“SHOEIAN” – The first Halal bakery in Kyoto

This shop is no longer selling Halal products.

Written by Sk. Nishat Abdullah-san

When I first came in this country, I tried to keep myself safe from Pork meat and alcohol. I thought it would be a clever idea to eat much amount of bakery foods from the conception that bakery foods should not contain pork. Suddenly one of my Muslim friend told me that Japanese breads and different cakes contain Gelatin and Shortener (In Japanese language it is called ”Neu Kazai”) that are usually processed from pork elements. I was shocked and disappointed. Moreover I cannot read the Chinese Character “KANJI”. So I cannot select the bakery foods by reading the contents written over the cover before purchasing it. I have been feeling the necessity of a bakery on which we can keep faith and eat delicious bakery elements without any anxiety.
There are a few such bakery in Tokyo, but when I went to Kyoto, I found the only Halal certified bakery named “Shoeian”. Moving around in Kyoto, walking for long distances in a lot of large temples, I felt the need for carrying some dry bakery foods for eating in the street whenever I feel hungry. Because whenever I feel hungry, I cannot find halal food nearby my visiting place. “Shoeian” gave me some relief by providing their list of delicious products like “SHUO PAN”, “Matcha Sakura”, “Raison Butter Sando” etc. I enjoyed these Japanese bakery products with peace of mind and without any suspicion. I could never dare to enter such shops and try different items without any “Halal” certification. The foods were really very tasty.
One information I should mention here that “Shoeian” operates from 1000 am to 0600 pm only. One day I went to take some evening snacks and had to come back finding them closed. However, they have been preparing the foods just inside the counter from where I could see how they have been preparing the foods. All the people working there were Japanese and possibly none of them were muslims. I felt to be grateful to these Japanese people from the core of my heart because they had to learn about “Halal” food and it was never easy for them to do so. Their dedication to provide us the opportunity to eat halal bakery foods really demands encouragement. I also found some Japanese people also enjoying the foods. It reveals that, from the onset “Shoeian” could achieve the popularity and confidence not only of Muslim people, but also the Japanese people.