Juchheim

Baumkuchen, a tree stump-shaped cake of German origin, has long been a mainstay in Japan. From wedding gifts to everyday desserts found at convenience stores, it is ubiquitous across the country and even more popular than in Germany, often seen as a peculiar phenomenon.

This cake was first introduced to Japan on 4 March 1919 at the Hiroshima Industrial Promotion Hall – today known as the Atomic Bomb Dome – by German confectioner Karl Juchheim, who was taken as a prisoner of war at Qingdao in 1914 despite being a civilian. He moved to the port city of Yokohama after his release and founded his own shop in 1922, but trouble followed him.

Just one year later, the Kanto region was devasted by a massive earthquake, forcing Juchheim to relocate to Kobe in the west. It was a good location as it had no shortage of foreign customers, but his success came to a halt again when World War II broke out.

Karl Juchheim passed away on 14 August 1945, just before the end of the war; his only son Karlheinz had died in a battle in Vienna three month prior, and his wife Elise was deported by the Allied government in 1947. Former employees at Juchheim’s rebuilt the company and kept it going until Elise was allowed to return in 1953, who served as its CEO from 1961 up to her death in 1971.

The company was inherited by Haruo Kawamoto, former soccer player and close friend of the Juchheim family. It has since grown to be one of Japan’s beloved confectionery brands, popularizing Baumkuchen among the general public.

Today, Juchheim’s main branch in the Motomachi district of Kobe City is a classy shop steeped in history, with a European-style café on the second floor. There are also special Baumkuchens only available at this location, such as the “Meister’s hand-baked Baum” and the Apfelbaum, which contains a whole apple in its center.