Chuji Chaya

Chuji Chaya is a traditional grilled manju shop established in 1960. Yaki manju sweets, beloved by the people of Gunma prefecture folks, are made by skewering steamed buns with a bamboo stick and grilling after covering them with a thick miso sauce sweetened with brown sugar and syrup.

The shop looks like an old-style rural house, and its building materials originated during the residence of Nishinome Uemon, who hid Kunisada Chuji, a late Edo period heroic character from Gunma. The original house was as taken down and the building materials were given to the first owner of the Chuji Chaya shop. The earthen floor area has now been fashioned as a relaxing space with a sunken hearth.

The larger "yaki manju" (135 yen per stick) is a grilled fluffy bun made with a special flour and fully covered with sweet-and-savory homemade sauce; a special blend of miso paste and several kinds of sugar. Other products include "sake manju" (85 yen per piece) with a sweet bean paste filling and "an-iri yaki manju" (230 yen per stick) which is a sake manju, grilled with homemade sauce on top.

The 21st of every month (except Tuesdays and holidays) is a special sale day for yaki manju as it commemorates the day of Chuji's death. 5 sticks for 400 yen are a great deal.