Nagata Bakery Hakozaki

Step through the sliding door and you enter a world frozen in the Showa era. This over 70-year-old wooden house bakery stands quietly along the former Nagasaki Highway, just in front of the first torii gate of Hakozaki Shrine.

'Pan Nagata,' founded in 1972, is a hidden gem that has produced numerous renowned bakeries throughout Fukuoka's bread scene. Though now independently operated by the former store manager through a branch-out arrangement, the bread maintains its original flavor from the founding era.

The showcase always displays around 40 varieties of bread. The most popular is the rich and subtly sweet curry bread (200 yen). The signature loaf follows a 45-year-old unchanged recipe and maintains such quality that local hotels source from them. Most breads cost under 300 yen, making it remarkably affordable. After purchasing, head upstairs to the eat-in seating area and enjoy your bread with their coffee (200 yen).