Pain du Marche
A wildly popular bakery in Kusatsu run by a pastry chef trained in France. Selected for Tabelog Bread WEST Best 100 (2022). The shokupan bread sells 820 loaves a day. Queues form before opening, with cars from other prefectures regularly in the lot. Completely additive-free and handmade; praised for quality far exceeding local competition. Takeout only — no eat-in.
Reviews say 'Not an exaggeration to call it Shiga's No. 1 bakery,' 'The croissants and curry bread are worth queuing for,' and 'The aroma and texture of the shokupan are on a completely different level.' TripAdvisor #2 in Kusatsu, Tabelog 3.70/676 reviews. Passionate repeat customers queue before opening without fail.