oily. A bakery’s version might offer more of that indulgent, soaked-in richness, but this one struck a lovely balance when I wanted something lighter.

The bread itself didn’t feel greasy, either. It was a satisfying portion to finish on my own.

The one drawback was that I couldn’t buy it at every 7-Eleven. When I wrote the original review, I recommended checking 7-Eleven Japan’s official website for participating stores. Check current availability before making a special trip.

Overall Thoughts

My rating: 4.8/5

For context, on the scale used in this original review, an ordinary bread scores around 3.3, while 3.8 means I’m very satisfied.

I got up early and walked to a 7-Eleven with the bakery range. Then I took my bread to a nearby park and ate it beneath cherry trees that had already turned leafy.

A little treat for myself, for ¥250.

If I were pairing it with coffee, I’d skip the milk.

It was a lovely way to spend the morning. I’d recommend it.

Originally published in Japanese on my Japanese blog. Adapted for Daily Bread Japan.