A place called HANA JAM.
The Japanese archive records the opening of HANA JAM, the cake shop that would become part of the cheesecake’s beginnings.
OUR HISTORY · OUR WORLDA little cake.
A little cake.
A world of stories.
From a family sweets shop in Fukuoka to a warm welcome in Toronto. Meet the baker behind the stamp, and follow the journey that brought his cheesecake across oceans.
FukuokaTaipeiTorontoThe world
THE MAN BEHIND THE STAMPBefore the character,
Before the character,
there was a baker.
Tetsushi Mizokami grew up helping his parents in their cake shop in Hakata, Fukuoka. His later ventures brought together food, music and community, including HANA JAM with his wife, Kimiyo.
That spirit lives in the friendly face on every cheesecake: a welcome, a small moment of care, and something delicious to share.
Founder’s original story ↗The journey so far.
Selected milestones from the brand’s archives, official launch announcements and regional operators’ opening records.
- 1984Fukuoka, Japan
- 1990Hakata, Fukuoka
The cheesecake gets its name.
The Japanese archive dates the development and naming of Uncle Tetsu’s Cheesecake to 1990. The Canadian founder story also places the first cheesecake-focused shop in this year.
- 1991–1993Across Japan
A local favourite travels.
The Japanese story traces a breakout in 1991, more Fukuoka shops in 1992, then openings in Nagoya and Sapporo in 1993.
- 2011Taipei, Taiwan
A new chapter in Asia.
A sister shop opened at Taipei Station in 2011, a milestone recorded in the Japanese brand’s timeline.
- 2013Mainland China
A mainland bakery chapter.
Regional operator Xiao Nan Guo reported adding Uncle Tetsu through a franchise management agreement in 2013, with mainland bakeries operating by its March 2014 announcement.
- March 2015Toronto, Canada
OUR CANADIAN CHAPTER Hello, Toronto.
Uncle Tetsu arrived in Toronto in March 2015. The Canadian archive describes it as the brand’s first shop in the West, following its Asian beginnings.
- December 2015Hong Kong
A welcome in Causeway Bay.
Hong Kong operator B & S records its first Uncle Tetsu bakery in Causeway Bay in December 2015, followed by Mongkok and Tseung Kwan O in 2016 and 2017.
- 2016Honolulu, United States
A U.S. chapter begins.
The U.S. launch announcement introduced Honolulu as the first U.S. location, with a March 1 opening planned in partnership with Panda Restaurant Group.
- July 2019New York, United States
The story reaches New York.
The Canadian archive announced the brand’s first New York shop in July 2019, extending a journey that had already reached Canada and Oceania.
A world of warm welcomes.
Discover more places in the international story, drawn from the official global directory and regional archives.
Our roots. New chapters.
- Japan
- Taiwan
- Mainland China
- Hong Kong
The story starts in Fukuoka and reaches Taipei, mainland China and Hong Kong through the milestones above.
A wider Asian journey.
- Malaysia
- Indonesia
- Myanmar
- Vietnam
- Singapore
The global directory records Malaysian, Indonesian, Myanmar and Vietnamese locations. Singapore also appears in a regional operator’s 2017 international brand record.
A chapter in Pakistan.
- Pakistan
Lahore is part of the brand’s international bakery directory, bringing another city into the Uncle Tetsu story.
Explore the global archive ↗More places to share.
- Saudi Arabia
- Qatar
The official directory includes Saudi Arabian cities and Doha, Qatar, as further chapters in the international journey.
Explore the global archive ↗A Canadian welcome.
- Canada
- United States
Toronto became an important new chapter in 2015, followed by the brand’s U.S. expansion. This website is home to our Canadian bakeries.
Explore Canada’s bakeries ↗Across another ocean.
- Australia
- New Zealand
By 2018, the brand’s own baking stories included Australia and New Zealand, linked by a shared craft and Japanese baking equipment.
Visit Uncle Tetsu Australia ↗Looking beyond Canada? Visit the official global website ↗ Visit Uncle Tetsu U.S. ↗
THE NEXT CHAPTER IS CLOSE TO HOMEFrom our oven,
From our oven,
to your little moment.
Our Canadian directory brings together 24 bakeries across 5 provinces. Find your nearest shop, meet the team, and make a little room for something fluffy.
Find your Canadian bakery ↗24Canadian bakeries
5 provinces · one familiar smile