When it comes to souvenirs from Hiroshima, the first thing that comes to mind is momiji manju. I was born and raised in Hiroshima, and I have eaten many of these since I was a child.
Nowadays, you can buy them at department stores in Hiroshima City or at kiosks in train stations, but they were originally made in Miyajima and are a Miyajima confectionery. Even today, there are a total of more than 20 momiji-manju stores on the island of Miyajima and at Miyajima-guchi (on the mainland side of the opposite shore). Many of them manufacture it at their own places. They are all too familiar to me, but once again, I would like to recommend stores for momiji-manju and share a little miscellaneous information with you.
Momiji-manjuu: My top three recommendations!
Momiji-manju is a Japanese confectionary in the shape of a maple leaf, about 5 cm in diameter, with a soft dough around it and red bean paste inside. The basic bean paste is simple Koshi-an. The color is an intermediate gray. It is not too sweet, but has a light and moderate sweetness that is very elegant and smooth to the palate.
Nowadays, due to competition among stores, there is a wide variety of bean paste, including grained bean paste, green tea bean paste, chocolate, cream, and 100 or 200 other varieties. (I still prefer Koshi-an by far).
I have eaten many kinds of momiji manju at Miyajima or as a gift, but I recommend the following three stores.
No. 1 Iwamura Momijiya
Personally, this is the best place for me. I love its refined, light, yet deep sweetness, which is what momiji manju is all about. The texture of the dough around it is also good.
At the store, you can watch the baking process and eat it on the spot. You cannot buy Iwamura momiji-manju at department stores or train stations, but you can order it by mail order if you call. I often use this place for errands. (I forgot to take a picture of the store! (I forgot to take a picture of the store! I’ll take one next time I go there!)
No. 2 Fujiiya
Fujiiya and YAMADAYA can be purchased at department stores and Hiroshima Station. Fujiiya is also my favorite for its orthodox, elegant tasting momiji manjuu. The custard cream is also delicious.
No. 3 Yamadaya
Yamadaya is located near the entrance to the Miyajima shopping street and is easy to find. In addition to the orthodox momiji manju (sweet bean paste), Yamadaya also produces and sells a wide variety of other delicious products, including green tea, cream, chocolate, and other varieties. You can also buy them at department stores and around Hiroshima Station.
These are my top three. I can confidently recommend these three stores.
Momiji-manju buns made by Nishikido, the largest shop in Hiroshima, are often sold at Hiroshima Station and other places. Nama Momiji” is popular at Nishikido, and their cheese and chocolate momiji buns are delicious. The orthodox Koshi An (sweet red bean paste) is a little too strong tasting for my taste, so it is not included in the list.
As an extra, here is a slightly different momiji-manjuu.
Momiji-manju ranking extra
Deep-fried momiji
When I go to Miyajima these days, this deep-fried momiji manju is quite popular. It has an interesting texture with a crispy outside and a hot and sticky inside. (You can only eat them on Miyajima.)
512-2 Miyajima-cho, Hatsukaichi City, Hiroshima TEL 082-944-1623
Momiji Manju with Cherry Blossom An An
Unfortunately I have not had it yet, but it looks delicious. (Can only be eaten on Miyajima)
455 Miyajima-cho, Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima TEL 0829-44-0380
Nama Momiji
These unbaked, raw-sense momiji manjuu (steamed buns with a sticky texture) are especially popular in recent years. It has become especially popular in recent years. (Mail order available).
Headquarters: 1-13-23 Hikaricho, Higashi-ku, Hiroshima TEL 0120-979-161
The best, however, is…
The best of all is to eat them freshly baked on the spot!
When you cross over to Miyajima, there are several places that serve freshly baked goods, including Iwamura and Yamadaya. Many of them also offer free tea. Momiji manju, which is warm even to the filling, is truly delicious. If you come to Miyajima, please try the freshly baked momiji manju.
In addition, many of these stores have glass walls so that you can watch them being made by a machine. It is very enjoyable to watch the momiji-manju being made right in front of your eyes!
Do you do mail order?
Mail order is still appreciated for those outside of Hiroshima. Iwamura, Fujiiya, Yamadaya, Nishikido, etc. each do mail order. Please call each store to inquire.
You can also buy a set of various momiji-manju sets on Rakuten and Amazon, so let me introduce them to you.
Yamadaya
Nishikido.
Miscellaneous information about Momiji-manju
We have compiled a list of various other things related to momiji-manjuu.
What is the shelf life of Momiji-manju?
The shelf life of freshly baked, non vacuum-packed ones is about5 days for Koshian, 3 days for Dainagon, chocolate, cream, cheese, etc., and 8 days to 2 weeks for vacuum-packed ones, depending on the manufacturer. Nama Momiji of Nishikido is also a fresh confectionery, but it takes 2 weeks.
How many calories are in Momiji-manju?
It depends on the bean jam, but a normal one has about 105-120Kcal.
The birth story of Momiji-manju
There are several theories about the birth of momiji manju, but the main story that has been handed down is that of Hirobumi Ito, a former nobleman of the Meiji era, and “Iwasou,” a ryokan on Miyajima that is still in business today.
It is said that Hirobumi Ito often visited Momijidani in Miyajima during the late Meiji period. At one of the tea stores on Miyajima, Hirobumi Ito saw the hands of a little girl who brought him tea and joked, “What pretty hands, I could eat them.
Hirobumi Ito’s regular inn on Miyajima was Iwasou. A waitress at Iwasou heard about the story and decided to make sweets in the shape of a maple tree.
A man named Tsunesuke Takatsu, who was a supplier to the company, tried it. After much trial and error, he completed the “Momiji-shaped baked buns” in 1906 and put them on the market.
This is the prototype of today’s Momiji-manju. The Takatsu family still sells momiji-manju as Takatsu-do.
2-6-25 Nishi Miyajimaguchi, Hatsukaichi City, Hiroshima Prefecture
TEL 0829-56-0234 Open 8:00-19:00
The stores mentioned in this article are shown on Google Maps. If you are planning to visit Miyajima, please use it as a reference.
Momiji-manju, a classic Hiroshima souvenir. We hope you will try it too. And if you ever come to Miyajima, please try a freshly baked one there. We are waiting for you!
Here is a list of Hiroshima-related articles on our blog. You can jump to each article from here, including sightseeing spots in Hiroshima, if you like.
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