PATISSERIE THE HÉREN, the baumkuchen brand run by E-Fight Co., Ltd. (headquartered in Minami-Alps, Yamanashi; president Eiichi Hosaka), is taking part in "Baumkuchen Expo 2026," running from September 17 (Thu) to September 23 (Wed, a public holiday), 2026, in the main-building 7th-floor event hall at Matsuzakaya Nagoya. At the venue, a Matsuzakaya Nagoya-exclusive tasting box of 6 pieces (¥2,916, tax included) will be sold in a daily limit of 50 sets. HÉREN is also offering, for the first time, an 8-piece tasting box (¥3,888, tax included) that includes the autumn-only "Premium Roasted Sweet Potato Baum." The Premium Roasted Sweet Potato Baum uses two kinds of sweet potato — Beniharuka from Hakushu in Hokuto, Yamanashi, and Naruto Kintoki from Tokushima — bringing out the character of each in an autumn-only baumkuchen. It goes on sale first at Matsuzakaya Nagoya on September 17, followed by HÉREN's four Yamanashi stores and its official online shop from September 18.
A Matsuzakaya Nagoya-Exclusive Tasting Box, Limited to 50 Sets a Day
The 6-piece tasting box (¥2,916, tax included) is exclusive to Matsuzakaya Nagoya, with 50 sets sold per day. It contains 3 Hard type, 1 Soft type, 1 Matcha, and 1 Coffee, letting shoppers try HÉREN's regular lineup in a single box.
A Tasting Box With the Premium Sweet Potato Baum, for the First Time
The 8-piece tasting box (¥3,888, tax included) is an autumn-only set with 2 pieces each of Soft, Coffee, Premium Roasted Sweet Potato Baum, and Hard. This is the first time HÉREN has included the autumn-only Premium Roasted Sweet Potato Baum in a tasting box, bringing its three regular flavors together with the seasonal one in a single box.
The Premium Roasted Sweet Potato Baum is also sold on its own (M size, ¥1,890, tax included). It goes on sale first at Matsuzakaya Nagoya on September 17, followed by HÉREN's four Yamanashi stores and its official online shop from September 18.
Two Sweet Potato Varieties, Each Bringing Out Its Own Character
The Premium Roasted Sweet Potato Baum's dough is made with two kinds of sweet potato: Beniharuka from Hakushu in Hokuto, Yamanashi, and Naruto Kintoki from Tokushima. Beniharuka is a dense, sticky sweet potato whose flavor comes through from the first bite, while Naruto Kintoki has a flavor that lingers. Combining the two, each playing a different role, keeps the sweet potato flavor present from the first bite to the last. The brand's experience as a sweets shop, understanding ingredients and combining them, shaped this pairing.
The Beniharuka comes from the regional brand "Hakushu Mitsuimo." Its producer was named a 2022–2023 Farmer of the Year at the Japan Sweet Potato Summit. To let the sweet potato flavor come through, the recipe also swaps the fermented butter normally used in the brand's Hard-type baumkuchen for unsalted butter.
A Fragrant Sweet Potato and Sesame Coating on the Outside
The outside is coated with sweet potato mixed with sugar and sesame and baked until fragrant. It looks and tastes reminiscent of daigaku-imo (candied sweet potato), so it's recognizable as a sweet potato baumkuchen at a glance.
Why the Sweet Potato Baum Is a Hard Type, Not a Soft One
HÉREN's baumkuchen comes in two types: a fluffy, moist Soft type, and a Hard type baked crisp and fragrant on the outside. The Premium Roasted Sweet Potato Baum is a Hard type, because sweet potato is an ingredient whose flavor and aroma get stronger the more it's baked. Ingredients like chestnut, whose flavor fades with more heat, suit the Soft type instead. Warming it in a toaster for 30 seconds to a minute brings out the sweet potato flavor even more.
Award History: Five Overall Wins at the Final Kuchen General Election
At the Final Kuchen General Election (ファイナルクーヘン総選挙), one of Japan's largest baumkuchen events, HÉREN has won the overall top spot five times — four with the Hard-type "Tokinonaruki" (時のなる木) and one with the palm-sized "en." Together, the brand calls these five overall wins its "Five Crowns."
- 2022 Spring Tournament: National overall No. 1 (Tokinonaruki, Hard type)
- 2022 Tokyo Championship: Overall No. 1 (Tokinonaruki, Hard type)
- 2023 Tokyo Championship: Overall No. 1 (Tokinonaruki, Hard type)
- 2024 Tokyo Championship: Overall No. 1 (Tokinonaruki, Hard type)
- 2025 Tokyo Championship: Overall No. 1 (en)
Products on Sale
- "Tokinonaruki" Tasting Box, 6 pieces — ¥2,916
- "Tokinonaruki" Premium Tasting Box, 8 pieces — ¥3,888
- "Tokinonaruki" Premium Roasted Sweet Potato Baum (M) — ¥1,890
- "Tokinonaruki" en Hard, 6 pieces — ¥1,458
- "Tokinonaruki" Hard (M) — ¥1,728
Many other products are also available at the venue. All prices include tax.
Event Overview
- Event: Baumkuchen Expo 2026
- Venue: Main building, 7th floor event hall, Matsuzakaya Nagoya
- Address: 3-16-1 Sakae, Naka-ku, Nagoya, Aichi 460-8430
- Dates: September 17 (Thu) to September 23 (Wed, public holiday), 2026
- Hours: 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM (until 6:00 PM on the final day)
- Organizer: Matsuzakaya Nagoya, Daimaru Matsuzakaya Department Stores Co., Ltd.
- Scale: 26 exhibiting brands, plus a regional baumkuchen corner with about 150 brands and 250-plus varieties (per the organizer)
- HÉREN's participation: One of the 26 exhibiting brands
More details are available on Matsuzakaya Nagoya's event page: https://www.matsuzakaya.co.jp/nagoya/topics/5/trendy/food/baumkuchenexpo/2609/
