The top of a mountain is not where you expect to find one of the best cheesecakes of your life. This is especially true in Japan.

Yet that is exactly what happened on a day trip to Mount Takao, just outside Tokyo. I stumbled upon a Japanese cheesecake shop called Tenguya, conveniently located near the cable car back down the mountain.

Tenguya sells crispy pastry tarts filled with a creamy, light and fluffy cheesecake center. It feels like taking a bite out of the surrounding clouds.

Advertisement

This light and fluffy mousse-like form (affectionately known as “fuwa-fuwa” in Japanese onomatopoeia) is typical of the cheesecake varieties native to Japan.

While nothing about cheesecake may seem typically Japanese—dairy, cake—it’s a modern staple in cafes, bakeries, patisseries, specialty shops, convenience stores and dessert menus across Japan.

Several famous cheesecake tart chains, like BAKE and PABLO, attract around-the-block queues for their stores, both nationally and internationally.

There are two main types of Japanese cheesecake. Both versions reflect local tastes, making them lighter, less sweet and lower in calories.

The Japanese “soufflé” cheesecake is a baked variety. It differs from the traditional New York-style cheesecake by incorporating whipped egg whites into the batter. Bakers cook the mixture in a bain-marie, creating a soft, airy and chiffon-like texture.

It may or may not have a molten center, depending on the cooking time. Some versions include a light layer of apricot jam on top.

Japan also has its own take on unbaked cheesecake, known as “rare” cheesecake. This version uses a setting agent such as agar-agar or gelatin. It typically combines cream cheese and yogurt instead of cream, giving it a slightly tangy flavor.

To reach this point of distinction and global following, Japanese cheesecake traversed the globe, went through many iterations, and overcame challenges in culinary predispositions. Its history is therefore relatively brief, around 40 years, considering the cheesecake’s history of over 2000 years. The earliest recorded mention of cheesecake comes from the writer Athenaeus in 230 AD. Earlier accounts from 776 BC suggest it was served to Olympic athletes to boost stamina.

Archaeological findings show this version as cheesecake made from flour, wheat, honey and cheese, and was more of a pudding-style number.

Advertisement

You might also be interested in our guide to the best donuts in Tokyo.

Romans spread the Greek cheesecake across Europe, with the modern baked-style cheesecake thought to have its origins in medieval Poland, and was a mixture of cottage cheese, creme patissiere, lightly fermented raw milk and fresh cheeses. Polish immigrants took this cake with them to the US, then after the invention of cream cheese in New York in 1872, cheesecake recipes featuring cream cheese began to appear.

Meanwhile in Japan, the recently-established Meiji government was encouraging the adoption of foreign foods, with a recipe book published in 1873 making the first mention of cheesecake — albeit a mixture of cheese and rice rather than a Western-regarded “cake.” But as traditional Japanese palates of the time found cheese particularly noisome, the cake was not readily adopted.

It wasn’t until the postwar period, when American forces stationed in Japan had brought with them American-baked cheesecake, along with other foreign flavors and foods, helped shape changing tastes in Japan.

During the early Showa period, producers introduced soft cottage cheese and cream cheese to Japan. These ingredients soon appeared in traditional confectionery as a new and unfamiliar addition.Eventually, consumption grew with the introduction of electric refrigerators in homes during the 1950s, and slowly, the Japanese partiality for cheese and cheese-based desserts followed.

Commercial pioneers of cheesecake in Japan appeared in the 1960s. On a trip to Berlin in 1969, Tomotaro Kuzuno, owner of Kobe’s Morozoff, encountered a local käsekuchen cheesecake (a German variant), and was so enamoured that he decided it needed to be made available back in his home country.

Rikuro Ojisan in Osaka was among the first chains serving up the characteristic wobbly, airy, souffle-style Japanese cheesecake. During the 1970s, women’s magazines featuring cheesecake catalyzed a boom in the cake’s popularity across the country.

In the late 1980s, more desserts featuring cheese-like tiramisu and cheese-filled steamed buns began to appear and solidify the place of cheese in Japanese cuisine. Since the 1990s, the appetite for, and availability of, cheesecake has been widespread across Japan.

Where to Try Japanese Cheesecake in Tokyo

If you’re curious to try Japanese cheesecake for yourself, Tokyo offers everything from classic recipes to modern interpretations.

• PABLO – Known for its popular cheese tarts, with options ranging from gooey, molten centers to more set, mousse-like textures. Seasonal flavors like matcha with red beans are also available.
• BAKE Cheese Tart – Famous for rich, bite-sized cheese tarts using Hokkaido cheese
• Mr. Cheesecake – A modern favorite known for its silky, premium texture
• Johann – A long-standing shop serving classic baked cheesecakes since 1978
• Shirotae – Well-known for its rich and slightly tangy rare cheesecake

For a more contemporary twist, GAZTA specializes in Basque-style cheesecake with a caramelized exterior and creamy center.

Advertisement

Beyond specialty shops, Japanese cheesecake can also be found in cafés, bakeries and even convenience stores across Tokyo, making it one of the most accessible desserts to try.

For more bakery finds, see our guide to where to find the best brown bread in Tokyo.

This article was originally published in June 2025 and updated in March 2026 for accuracy.