In Nanao City, Ishikawa Prefecture, there is a traditional confectionery that has been passed down since the Kamakura period. It is a Japanese confectionery called “mameame” made from soy flour and starch syrup. It has been loved for generations, but in recent years, people have become less interested in Japanese confectioneries in general, and even in the local area, there are more and more people who don’t know about mameame. In order to change this situation, the students of the Japanese confectionery store “Umeya Tsune-goro” and “Otori Gakuen High School” have started a new challenge.

The history of “soy bean candy” dates back to the Kamakura period.

The name “mameame” is written with the kanji for “soybean” and “candy”. This Japanese confectionery has been handed down in Nanao City, Ishikawa Prefecture, for a long time, and is popular for its simple taste, made by kneading soy flour and starch syrup together. The chewy texture and the savory flavor of the soybeans spread through your mouth with a sense of nostalgia, and you can’t help but smile.

Even though it’s been around for a long time, it’s not a hundred or two hundred years old. There is a record that Nobutsura Hasebe, a military commander who ruled over Noto Province (northern Ishikawa Prefecture, including the present-day city of Nanao) during the Kamakura period (approx. 800 years ago), presented soy bean candy to his lord, Minamoto no Yoritomo. It is also said that Toshiie Maeda, a military commander based in Nanao during the Azuchi-Momoyama period, entertained Toyotomi Hideyoshi with soy bean candy, which shows how long it has been rooted in this area.

Because of its high nutritional value and long shelf life, it was also said to have been a valuable emergency food for the Kitamae boats that traveled the Sea of Japan from the Edo period to the early Meiji period.

Umeya Jyogoro, which produces the traditional Nanao confectionery, soy bean candy

Located in the center of the Noto Peninsula, the city of Nanao has long prospered as the political and economic center of Noto. In the Muromachi period, the Hatakeyama clan, a group of provincial feudal lords, built a castle town, and in the Azuchi-Momoyama period, Maeda Toshiie built another castle town, and the area prospered greatly. Against this backdrop, the tea ceremony culture flourished, and Japanese sweets also became popular. Umeya Jyogoro, a Japanese sweets shop established in 1915, is one of the shops that has helped to spread the culture of Japanese sweets in Nanao.

The fourth generation, Masakuni Miyagawa, honed his skills as a Japanese confectioner and took over the shop from his father in 2020. The shop’s signature product is soy candy. As the times have changed, the number of shops making soy candy has decreased, but Miyagawa has faithfully preserved the ingredients and production methods that have been passed down through the generations, and has continued to pass on the traditional taste of Nanao.

At the same time, he also had this thought: “Most of the people who buy soy candy are elderly. When it comes to the younger generation, there are many people who have never seen or eaten soy candy before. How can we get young people to buy soy candy?” His feelings wavered between the dwindling tradition and the needs of the times. At that time, he received an offer from a local high school student: “I want you to make a new kind of soy candy with me.”

A challenge for high school students who were not familiar with soy candy

The students of the Hōgaku High School in Nanao City asked Mr. Miyagawa for his cooperation. Hōgaku is known for its liberal school culture, and it is the only high school in Ishikawa Prefecture with a culinary arts department.

As part of their research activities, one group focused on soy bean candy. “It’s said to be a traditional Nanao confection, but the younger generation doesn’t know much about it, and they’ve never eaten it.” This was the same feeling as Mr. Miyagawa.

What we can do to keep the tradition alive

In order to find out how well soy candy was known, the students conducted a questionnaire survey of 5th and 6th grade elementary school students and 1st to 3rd grade junior high school students in Nanao City. The results showed that 92% of the students had never heard of soy candy. The students felt a sense of crisis, thinking that “if things continue like this, the long history of soy candy may come to an end”.

In order to make soy candy known to the younger generation, they thought that a new approach would be necessary. The students decided to ask Mr. Miyagawa for his cooperation in developing a new type of soy candy.

The goal of the development was to “create a new soy candy with a new flavor that would be accepted by the younger generation”. They therefore sent a letter to Hidetoshi Nakata, who is also involved in regional revitalization, and asked him to supervise the project. They hoped to create a new soy candy that had never been seen before, drawing on Nakata’s knowledge and experience of developing products for many companies.

Product development began under the supervision of Hidetoshi Nakata.

While Miyagawa-san, the students and Nakata-san held a series of online meetings and exchanged emails, the trial and error process of developing a new soy candy began. They repeated the process of making prototypes while addressing each issue one by one, such as “making the texture more enjoyable”, “what ingredients would be suitable for accentuating the flavor”, and “making it a more convenient size to eat”. No one compromised, and the flavor was refined more and more as they continued to make improvements.

For Mr. Miyagawa, both Mr. Nakata’s ideas and the students’ ideas were full of freshness that broke down stereotypes. “There were some ideas that I never would have thought of, and some unique requests. There were some difficulties in incorporating everyone’s opinions, but as a craftsman, I felt a sense of fulfillment,” he says with a smile. Above all, Mr. Miyagawa felt great joy in the process of seeing the product become tastier with each new prototype.

Meanwhile, the students were learning from their interactions with Mr. Nakata that taste was not the only thing that was important in product development. There were many things to do, such as deciding on the product concept and price, designing the packaging, naming the product, and creating a sales strategy. The product was not finished when it was completed. They continued to seek ways to make the product something that many people would want to buy and continue to sell, with Mr. Nakata’s advice.

