Only 15 minutes by car from Naha Airport. Located on a narrow street just off Kokusai-Dori in Naha, close to the Makishi Public Market, is Nanshima Confectionery. The famous Ryukyuan confectionery “KOMPEN”, hidden among Chinsuko and beni-imo pie, has many hidden fans and is highly praised as a souvenir.
Point 1: A staple of local sweets for Obon and Buddhist memorial services! What is the history of “Nanjima Seika”?
Walking along the street next to Hotel Collective on Kokusai-dori in Naha, I found a beautiful little Japanese sweets shop. Curious, I later looked it up and found that it was a confectionery shop with a delicious confectionery called “Konpen.
This “Minamijima Seika” was founded in 1935 (Showa 10).
The founder, Mr. Murakichi, worked as an apprentice at a confectionary store in Naha to help pay for his 11-year-old younger brother’s schooling after he left elementary school.
During the war, he was evacuated to Osaka, and after the war he returned to Okinawa to handle imported American confections.
His younger brother, who later became the second generation to take over, was a cook in the military, so he purchased flour from there and resumed confectionery production.
At that time, there were three kinds of confectionaries including “konpen,” which are still very popular today, “shiro-manju” and “hanaboro.
From his younger brother, the second son of the founder took over the store in 2001, and in 2012, the fourth son returned from Tokyo.
The fourth son, who had been working in Tokyo without thinking of becoming a pastry chef, decided to attend a culinary school to become a full-fledged chef upon his return. He decided to attend a culinary school, and brought back Niigaki-san, who had resigned from his job to do so.
Currently, the fourth son and Mr. Aragaki, who will turn 80 this year, are still making sweets.
It is a story as dusty as the confectionery.
Point 2: What is “Komben,” the signature confection of “Minamijima Seika”?
Nanshima Seika” has a confectionery called “KOMPEN” that has been in business since the company’s founding. What kind of confectionery is it?
In the Okinawan dialect, “kunpin” is the name of a traditional confectionery that was used by the Ryukyu Dynasty to receive guests and for diplomacy, and is the name used by Nanshima Seika.
At Nanshima Seika, we follow the original traditional recipe of roasted white sesame and brown sugar, which we have used since the establishment of the company.
The brown sugar is a perfect match with the sesame flavor! and it is very popular among young people as well. It has become a long-selling item on the store’s signature menu.
Incidentally, konpen fans in Okinawa are called “kumpenistas!
Point 3: A wide variety! What about other confections from “Minamishima Confectionery”?
In addition to “kunpen,” “Nanshima Seika” offers a very wide variety of sweets.
In addition to the white Manju and Hanaboro (flower buns) that have been around since the establishment of the company, they also sell yuzu manju, dorayaki, ya bure manju, and other manju, red and white manju for celebrations, Karukan, “Morigashi” for offerings, and even Western sweets such as lemon cake, Baumkuchen and madeleines, which are Niigaki’s specialty after being called back to the company. The shop is located at the airport and on Kokusai-dori.
If you are looking for “hidden Ryukyu sweets” that are different from those sold in souvenir shops at the airport or on Kokusai-Dori, why not take a look?
They have also opened a mail order site.
