Seikado, Imabari: The Old Neighbourhood Bakery That Sells Out by Mid-Morning
Seikado is an old bakery in Tachibana-cho, on the south-eastern side of central Imabari, about two kilometres from JR Imabari Station.
It is not on the Shimanami Kaido cycling route, and it does not pretend to be.
This is a neighbourhood shop, and the people going in and out are locals buying breakfast and after-school snacks.
It opens at seven in the morning, and it closes on Monday and Tuesday.
The one thing worth knowing before you go is that the best things here are gone by the middle of the day.
Why it is worth the short detour
Three things come up again and again, both from the writer of the original Japanese article and from reviewers.
The first is that the prices are gentle, in a way that reviewers say you do not see much any more.
The second is that the range is unusually wide for a small shop, running from sweet rolls through savoury ones to sandwiches.
The third is age, in the good sense.
One reviewer remembers buying bread here during the school summer holidays thirty or forty years ago, and came back after a long gap to find it still going.
There is also a practical reason, which is the closing days.
Boulangerie Soga, another long-established bakery about 1.5 km away, closes on Wednesday and Thursday.
Seikado closes on Monday and Tuesday.
Between the two of them, one is open on every day of the week.
What is on the shelves
The sweet side covers the standards: chocolate cornets, custard cream buns, anpan filled with sweet red bean paste, and melon pan.
Alongside them are less usual ones, including a bread made with pumpkin.
On the savoury side, the one to know about is the pizza bread, which is large and filling enough to count as a meal on its own.
It is the item the writer’s own children ask for.
Curry bread comes in three versions: a plain one, an aged-curry one, and one built on a danish base with a boiled egg on top.
There are teriyaki chicken rolls and roll franks as well.
Then there are the sandwiches, and this is where the timing matters.
The fruit sandwich, thick with fruit and whipped cream, is the item that goes first.
Arrive at nine in the morning and it may already be gone.
Character bread shaped like cartoon figures is a fixture, and small children tend to head straight for it.
New items appear from time to time, which is part of the pleasure of a shop like this one.
One more thing, if you have a kitchen where you are staying: the shop sometimes puts out bags of crusts trimmed from the loaves, at a token price.
What reviewers keep saying
There are not many reviews of Seikado, but they are consistent, and they line up with what the original article says.
The first point is that it sells out.
One reviewer arrived at lunchtime and found two items left on the shelves.
That is not an unlucky one-off: a midday visit can find a sold-out notice already up at the shop.
Another says plainly that the popular items have to be chased in the morning.
The second point is the price.
One listing picks out the custard cream bun in particular, for a filling that is rich without being heavy.
The third is the feeling of the place.
Words along the lines of “the bakery I went to as a child” turn up in several of them, and one listing also notes the welcome from the pair behind the counter.
Getting there
The address is 2-7-30 Tachibana-cho, Imabari.
The landmark is Tachibana Junior High School.
Take the road that runs from the school down towards the Sosha River, and the shop is on the right, at a junction with traffic lights.
You will know it by the large bread-shaped ornaments displayed at the front of the shop.
By bicycle from JR Imabari Station: about 2 km, roughly 8 to 10 minutes at an easy pace.
On foot from JR Imabari Station: about 25 minutes.
By car: there is room for one or two vehicles in front of the shop, and no more.
If you have not sorted out a bicycle yet, the current rental situation in Imabari is set out in Renting a bicycle in Imabari (2026).
Opening hours and closing days
The shop opens at seven in the morning, and it closes on Monday and Tuesday.
Both of those were checked locally, and they are more recent than anything you will find in the listings.
The closing time is the part that is still unclear, because the listings disagree with one another.
In practice it matters less than it sounds, because the shelves empty long before the shop shuts.
Come in the morning, and the earlier the better.
If you do need to come later in the day, telephone first: 0898-23-7135.
Fitting it into a morning
The Sosha River is about 500 metres further along the same road.
It is the river that runs through the south of the city and out to the sea, and the road along the embankment is flat and quiet.
Buy breakfast, ride down to the water, and eat it there.
If you arrive to find Seikado closed, Boulangerie Soga is 1.5 km away and open on Mondays and Tuesdays.
And if you want a bakery actually on the way to the bridge, Rilio no Pan is the one to aim for, though it closes on Sunday.
Questions people ask
Which days is it closed? Monday and Tuesday.
What time does it open? Seven in the morning. The closing time is less certain, but the bread runs out well before it.
Is there parking? Room for one or two cars in front of the shop.
What should I buy? The fruit sandwich if there are any left, and the pizza bread if you want something substantial.
Is it on the cycling route? No. It is about 2 km from the station, in the opposite direction from the bridge.
Is it good for children? Yes. The character bread and the pizza bread are both aimed squarely at them.
Original article in Japanese: 「清花堂 せいかどう」優しい味の老舗パン屋さん〜今治ランチ隊が行く！