After about five months, the soy candy with a modern twist was completed.

The target audience was women in their 30s who were keen to travel. We decided to use chocolate to add a modern essence to the soy candy, while sticking to locally-produced ingredients as much as possible.

The most creative part was expressing the texture and flavor. To bring out the toasty aroma of the soy flour, we ground the soy beans in the store to maintain freshness. We added nuts to the dough, which we had made to be as soft as earlobes, so that people could enjoy the contrast in texture. The nuts used are walnuts, almonds and hazelnuts, which have different flavors. They are baked in the oven, crushed into small pieces, covered in caramel and then coated in chocolate to give them a rich flavor.

The salt and soy sauce from Noto were chosen as accents to bring out the overall flavor. The time and effort that went into making the handmade soy candy has resulted in a taste that makes you want to reach for another piece.

The hopes for the recovery of Noto are carried in the new soy candy.

In fact, the students’ inquiry activities had another theme: the desire to “cheer up” Nanao City, which was badly damaged by the Noto Peninsula earthquake in 2024. Many buildings collapsed in Nanao City, and the school building of Hōgakuin also sustained serious damage, including subsidence and cracks in the outer walls. Many people are still living in secondary evacuation centers or temporary housing, and the city and its people are still in the process of recovery from the damage.

The name of the newly developed soy candy was decided to be “FUCCO (Fukkou: Revival)” with the wish that “it will be a step towards revival and that the people who buy it will receive good fortune”. In addition to selling it at the Umeya Tsune-Goro store and Kanazawa Station, they have also secured internet sales and sales through the “furusato nozei” tax system so that as many people as possible across the country can get their hands on it. A portion of the sales will be donated to Nanao City as a contribution to the recovery effort.

The reborn soy candy is a symbol of the town’s future.

The students are determined to “change the year 2024 from the year of the earthquake to the first year of recovery”. Just as they have expressed the tradition of soy bean candy in a new way, they hope that the city of Nanao will also be able to recover in a positive way. Their thoughts about the future of their beloved hometown are straightforward, unpretentious and light.

The pride of having continued a tradition for 800 years will be the driving force of recovery.

Mr. Miyagawa said that he gained a lot of insight into the sensibilities of the younger generation. Preserving tradition means “connecting with the past”. “While it may be one way to adapt the traditional recipe for soy candy to suit the times, I think that continuing to have exchanges like this will also lead to the continuation of tradition”. Mr. Miyagawa’s goal is to continue to pass on the traditional sweets that are the pride of Nanao to future generations, while expanding new exchanges and perspectives.

For the students, tracing the history of soy candy was also tracing the history of Nanao. They felt a sense of pride in the fact that the soy candy eaten by Minamoto no Yoritomo in the Kamakura period, the soy candy that Miyagawa-san has inherited, and the new soy candy they developed were all connected by a single line. Her eyes lit up as she said, “It’s amazing that it’s been passed down for 800 years. It’s got so much potential.”

In Nanao City, where the scars of the earthquake are still visible here and there, this joint development project was undertaken by a long-established Japanese confectionery store and local high school students. FUCCO, which was born from the connection formed through soy bean candy, carries the hopes for recovery to the city of Nanao and then spreads throughout the whole country.

To “preserve tradition” is to “connect with the past”. Both Miyagawa and the students hope that FUCCO, a traditional confection made with thoughts of home in mind, will become a new traditional confection that overwrites the hopes of the damaged city of Nanao.

The post Carrying on the tradition of soy candy: the challenge of Umeya Tsune-Goro and Hou-Gakuen High School / Nanao City, Ishikawa Prefecture first appeared on NIHONMONO.

Chateraise, headquartered in Yamanashi Prefecture, was founded as a small confectionary store by a complete amateur farmer who started out as a “helper. How did Chateraise grow and how will it continue to expand its “Japanese-style franchise” by adapting to the needs of the times and constantly making changes?

A path in business that began as a complete amateur.

YATSUDOKI TERRACE Ishiwa, a confectionery store, cafe, and hotel, is located in Isawa-cho, Fuefuki-shi, Yamanashi Prefecture, on the banks of the Fuefuki-gawa River, overlooking Mt. It is a nice place with a magnificent view,” says Takako Saito. Since assuming her current position in 2018, she has been working hard on new hotel business in addition to her existing business.

Shateraise began in 1954 when Takako’s father, Hiroshi Saito, and his brother opened a store selling Amataro, an Imagawa-yaki style confectionery, in Kofu City (formerly Koume-cho), Yamanashi Prefecture. However, the store did not take off, and Hiroshi was asked by his father to help his younger brother, so he joined the business that same year. As a full-time farmer until then, the world of business was an unknown territory for Hiroshi. He recalls, “I was anxious about starting out as a complete amateur.

As a result of Hiroshi’s help, the store gradually got off the ground and the number of stores increased. However, “Amataro,” which sold freshly baked goods, had a problem: While sales were good in the cold winter months, they were slow in the hot summer months. So, Hiroshi decided to start producing and selling ice cream as a summer solution.

