Stollen season has arrived in Tokyo. The city’s bakeries, from hidden neighborhood bakeries to elegant hotel pâtisseries, are filling their counters with this dense, fruit-laden bread dusted in powdered sugar like fresh snowfall. Each loaf carries its own story: marzipan cores wrapped in spice-soaked dough, citrus peels that brighten every bite, and rum-plumped fruits that deepen with every day they rest.

This year, we’re sharing the stollen that stopped us in our tracks — the ones that made us linger, slice slowly and think about winter in a new way. Whether you’re looking for a classic recipe or a bold twist, here are our favorite stollen to savor in Tokyo this season.

A German-born Christmas dessert, stollen is a naturally fermented sweet bread with nearly 700 years of history. Filled with butter, dried fruits, nuts, spices, and rum, it’s dusted with white sugar to imitate a blanket-wrapped baby Jesus.

For this reason, Stollen is traditionally eaten during the advent season—the 4 weeks leading to Christmas—sliced a little at a time to enjoy the changing flavors as the fermentation deepens. It’s also a versatile dessert; you can smear a dab of cream cheese and jam, or pair it with ice cream.

The first stollen in Japan was sold in 1969 by Chidori-ya, a traditional Japanese sweets shop in Fukuoka. Its recent popularity, however, can be traced back to the Aoyama Bread Festival, which, since 2014, has held tasting events with stollens from more than 25 different bakeries. Today, they are quickly becoming the nation’s Christmas sweetheart.

Whether you’re a seasoned stollen-lover or your first time hearing about it, check out our picks for Tokyo’s best stollens. Some of them also come with a twist, for those who aren’t the biggest fans of marzipan (a common ingredient) or want to try new flavors.

For when you’re looking for the real deal.

Haus der Tanne Ningyocho

This is your place if you’re looking for some of the most authentic Stollen in Tokyo. A cult classic among fans of German bread, Tanne Bakery has been selling traditional German bread since 1993. Try the Classic Christmas Stollen with dried fruits, crunchy almonds, spices and rum, or the Tanne der Moderne, the Dresden-style recipe adapted to modern tastes. Get your hands on real stollens crafted by German-born bread meisters.

In-store and delivery

• Reservations: Available online for delivery, no reservations for in-store

• Reservation Dates: Typically from early November for online; in-store around December

• Price: ¥2,000 (half size), ¥3,000 (Stollen der Moderne) and ¥4,000 (Christmas Stollen)

• More Information: Haus der Tanne

Burdigala Hiroo

Located in Hiroo, Burdigala bakery takes its stollen game seriously. Beginning in July, they soak raisins, orange and lemon peels, and figs in liquor for a deep, complex flavor. With a thick coating of clarified butter and sugar over moist dough, you might initially find it heavy—but the cardamom and fruit offer a light aftertaste that’ll keep you coming back for more. Perfect with tea, coffee, or a glass of wine.

In-store and delivery

• Reservations: Available online for delivery, no reservations available for in-store

• Dates: November 1st to late December

• Price: ¥2,900 (small, without box) – ¥4,980 (large)

• More Information: Burdigala

Top-notch stollens created by patissiers and bakers of luxury hotels.

Imperial Hotel Tokyo

The Imperial Hotel Tokyo has been crafting stollen since 1997, based on an authentic recipe that its head baker mastered during his training in Germany. The dried fruits used in the bread—sultana raisins, orange peels, lemon peels, and dry figs—are soaked in rum and brandy between August and November. Protecting tradition on the one hand, they are also paving the way for new stollen heights with their “Nuss” stollen, with a roasted hazelnut filling and cinnamon-rum icing.

In-store and delivery

• Reservations: available online for delivery

• Dates: Classic stollen available from October 17 to December 22, Nuss stollen sales period may vary.

• Price: ¥6,804 (Regular price for Classic stollen), ¥5,940 (Regular price for Nuss stollen)

• More Information: Imperial Hotel Tokyo

The Strings by InterContinental Tokyo

The Strings by InterContinental is coming in strong with three varieties of stollen: traditional, chocolate and matcha. Green tea-infused dough, chestnuts, sweet kanoko beans and red bean paste contribute to the excellence of this matcha stollen, fully blending the Japanese and German dessert traditions. The chocolate stollen, on the other hand, is an indulgent treat with Ariba chocolate and brandy-soaked dried bananas. Only available in limited quantities.

Pick up only

• Reservations: Required, at least 3 days before pick-up. Online or by phone

• Pick-up dates: December 1 – December 25 (1pm – 8pm)

• Pick-up location: Melodia Italian Grill (F26)

• Price: ¥3,456

• More Information: The Strings by InterContinental Tokyo

Try the sought-after stollen from what we think is one of the best bakeries around town.

Tolo Pan Tokyo

Ikejiri Ohashi’s Tolo Pan Bakery is a wildly popular little joint; filled with customers from open to close. Known for their inventive twists on traditional breads, their stollens are no exception. Their Original Stollen combines unexpected ingredients like yuzu peels, apricots, and cream cheese bringing refreshing lightness to an otherwise rich dough. The Epis Stollen features a spiced dough of cinnamon, cardamom, anis and clover, doused in orange-infused caramel with roasted walnuts, cranberries and Kirschwasser—a German cherry brandy. What could be better? Warm it up to let the white chocolate coating melt, and you’ve got everything good and cozy about winter in a slice.

In-store and delivery

• Reservations: Reservations for delivery available online; no reservations available for in-store

• Dates: Delivery scheduled for November 20

• Price: ¥5,800 (with taxes)

• More Information: Tolo Pan Tokyo

Maybe you’re a stollen skeptic, or you just want to try one at a lower price point before committing to a pricy log. Try these affordable yet high-quality stollens.

Muji

Everybody’s favorite stationery and lifestyle store has its very own stollen. Available exclusively in stores for ¥1,200, fermented nuts alongside dried fruits and spices bring deep flavors, and there’s no skimping on the marzipan. This is the perfect pick for anyone curious to start experimenting with stollen, and at 200 grams apiece, you’re in for a bargain, too.

Only in-store

• Reservations: Online orders are currently suspended. Visit your local store to make reservations.

• Dates: No reservation or pre-order dates; only available in-store.

• Location: In stores around Japan. We recommend checking availability online for your local store.

• Price: ¥1,200

• More Information: Muji Store

Châteraisé

Boasting more than 640 stores across Japan, Châteraisé is one of Japan’s most popular dessert franchises. Originating in Yamanashi Prefecture, they are known for collaborating with Japanese farmers to use high-quality ingredients for cakes and desserts. Their stollen is made with a rich dough kneaded with almond paste, mixed with raisins, cinnamon, and dried figs soaked in Châteraisé winery’s house chardonnay.

Pick-up and in-store only

• Reservations: Not available online. Visit your local store to make reservations.

• Reservation dates: September 26 – December 15

• Pick-up dates: November 29 – December 25

• Pick-up location: In stores around Japan.

• Price: ¥1,188 (with taxes)

• More Information: Châteraisé

Note: This article was originally published in November 2024 by Elina Garone and updated in November 2025 by Metropolis Japan.

metropolisjapan.com

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