Kaori Yamashitacho Honten

Usually when I end up in Japan I get a few requests from friends and family for stuff they want me to bring back, usually somewhere along the line of «stuff I can buy at duty free and then pretend that I went out of my way to get it for them.»
Shopping for my dad has been tricky over the years since he’s not a big fan of traditional Japanese snacks (like handcrafted senbei, dorayaki, kaki no tane, etc.) or the tried and true matcha kitkat. In fact the only time he really leaped with joy (metaphorical, of course; Asian parents are not capable of expressing any emotion other than disappointment) was when I brought back an assorted set of baked goods from Hokkaido’s Rokkatei (Marusei Raisin Cream Butter Sandwich Cookies, yum…) which he went to great lengths to make sure that no one else would have access to other than himself.
Personal anecdotes aside, Kaori’s confectionery and bakery is probably something all long-​time residents of Yokohama have fond memories of growing up; almost everyone I know over the age of 35 that claims to be from Yokohama waxes lyrical about their Brandy Cake and Raisin Sandwich Cookies, and whereas the restaurant itself may be a little sparse in terms of customers, their confectionery store (where you can buy gift sets of the aforementioned goodies) is almost always bustling with people trying to bring back a taste of the golden days back home with them.
Since it didn’t occur to me to take a few pictures of the delicious desserts while I was at the store, the Raisin Sandwich cookies are basically two very fluffy, crumble-​in-​your-​mouth butter cookies with rich cream prepared from fine brandy, with California raisins sprinkled inside for your chewing pleasure. The Brandy Cake is essentially very soft, moist pound cake that captivates the rich and sweet essence of aged brandy.
You can also buy their confectioneries individually or have them with coffee at the restaurant, though I can almost guarantee that any of their box sets will probably run laps around whatever you can get at Haneda/​Narita Duty Free.