However, when he built a factory and started production, he found that the ice cream market was mainly held by large manufacturers. No matter how hard he tried, he could not get a good sales space for his products, and his ice cream business eventually went into the red. Realizing that competing on the same footing as the major manufacturers was not going to work, Hiroshi sought a strategy. Noting that retailers had not yet installed refrigerators for fresh food at that time, he began research and development of “cream puffs,” believing that the major manufacturers would not be able to design a production plan for sweets that would not keep for a long period of time. In 1967, the company changed its name to Chateraise Corporation and began full-scale production of cream puffs.

He said, “I thought that if we didn’t have a refrigerator, we should sell out at a price that would sell out as soon as they were put on the shelves.

The company decided to set an inexpensive price that would be easy to pick up, and started selling them for 10 yen, whereas other companies were selling them for 50 yen apiece. This strategy paid off, and the product became Chateraise’s mainstay, with 500,000 units being manufactured daily.

A moment of confidence turned into certainty.

From its humble beginnings as a small store, Chateraise has grown to become one of the leading confectionery franchisees in Japan. A franchise is a business model in which an individual or corporation contracts with a business and pays a fee (royalty) for the right to sell the store name, products, and services.

The turning point for the company came when it was still specializing in “wholesale” sales of products to retailers in the prefecture. He gave advice on manufacturing methods to a confectionery store in the Kansai region with which he had a good relationship, and the business performance of the shop improved rapidly. His business performance improved rapidly, and eventually the company went public. His strong confidence that “our products can be accepted nationwide” led him to consider a franchise business. As a first step, he opened a directly managed store to sell products made at the factory directly to customers. At the store, which was tucked away in a field, Saito’s father, Hiroshi, began experimenting with wholesale prices, which could only be offered at a directly managed store. It was a challenge to the retail industry. Hiroshi’s enthusiasm resulted in a product that was 34% less expensive than other companies’ products, and was delivered to consumers.

In 1986, the company opened its first factory-operated store outside of Chiba Prefecture, where a subsidiary was located. The “inexpensive and delicious” Chateraise confectionery was an instant hit, and the directly operated stores were a huge success. This led to a succession of applications from all over Japan to open factory-operated stores, and the franchise business began to expand nationwide.

Franchise Circle Sticking to the “Japanese Way

The franchise business model originated in the U.S., and was not very familiar in Japan at the time. Mr. Saito emphasizes that the franchise model that Chateraise has stuck to is “not an imitation of the American model, but rather a Japanese model. The true reason for this was the innovative policy of “not charging royalties. Royalties are a kind of “usage fee” that comes with the granting of product and know-how rights, and in most cases, the user pays a few percent of the sales amount. However, the franchise business developed by Chateraise eliminates all of this. The conditions are that the customer bears the burden of preparing the funds, selecting the store, and other preparations for opening the business. The company also requires its franchisees to agree with the Chateraise philosophy of “three pleasure management”: first, to please customers, then to please suppliers, and finally to please employees. He says that he does not ask for anything more than that.

It’s not a business-like relationship,” he says. In the franchise business, it is very important to build a good relationship with the store owners. We value a ‘Japanese-style’ relationship in which we share corporate values through our philosophy, not through money.

Shateraise across the sea

Currently, Chateraise stores are located not only in Japan, but also in Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, the United Arab Emirates, Thailand, Vietnam, and other parts of the world. There, too, the company is trying to share its management policy by communicating its “Japanese” franchise format of “associates, not business partners” and its “3Ki Management” philosophy.

Saito says that he was “surprised” to find that foreign people understood the “Japanese” philosophy very well and communicated with him in a sympathetic manner. The relationship of “friends” built by sharing not only products and signs, but also the philosophy of the company, continues to spread across the seas.

YATSUDOKI” for a taste of Chateraise that takes it up a notch.

In 2019, Chateraise’s newest development drew attention with the birth of its new “YATSUDOKI” brand, which is distinctly different from its existing product lineup. This premium brand, which sources freshly produced eggs directly from contracted farmers in Yamanashi Prefecture, is widely sought after as souvenirs and gifts for spending money. Originally, the company’s policy was to provide relatively inexpensive sweets that anyone could easily purchase, but Saito says that he was concerned that this would not create a need for gift items. That is when the idea of the “YATSUDOKI” brand was born.

The name “YATSUDOKI” is derived from “yatsudoki,” meaning “snack time” (3:00 p.m.), and the Chinese character for “eight” is also said to reflect the image of the majestic Yatsugatake mountains that rise in northern Yamanashi Prefecture. The “YATSUDOKI” products actually use ingredients grown in the fertile land at the foot of Mt. Yatsugatake, and the company works with farms and ranches that share its desire to create delicious confections, thoroughly discussing the fields, soil, livestock feed, and other aspects of product development. They work together with farms and ranches that share their desire to make delicious confections, thoroughly discussing everything from fields and soil to livestock feed. Currently, as “Chateraise on a higher level,” the company has opened a series of stores in Miyagi, Saitama, Tokyo, Kanagawa, Yamanashi, Nagano, Kyoto, Hyogo, and other prefectures.

The future of Chateraise

In recent years, the confectionery industry has been in a difficult situation, with rising raw material and transportation costs being a hot topic. The producers who make the ingredients for confectionery are in the toughest situation.

“When I’m in Yamanashi, I can understand the plight of the producers. I think it’s not limited to the prefecture. I think there is a lot that needs to be done to make better products. In order to help them, I would like to first try new things in Yamanashi, where we are based, and spread the theory I have gained there to other places.”

Saito says that he is focusing on “automation” as a challenge to tackle in the future. He talks about future developments, saying, “By challenging ourselves to create fundamental systems, such as building a new system for factory production and introducing automatic ordering using AI, we would like to explore ways to maintain quality without having to take the plunge and reduce raw material costs.” Chateraise’s challenge will eventually help producers. It is exactly the “3 joys management” that is the philosophy of the company.

He said that he has been told unkindly that the mechanization of the production line “can’t compete with sweets made by hand.” He prefaced his statement by saying, “Of course, there are some things that can’t be competed with by human hands,” but he flatly denied the negative comments, saying, “Even so, we seek technical guidance from top-level pastry chefs, and study every day to see how we can get as close to their techniques as possible with machine production, and to make sweets that are the same as handmade sweets, thereby improving our technical level.”

“We can’t keep up with the times unless we make such major reforms.”

Chateraise has grown significantly by constantly brushing up its business model, such as the manufacture of Western confectionery, franchise business, and the establishment of a premium brand, by sensitively sensing the changes of the times. Without stopping its flexible attitude to ride the times, it is aiming for an even greater leap forward in the face of adversity.

The post Growing confectionery business created by a “Japanese-style franchise” “Chateraise HD Co. first appeared on NIHONMONO.

Aoyagi Uiro” by Aoyagi Sohonke is one of the most popular Nagoya souvenirs, but it is said to have its roots in China. How did Uiro originate and how did it become popular as a standard Nagoya souvenir? We will look at its roots, the people behind the expansion of the brand, and the Aoyagi Sohonke’s new challenges.

Uiro, introduced from China over 600 years ago

What do you think of when you hear the word “Uiro”? Many people may think of a Japanese confectionery with a smooth appearance, but not a few younger generations have no idea what it is.

Uiro is a Japanese confectionery that has long been loved as a souvenir from Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture. It is made by steaming rice flour, bracken flour, wheat flour, and other ingredients mixed with sugar, water, and starch. Since it is one of the first souvenirs from Nagoya, locals tend to think that it originated in Nagoya, but in fact, it is said to have its roots in China.

It was brought to Japan in the Muromachi period (1336-1573) by a man named Chen Yan-yu, who was well versed in Chinese medicine (at the time, the Yuan dynasty) and was in charge of procuring medicines. After Yuan was destroyed by the Ming Dynasty, Chen went into exile in Japan. When he became a naturalized Japanese citizen, he took the name Chen Uiro, based on his position in the Yuan dynasty, and the name Sotoro family became firmly established. The medicine that Chen, a skilled physician, began to sell in Japan became well known for its efficacy, and at the invitation of then shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, his son, Chen Gairo Dainen Zongqi, moved to Kyoto. It is said that the name “Uiru” is derived from a confectionery that was served as a tea set to entertain the Imperial Court, or from a confectionery made to soften the bitterness of the medicine.

Later, the Sotoiro family was invited by Soun Hojo, who built a castle in Odawara, and moved to the Odawara castle area. Since then, they have continued to make medicine and sweets in Odawara, and today, Uiro is still passed down in Odawara Castle Town as “Uiro Corporation” and Uiro is also made in other parts of Japan.

After being sold standing in Nagoya Station and on train platforms, it has become a standard souvenir.

The first such place in Japan was Odawara City in Kanagawa Prefecture, but why did UIRO become known as a standard Nagoya souvenir? The Aoyagi Sohonke’s efforts are hidden there. Aoyagi Sohonke was originally founded in 1879 as a steamed yokan (sweet bean jelly) business. Later, the second generation learned how to make UIRO in Tokyo, and began to produce UIRO as well.

The turning point came when Tamehiko Goto, the third generation of the company, decided that he wanted more people to enjoy UIRO, which until then had been packaged in simple wrappings and had an expiration date of the next day or the same day, and established production and packaging techniques to make it last longer. As a result, Tamehiko began to sell Uiro at JR Nagoya Station (then Japan National Railways) and on platforms for the first time. This was the beginning of Uiro becoming a Nagoya specialty.

The effort also brought opportunities. Two years later, in 1964, the Tokaido Shinkansen began service. In addition to sales inside the stations and on platforms, only one store, Aoyanagi Uiro, obtained permission to sell Uiro on board the train, thus accelerating its presence as a Nagoya souvenir.

Rice flour is the main ingredient of Uiro in Nagoya

Uiro is actually a specialty not only in Odawara and Nagoya, but also in Ise City, Mie Prefecture, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Tokushima Prefecture, and other areas, with ingredients and characteristics varying from region to region. In other words, if it is made by adding sugar or water to starch and hardening it, it belongs to the Uiro category. Uiro in Nagoya is made by kneading rice flour with sugar, starch and water, and steaming it. In Yamaguchi Prefecture, bracken flour is added, and in Mie Prefecture, a higher percentage of wheat flour is used. Yokan is sometimes mistaken for yokan, but yokan is a Japanese confectionery made by pouring red bean paste (mainly made from azuki beans) into a mold and hardening it with agar (agar). They are very similar, but not the same.

Because of the simplicity of the ingredients, the experience of the craftsman comes into play. Aoyanagi Uiro uses domestically produced rice flour, but the taste and texture of the Uiro varies depending on the weather and temperature of the year when the rice is harvested. The artisans carefully assess these differences and prepare the dough to achieve the ideal taste and texture. After one hour of steaming in the steamy air, the Uiro is characterized by its soft, chewy texture and elegant sweetness with a hint of rice flavor.

Aoyagi Sohonke’s best-selling product is the orthodox Uiro, made with white sugar, but there are many variations, such as using brown sugar or Wasanbon instead of sugar, or adding Shiraoi Daiginjo, a famous Japanese sake made in Tokoname City, Aichi Prefecture.

Frog buns” featuring the logo

The “Frog Manju,” now one of the company’s signature products, was created in 1989 to commemorate the 110th anniversary of the company’s founding. The frog jumping on a willow tree in the Aoyagi Sohonke logo represents the company’s indomitable spirit of challenge, and the frog in the logo is the motif of this product. The inside is filled with a sweet bean paste, and the frog’s eyes are branded by hand by a craftsman. Although the product did not sell well when it was first sold, sales have been increasing every year. The cute expression on the frog’s face is what keeps consumers coming back for more.

Aoyagi Sohonke had established its position as a representative of Nagoya souvenirs, but when the Corona disaster discouraged people from going out, sales were severely damaged. Brainstorming within the company to see if the company could expand its business beyond souvenirs, the company came up with “travel, business trip, safe frog,” and “happiness, great fortune, lucky frog,” a combination of auspicious words. The added value succeeded in expanding needs. We also wondered if we could send a message to students preparing for entrance examinations as “take on the challenge without giving up. The company thought, “Why not send a message to students preparing for entrance examinations as well? The spirit of fortitude has been passed down from generation to generation.

At the KITTE Nagoya store, directly connected to Nagoya Station, the gateway to Nagoya, a dessert called “Frog Milk Bath,” which looks like a frog bun in a cup of milkshake, has captured the hearts of women.

A variation of this frog manju that gained popularity was the “kerototozzo,” which was released in 2021. It is a confectionary that blends the Japanese and Western styles by combining maritotozzo, which was popular that year, and frog buns. Since Maritozzo was already a hot trend, the development of the product proceeded at a rapid pace under the leadership of Toshitaka.

The initial idea was to commercialize the product within a month and sell it only for a limited period of about three months,” but it became a huge hit, selling more than 10,000 units in the first month of sales. Kerotso became a standard product, and in addition to the standard product mixed with cream and cream cheese, variations of “Strawberry,” “Rum Raisin & Walnut,” and “Cream Cheese & Lemon” were also introduced. It will continue to be one of Aoyagi Sohonke’s signature products in the future.

Before the store opened, people lined up day after day for the “Slime Uiro”.

Toshitaka’s new challenges are endless. In his main business, UIRO, he wants “people who have never heard of UIRO before to recognize and try it. In 2022, the “Slime Uirou” Uirou, a limited-time-only item, was developed that blends the world of the “Dragon Quest” video game. In addition to the standard Uiro, the set includes three collaboration-only flavors: mikan (mandarin orange) and kiwi (kiwi). In addition to the flavors, the pop appearance of the Uirou, which looks as if it came out of the world of Dragon Quest, attracted a lot of attention, and people lined up in front of the store even before the store opened.

Looking overseas in the future

If rice cakes and rice are acceptable in a country, there may be opportunities overseas. In Japan, there may be a new way of eating Uiro that overturns the conventional image of Uiro. Toshitaka’s challenge is likely to gain momentum as he says, “I would like to think about it without being stuck to the traditional taste and appearance. Perhaps the opportunity for change that Tamehiko III was able to bring about is now at hand.

The post The first Nagoya souvenir. Aoyagi Uiro: “To be loved more,” a new challenge for the fifth eldest son. first appeared on NIHONMONO.

Safe and secure “Nikomaru” brand rice

Rice from Kochi may not be a familiar name to many people. However, “Nikomaru,” produced in Niida Town, is a brand-name rice that has won awards in numerous contests, including the Rice and Taste Analysis Contest and the Monde Selection.
NIKOMARU is a heat-tolerant variety that originally originated in Nagasaki. In Niida Town, 63 rice farmers cultivate this rice using only organic fertilizers. The rice is also milled and shipped with the utmost care. It may not be familiar in the Kanto region, but it is quite popular in western Japan and is sold at high prices in local stores.

The town of Niida has been known as a rice-producing area since the days of the Tosa Clan. The reason why the rice tastes so good is said to be the large temperature difference between daytime and nighttime of more than 10 degrees Celsius during the summer and pre-harvest period due to its high altitude, and the clear water of the Shimanto River. Miyauchi Shoten’s contract farmers also insist on “safe and secure rice production. Seedlings are grown before rice planting, and it is important to disinfect the seeds at this time. If this is not done, the seeds can easily become sick and cause serious damage. However, the farmers contracted by Miyauchi Shoten do not use pesticides for disinfection, but instead use an environmentally friendly method of rice cultivation called “hot water disinfection of seed rice” in which the rice is soaked in hot water at 60°C for 10 minutes. In addition, the farmers have repeatedly devised and researched various other methods, and their rice has won awards for 15 consecutive years in the “Rice and Food Taste Analysis Contest,” in which rice production areas nationwide compete for the best taste of their rice.

Sweets made with rice

The freshly cooked rice was indeed glutinous and tasty. The rice is indeed glutinous and tasty, and when served with bonito tataki, a specialty of the highlands, one’s chopsticks are sure to go straight to one’s mouth. You also make sweets, don’t you?
Hidetoshi Nakata, who loves rice but also has an eye for sweets, was attracted by the Niida rice sponge cake. Miyauchi Shoten sells sponge cakes, baumkuchen, roll cakes, and other products made from Niida rice flour. The moist and glutinous texture makes them popular as souvenirs. We have been making rice-flour pastries since 2006, and thanks to the recent increase in the number of gluten-free customers, they are becoming increasingly popular,” he says.
There is no reason why sweets made from rice that are made with the finest ingredients can’t be delicious. The reason for the name “Nikkomaru” is that it is delicious and makes people smile. The “Nikomaru” grown in Niida Town is bringing smiles to many faces in various ways.

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Lovable cake shop “Aigre Douce”

Aigre Douce, a cake shop located in Mejiro, is always full of customers. The display is filled with standard cake like strawberry shortcake, Mont Blanc, cream puffs and mille-feuille, as well as original cakes, pound cakes, baked items, and macaroons. The store resembles a sweets shop in Europe with its stylish exterior, large windows, and colorful sweets.

“The ideal store is one where locals drop by during their walk. I strive to be a cake shop that is loved by everyone from the elderly to small children.” (Norihiko Terai, pâtissier)
Mr. Terai travelled to Europe after studying in Japan and studied in France and Belgium. He returned to Japan as an instructor at the “Le Cordon Bleu” then worked as the pâtissier at “Hotel de Mikuni” before opening Aigre Douce in 2004. The store name means “sweet, tart” in French.

Western-style confectionery filled with attention to detail

A few times a year, Nakata craves the strawberry shortcake at Aigre Douce. Although it seems like any other cake shop, each cake represents the special care and attention that goes into each step from selecting the ingredients to how they are made.
“The Mont Blanc needs to be fluffy, so we prepare it only after a customer orders one. It’s best if it’s enjoyed within an hour.” As expected, the Mont Blanc is very light. The meringue is also fluffy, and the sweetness of the chestnut and the chestnut cream melts quickly with each bite. Nakata’s favorite, “Chantilly Fraise” also looks like a traditional strawberry shortcake with strawberries, cream, and sponge cake. It’s such a simple combination yet the tartness of the strawberries, the rich cream, and the texture of the sponge cake merges together perfectly in your mouth. It’s unlike any other strawberry shortcake. The other baked items are also quite popular.
There are about 10 different varieties of pound cakes available, as well as macaroons, financiers, and canelés, all of which exceed your expectations and are often purchased as gifts.

In the back, there are more than 10 young pâtissiers dressed in white busily making cakes. We inquired about the large number of staff considering the size of the shop.
“Making delicious cakes requires a lot of work, so we tend to have a lot of staff.” Being particular about the ingredients, the process, and the people. That’s probably why the cakes are so delicious.

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MALGA GELATO, located in Noto-cho, Ishikawa Prefecture, is the gelato store of internationally renowned gelato artisan Taizo Shibano.
Actively incorporating high quality local ingredients, he creates gelato every day with a fusion of science and sensibility, with flavors that will thrill the senses.

The best gelato in the world

In Noto Town, located in the northern part of Ishikawa Prefecture’s Noto Peninsula, there is Malga Gelato, the store of gelato maestro Taizo Shibano, who in 2017 became the first Asian to win the world’s top gelato competition.

Mr. Shibano was born in Noto Town, Ishikawa Prefecture, and after graduating from Tokyo University of Agriculture with a bachelor’s degree in agriculture, he began his career in his family’s dairy farming business. He began making gelato on his own with the hope that people of all ages would appreciate the taste of local raw milk. Then, in 2000, he opened the “Malga Gelato Noto Main Store,” a gelato store directly operated by the dairy farm in Noto Town. Later, he began participating in gelato competitions in Italy, and came to the conclusion that there is a composition theory behind good gelato. Finally, when he went to the world competition of gelato in Italy in 2017, he became the first Asian to win the world’s top prize.

Science + Imagination for Amazing Taste

Gelato is made by repeatedly mixing milk, sugar, eggs, cream, nuts, chocolate, fresh fruit, and other ingredients, then cooling and hardening the mixture while allowing it to air dry. It is a popular sweet that is simple to make and can be enjoyed at home. However, in the professional world, the ratio of moisture content, solid content, and air content in a delicious gelato is scientifically determined. Within these fixed rules, they use their imagination to create original products by figuring out what ingredients to combine. This is where the gelato maestros show their skills. Knowing this, Mr. Shibano translated thick Italian technical books and studied them. After learning the basics in this way and using his own imagination to create flavors, he won the “Best Italian Craftsman” award two years in a row (2015 and 2016), the Gelato Japan Champion (2015), and in 2017, the overall winner at the Sherbeth Festival 2017 (Palermo, Italy), and the World Champion. He was the overall winner and World Champion.

Mr. Shibano’s gelato is the result of his solid knowledge based on science and his free and flexible imagination. The resulting gelato continues to surprise people in ways they could never have imagined.

A wide variety of flavorful flavors

Mr. Shibano’s gelato is made from local raw milk grown in Noto, a region rich in nature, and other carefully selected local ingredients. His goal is to create gelato that can be felt with all five senses. The company places particular importance on aroma, and while bringing out the natural flavor of the ingredients, it also makes full use of several spices, flowers, and extracts to create a complex aroma.

Three of the most popular flavors of Malga Gelato are “Grand Pistachio,” “Noto Salt Pistachio and Orange Vanilla Mascarpone,” and “Pineapple, Apple, and Celery,” Shibano’s creation that won him the world’s top prize.

The “Grand Pistachio” is a mixture of local Okunoto milk and an original pistachio paste roasted at the store. The gentle taste of the milk and the rich pistachio paste are well-balanced, making it an exquisite treat. The “Mascarpone and Orange Vanilla” is a mascarpone gelato with the aroma of orange and vanilla beans, accented with the sourness of berry sauce, creating a rich yet refreshing taste. The “Pineapple-Apple-Celery” is made with cold-pressed ingredients plus lime juice and mint. It is a gem that will shock you with the aroma you feel when you taste its freshness. In addition to these popular flavors, other sweets that make use of local Ishikawa ingredients, such as Kaga-bo hojicha and Kanazawa sweet potato, are also available online for purchase.

Mr. Shibano says that the secret of his impressively delicious gelato is to “knead in a story. The combination of the producer’s attention to the ingredients and the technique used to bring them out in the gelato touches the heartstrings of the person who eats it. In this way, Ishikawa Prefecture offers gelato that no one has ever tasted before.

The key to making gelato that impresses people is to “knead in a story. In other words, we must bring out the rich flavors of the ingredients, which are the result of the producer’s persistence, through the taste of the gelato. We believe that only by doing this can we touch the heartstrings of those who taste our products.

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Enpachi, a favorite of the locals

Ankoromochi made by Enpachi, a long-established Japanese confectionery in Ishikawa Prefecture, has long been loved by local people.
Along with “Akafuku” in Mie Prefecture, famous for its Ise pilgrimage, and “Ankoromochi Specialty Store Ganso Toraya” in Kurashiki, Okayama Prefecture, which was born from entertaining processions of feudal lords, it is considered one of the three best ankoromochi in Japan.
The process of steaming the azuki beans in the subterranean water of Mt. Hakusan and then boiling them again and steaming them again is repeated many times to eliminate any roughness and impurities, and the store’s secret honey is added to produce a smooth bean paste with a unique taste and rich flavor.

Enpachi, which is also sold at the facility

Enpachi was founded in 1737. In 1898, when the Hokuriku Line opened, the company received permission to sell its confections at Matto Station, and even began to sell them standing on the platform. Today, there are stores in Hakusan City, where the head office is located, as well as in Kanazawa, Komatsu City, and Kaga City, and it is widely known as one of Ishikawa’s famous confections. Another reason for its popularity is that it is easily available at Kanazawa Station, Komatsu Airport, Meitetsu Mza, and other major facilities.

Anecdotes about Enpachi’s Ankoromochi

When you open the bamboo-skin wrapper, you will find nine Ankoromochi, each one bite-sized enough for even a woman to eat. The soft rice cake is wrapped in an elegant red bean paste with a rich red bean flavor.
There is an anecdote about Enpachi’s Ankoromochi.
One day in the year the store was founded, the owner planted a sapling of a Rohan oak tree in his backyard and prayed deeply, “If my wish comes true, it will grow into a big tree.
The wife and children suffered from hardships of life, but one night in the fall of that year, her husband appeared to her in her dream in the form of a tengu (a long-nosed goblin). The tengu said, “I am training to become a tengu at Kurama Mountain in Kyoto. If you eat rice cakes wrapped in red bean paste according to the method I teach you, you will have good health, prolong your life, and do prosperous business,” and disappeared.
Although it is not certain whether this story is true or not, Enpachi’s ankoromochi has been made in the traditional way for more than 270 years, delighting local and national fans alike.

Not only Ankoromochi but also Enpachi

Although Enpachi is famous for its ankoromochi, there are other popular dorayaki as well. There are three types of dorayaki: the “Nama Dorayaki,” a soft and fluffy dough sandwiched between popular red bean paste and raw ingredients; the “Cheese Dorayaki,” filled with cream cheese; and the “Green Tea Dorayaki,” a perfect combination of sweet bean paste and green powdered tea. All of them are light in texture and can be eaten easily.
In addition to ankoromochi and dorayaki, the main store in Hakusan City also offers Japanese sweets and “Ankoro Gelato,” a collaboration with a famous local gelato store, Marga Gelato. Ankoromochi and sencha (green tea) sets are also available at the store.

Enjoy Enpachi on the official website as well

Ankoromochi and dorayaki can be purchased from the official website of Enpachi. Ankoromochi does not last long and must be frozen, but if you thaw it naturally, you will be able to enjoy its original taste.

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“Karinto manju”, a gem that is rapidly gaining repeat customers.

When I first tried it, I was like, “? but after one bite, I was hooked. The Karinto Manju is a perfect collaboration of the crispy outside and the moist inside. Nakata also raves about the exquisite collaboration of the crispy outside and moist inside, saying, “There are several karinto manju, but this one is especially delicious.
The ingredients used are also carefully selected to be “healthy and delicious,” and the brown sugar buns are steamed using brown sugar from Hateruma Island, which is rich in vitamins and minerals, and fried in crispy rice oil made from domestic rice bran.
There are three current standard varieties. The standard “Koshi-an” is moist homemade koshi-an wrapped in a sweet bean paste, “Kanazawa-bo-cha” has the savory flavor of Shofuen Tea Shop’s hojibo-cha, and “Cream cheese” has a mild melt-in-your-mouth and deep richness, all individually wrapped and easy to eat. Other seasonal flavors such as “Sakura,” “Zunda,” “Shio,” and “Blueberry” (all limited time offerings) can also be enjoyed. The shelf life is one day, but the crispy texture can be enjoyed even the next day by heating them up in a toaster oven.

Rinya’s starting point is materials and appreciation

The parent company of Karinto Rinya is Housou Wakasaya, a Japanese confectionery store in Imizu City. The store is loved by local residents. Karinto Rinya’s basic approach to confectionery making is to be grateful for the ingredients used and to make sweets honestly. The starting point is the ingredients and gratitude. The shop’s trademark is “Karintou Rinya,” which means “to be thankful for the ingredients used,” and to train oneself to be innovative. This is the “Rinya’s Idea” that is embodied in the store’s trademark.

Use of locally sourced materials

Many of the ingredients that are the starting point of this process are rooted in the local area. For example, Noto Dainagon, large, colorful azuki beans ideal for wagashi. Kaga-bocha, a first-class aromatic hojicha tea, Noto eggs, Ohama kinako (soybean flour), and gold leaf. We make careful use of these ingredients to create delicious confections. Karinto manju,” which has become loved by many people, is the result of this sincere and careful approach to manufacturing.

Rinya also has a selection of souvenirs.

In addition to karinto manju, the shop offers a variety of other confections that make great souvenirs. The simple tasting “Kanazawa Karinto” is popular as a gift, with varieties including stick tea, vegetable, honey, and Okinawan brown sugar, and has been adopted as a guest room service sweet at the Hyatt Centric Kanazawa hotel, which opened in August 2020. Other sweets include the charmingly named “Anyato Rusk” (Anyato means “thank you”), “Tono Dora” and “Seseragi Mochi,” as well as “Suzu Salt Rusk,” “Ishikawa Rice Sponge Cake” and “Kaga Black Tea Sponge Cake,” all of which utilize local ingredients and make tea time a pleasure. Currently, in addition to the main Kanazawa store, there is also a store in Nonoichi City, as well as a store in Toyama Prefecture, where they are loved by many fans for their friendly confections, both as snacks and as gifts.

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Japanese sweets store “Kinako-ya”

Kinako-ya is a sweets café that opened in Kumamoto in April 2010. Sweets using a lot of ”kinako” (roasted soy bean powder) are the specialties of this store. The store is filled with a lot of sweets, from Japanese sweets including ”daifuku” (a soft rice cake stuffed with sweetened bean jam) and ”dango” (rice dumpling), to western sweets including cakes and puddings.
The store is laid out so that customers can casually drop by and fully relax, and is often crowded with customers who come for the original sweets. The Kumamoto Main Store has a cozy cafe space where you can eat freshly made ”warabimochi”.

Warabimochi made with care every day

The specialty at ”Kinako-ya” is ”Takumi’s warabimochi”. Bracken starch is used. ”Kinako” is made by mixing dark roasted soy beans called ”Fukuyutaka”, salt from Amakusa, and light brown sugar from Okinawa. ”Warabimochi” that uses select ingredients and is carefully kneaded in a copper pan daily, has a distinct texture and chewy taste. It is a sweet that represents the owner’s philosophy ”to never serve sweets that do not meet my standards”.
”Aso-Oguni Jersey Creamy Pudding” made from Oguni jersey milk and fresh eggs from chickens that grow in the nature of Kyokushimura with delicious water, has a very nostalgic taste and classic sweetness. The taste is creamy, soft, and smooth with a melt in your mouth sensation that is very satisfying.

“Getting healthy with sweets”

Kinako-ya was started by the owner who has a nutritionist license, to fulfill his desire to serve healthy and delicious sweets. Careful attention is given to each ingredient as well as the manufacturing process, especially because the sweets will be eaten by the patrons, and local products are used as much as possible. Those carefully selected ingredients are used to make sweets that customers can eat with peace of mind, with a lot of time and care. Packages and containers are chosen with care as well, and are popular souvenirs. We highly recommend a visit to the store during a trip to Kumamoto.

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Founding a great dorayaki place！

Eigyokudo is located one alley away from the main street of Yamagata. The sweets shop has a long history that goes back to the late Edo era. It was founded as a specialty sweets shop and some of their favorites include their “shiruko” sweet bean soup that is characterized by the not-too-sweet flavoring, and summer time shaved ice. You can taste other sweets like “kintsuba”, “dorayaki”, and “anmitusu” in the café space with “matcha” green tea. Highly visible as you walk into the shop, is the large showcase that displays many kinds of “dorayaki”.
The number one favorite at Eigyokudo is, without question, “dorayaki”. In addition to the normal red bean paste, there is chocolate filling, green tea and bean paste, as well as one with Camembert cheese filling. The popular flavors sell out soon after the shop opens. We too, had camembert cheese filling “dorayaki”. The dough was so soft and moist that just trying to break it in half could crush it, almost like sponge cake. Excellent combination with the firm tasting cheese filling.
In addition of the standard kinds, they sell various seasonal flavors and they accept reservations. We suggest you visit the shop when visiting Yamagata.

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