Fukusaya has baked its hand-mixed Nagasaki castella since 1624, keeping the crunchy layer of zarame sugar at the bottom of every cake. Alongside the flagship sponge, its Nagasaki head office and shops sell Hollander cake, handmade monaka wafers and seasonal Fukusaya Cube gift boxes.
Best for Hollander cake, handmade monaka wafers and seasonal Fukusaya Cube gift boxes
Goto Tsubaki Distillery makes GOTOGIN, a craft gin distilled on Fukue Island using local botanicals chosen to evoke the archipelago's landscape. The distillery sells its bottlings directly through an official online store.
Imamura Tsubaki Seiyusho has pressed camellia oil on Fukue Island since 1933 using the tamashime first-press method, tending roughly four thousand trees for its seed. The family sells culinary and cosmetic camellia oil, shampoo and pressed-seed cake from its Heizo-machi workshop.
Best for First-press culinary and cosmetic camellia oil
Kogetsudo Roho makes Casdous, the sugar-crusted, yolk-dipped castella of old Hirado, along with Portugal senbei and castella, all handmade without additives. Based at the Hirado Products Hall on Iwanoue-cho, the shop has presented its sweets to the imperial household across the Showa and Heisei reigns.
Near Glover Garden, Rurian keeps Nagasaki's 400-year vidro glassblowing tradition alive, mixing its own raw materials and shaping each piece by hand. Visitors can buy finished work through the shop and online store or book blowing, stained-glass and kaleidoscope workshops at the Matsugae-machi studio.
Best for Glass, Nagasaki vidro, blown glass, stained glass