Poeme: Where to Eat, Prices & Opening Hours (Ehime)

Poeme is a famous confection born in Ehime and loved for many years. A mellow sweet, it wraps a yolk filling made with egg yolk in a soft, moist dough that uses butter. The name is said to hold the feeling of a parent caring for a child, and it is enjoyed by people of all ages.

Origin and History

Its roots go back to around 1950, soon after the war. At that time it was sold as a butter manju, but when a Western style painter who was a friend of the founder tasted it and remarked, this is a poem, the sound poem was matched to three characters meaning mother, blessing, and dream to name it. The maker, Poeme Honpo, is headquartered in Toon City and keeps to the combination of a yolk filling made by adding egg yolk to white bean paste and a butter dough that melts in the mouth.

Highlights

The dough crumbles softly in the mouth and harmonizes with the gentle sweetness of the rich yolk filling. Individually wrapped and easy to eat, its small size makes it perfect as a gift. In Toon City there is Poeme Sweets Park, which has a factory viewing corridor where you can watch the sweets being baked.

Enjoying the Seasons

It is a standard confection to enjoy all year, and seasonal limited products sometimes appear. It is recommended as a relaxing snack with warm tea.

Practical Travel Notes

It can be bought at Poeme Sweets Park in Toon City as well as at souvenir shops and stores around Ehime and at Matsuyama Airport. Besides the factory viewing corridor, the Sweets Park also has a footbath and an eat in corner, making it a popular stop for families. The location is easy to reach by car from central Matsuyama, so it suits a stop on a drive or sightseeing trip. The standard individually wrapped items keep well and are easy to give as a gift.

A Quick Tip

It is plenty tasty at room temperature, but warming it slightly lets the moistness of the dough and the aroma of the yolk filling spread softly.

Practical Information for Your Visit

• Facility attached to the head factory: Poeme Sweets Park (2585-1 Norinouchi-ko, Toon City / 089-955-8333). Open 9:00-17:00, closed on January 1 (New Year's Day), and admission is free of charge.
• Factory viewing and limited-edition items: From the windows of a factory viewing corridor themed Let's Become a Poeme!, you can watch the sweets being made. There are also park-exclusive freshly baked items such as freshly baked Nama Poeme, Yaki Mont Blanc and Park Choux, as well as hands-on areas with a footbath and a foot-reflexology path.
• Access and parking: Exit the Matsuyama Expressway at Kawauchi IC and head along National Route 11 toward Saijo for about 2 km, roughly 5 minutes. Free parking for 50 cars. There are 2 spaces for group buses, and advance reservation by phone is required.
• Where to buy it: Matsuyama Airport Iyotetsu Shop (6:30-19:45), Matsuyama Meihinkan at JR Matsuyama Station (7:30-20:00), the Poeme Dogo Yunomachi store (10:00-18:00, irregular holidays) and others.

* Opening hours and prices at individual shops vary from shop to shop.

(Sources: Poeme Sweets Park official website; Poeme Co., Ltd. official website, Store Guide)

Information Sources

This article is compiled from tourism information for Ehime Prefecture and from information published by each shop. Prices and product details may change, so please check the official information of each shop for details.

Sightseeing Checklist

• Budget guide: from a few hundred yen to the low thousands of yen per box
• Where to get it: souvenir shops throughout Ehime Prefecture, Matsuyama Station and Matsuyama Airport
• Best time to go: available all year round; ideal for shopping at the end of your trip
• Avoiding the crowds: souvenirs are usually well stocked and easy to buy
• Enjoy it together with: Ichiroku Tart, Botchan Dango and other famous Ehime confections, served with tea