Call it the land of the rising bagel. Thanks to their close association to New York, an eternal fashion icon for Japan, the unassuming bagel has seen a surge in popularity over the last couple years. There’s Bagel Standard, Coo chan Bagel and Kepo Bagels, just to name a few. But last month a new bagel shop opened in the picturesque town of Miyagawa, located at the tip of the Miura Peninsula.
Converted from a former warehouse used to store fishing gear, Miyagawa Bagel began serving up the traditionally New York staple last month. Architecture firm Roovice worked to repurpose the old building by removing the walls and replacing them with transparent paneling.
They also made sure to leave some of the old, charming details like the wooden beams and the sliding wooden door. Despite their popularity, it’s rare to find a bagel shop outside central Tokyo. But the openness created by the renovation hopefully brings in both locals and tourists who may have never even heard of bagels.
What’s more, Miyagawa Bagel’s production is based on the chisan-chisho philosophy meaning “local production for local consumption.” Everything from the wheat to the cream cheese is made from locally sourced ingredients. They even serve home-made lemonade and ginger ale to help wash down those bagels.
The shop is located literally at the tip of Miura Peninsula, right by the sea. It’s about an hour and a half by car from central Tokyo, or 2 hours by train. Definitely worth a visit if you plan on vacationing nearby. But beware, they’re open only on the weekends.
Miyagawa Bagel
11-28 Miyagawa-cho, Miura, Kanagawa (Gmap)
Saturday – Sunday 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM