Jul 18, 2013 - 1 min read

Kusatsu Choju Ten

The "Shop of Long Life" is a sweet find in Gunma

By Hannah Morse

Community writer

Tasty green tea and sweet bean manju await to be served to unsuspecting passersby

Freshly steamed manju are ready for distribution

A passerby happily accepts the green tea and manju treat

Candies and sweets are Kusatsu Choju Ten's specialty

The shop is armed with sweets and they're not afraid to use them

After watching a demonstration o yumomi and taking a dip in one of the onsen baths, you’ll likely find yourself strolling the quaint side streets of Kusatsu for a bite to eat. There are many restaurants to try, with their subdued noren rippling in the wind, but before ducking into one, try taking in the sights and smells of the many snack vendors in town. One especially to take note of is Kusatsu Choju Ten, literally meaning “shop of long life,” with its friendly staff handing out green tea and manju to passersby. Their manju flavors include green tea, sweet red bean and hazelnut. I tried in vain to walk past the later in the day, hoping for another free sample of the dessert. Though they remembered me and could only limit one per customer, the manju were so delicious it took a lot not to buy the whole shop.