The 13th Aoyama Bread Festival, "Artisan Bakeries - Bakers as Artists," will be held for two days, May 12th and 13th, in the plaza in front of the United Nations University in Aoyama, Tokyo.


Why does the taste of bread vary depending on the artisan, even when made using the same ingredients and recipe? Is it experience, skill, effort, or the artisan's passion that creates this difference? The feeling you get when you bite into a loaf of bread that has been carefully baked by an artisan who has worked closely with bacteria and infused it with passion - a feeling that is insufficient to be described as "delicious," a feeling that is more than just delicious, but that cannot be put into words - is perhaps what bakers want to express in that moment through the art of bread. At the 13th Aoyama Bread Festival, you can get a sense of what each baker is expressing as an artist through the breads made by bakers who will shape the next generation.


This time, each participating bakery will select one "Signature Bread" from the many breads available, one that is deeply imbued with their special feelings and passion. Signature breads from all participating stores will be displayed in the Signature Bread Gallery in the center of the venue's courtyard.

On the day of the festival, you can exchange your purchased ticket for coins at the reception desk and purchase your signature bread. The "Six Signature Breads Tasting" event, available for purchase with three coins, allows visitors to select six bite-sized signature breads and enjoy a luxurious tasting of these unique breads. Additionally, a signature bread exchange booth will be set up in a corner of each store's sales counter, allowing visitors to easily exchange one coin for a loaf of bread. You can exchange your favorite bread from the tasting or browse the exhibition gallery to find a loaf you like. Coins are available for pre-sale and on-site purchase. For details, please visit the website (https://panmatsuri13.peatix.com/view). Tasting bread after learning about the story behind each loaf and the artisan's passion behind it is truly exceptional.

Only on the 13th, bread from "Taroya, Kobo Bread from the Fields" will be available at the tasting booth, allowing visitors to enjoy a luxurious tasting of several varieties of precious flower yeast breads harvested during that season. Experience the seasons with Taro's bread, packed with the wonder and charm of yeast, and enjoy the different aromas, ingredients, and textures.


Also available is the "YEAST DRINK BAR," which focuses on beer, wine, sake, and other drinks made using yeast in the fermentation process. This bar offers a selection of drinks crafted by artisans. Owner Watanabe Itaru, a baker-turned-brewer, offers delicious drinks such as Tarmally's natural yeast beer, natural wines from Grape Republic and Vinaiota, and a new concept in sake from WAKAZE. For those who don't drink alcohol, we recommend Stockholm Roast Tokyo's exquisite "Coffee Milk." The refreshing flavor of the coffee beans is perfectly balanced with the subtle sweetness of the cane sugar, making it an excellent pairing with bread.


There will also be a "TASTE 4 TYPES OF MAPLE SYRUP" corner featuring maple syrup, an item that is a great accompaniment to bread, and can also be used to season meat, fish, and vegetables, as well as drinks and sauces. Even if the sap from the same maple tree is boiled down using the same method, the resulting maple syrup will have different colors and flavors depending on when the sap was collected. The Quebec Maple Products Producers Association will be exhibiting for the first time, and the venue will offer a special tasting experience of four grades, allowing you to enjoy the differences in color, flavor, and richness of each.


In addition, the lounge will host "PREVIEW by Terasu.", a food-related event series created in collaboration with culinary-savvy artists, chefs, and producers based in Japan and California. The theme is to discover new values in eating, cooking, and enjoying food together by having people taste the dishes they are currently researching. For the first event in Japan, Curtis Major, owner of Birdview Distillery, culinary researcher, and jewelry creator, will be visiting from Northern California to host a meal. On the day, you will also be able to try out TERASU's new cooking tool set, created by TERASU Creative Director Max Hause in collaboration with metalworkers Jørgen Haar and Jim Austin.


At this year's Aoyama Bread Festival, an authentic tent-style sauna will appear in the courtyard. It has been imported from Finland, where saunas have been enjoyed as a tradition since ancient times. All kinds of bacteria will be swarming in the bread, the people and the venue, creating unprecedented chemical reactions. If you want to get the full experience, be sure to bring a towel.

Bread stalls on both days will include affidamento bagel, bananacona, cocobagel, COURTESY, ecru, K's bakery, Kalaheo Bakery, KIBIYA Bakery, Kuumba du Falafel, miroku, TiMi, Esplan and Semore! , Dominique Doucet's Shop, Tribeca Bakery, Chanomano Bakery, Tokyo Bagel Bagel, and only on the 12th will be French bread, German bread shop Tanne, DNO German sweets, Fluffy, Shinshu wood-fired oven bread Noraya, Go muffins go!, Adelie Studio + Tsu., Shigekuniya 55 Bakery, Levain, Azabu Juban Mont Thabeau, and only on the 13th will be soil by houtou bakery, La vie Exquise, boulangerie onni, Bricoler, CEYLON, 634 BAGEL, Natural Yeast Mountain Bakery, and Bäckerei Shunta.

Stalls selling processed goods, miscellaneous goods, food and drinks will be opening on both days: Ishikawa Ryuji, Shibukawa Iizuka Farm, House Saint Anton Jam Factory, Shirokuma Jam, Siam Chan, Quebec Maple Products Producers Association, Okaji, WISH FRESH SALAD, VegieBAG, POMMES PROST, ORGAR'S, Ms.maple Mizumaple, FISH STAND; stalls opening only on the 12th: Soleil, mujina Woodworking Studio, BREAD1set; and stalls opening only on the 13th: Nogeyama Curry Shokudo, Bocchi SEGAWA PEANUT.
*Please note that stalls and product information may change without notice.