Akafuku Head Shop

Akafuku rice cakes are one of the most popular souvenirs that people who visit Mie Prefecture, especially Ise, purchase. Perhaps you have had the experience of thinking to yourself, “Another Akafuku rice cake…” and yet saying “Thank you!” with a smile.

Akafuku rice cakes are a staple of Ise souvenirs, and you can enjoy freshly made Akafuku rice cakes at Akafuku Head Shop located along the “Oharai-machi” street on the way to the Inner Shrine of Ise Jingu. It is common to feel that the taste is different between freshly made and souvenir Akafuku rice cakes. So, as I headed to the store, I was looking forward to seeing how the freshly made Akafuku rice cakes tasted….

A relaxing break with a view of the Isuzu River before or after visiting Ise Jingu Shrine…Akafuku Head Shop is a store like this…

I visited the Akafuku Head Shop around 9:30 in the morning after visiting the Inner Shrine of Ise Jingu, and there were quite a few people in the store trying to buy Akafuku rice cake as souvenirs to take home. As one would expect from Ise Jingu, the number of visitors to the shrine is different from other shrines. I wondered why they were open so early in the morning, but I was told that Akafuku Head Shop opens at 5:00 a.m. every morning to coincide with the start time of worship at Ise Jingu Shrine. This may be the first time for me to visit a restaurant that opens at 5:00 in the morning.

There are two separate cash registers, one for take-out and one for eat-in, and even if eating in, you have to pay first before entering the store. There is only one menu item, Akafuku Bon (price: 400 yen including tax), which is an Akafuku rice cake on a tray. After quickly paying, walk into the back of the store and you will see the Isuzu River flowing just on the other side of the store. The entire wall has been taken down, giving you a great view of the outside. You can freely sit on the porch or on the tatami room and relax while watching the murmuring of the Isuzu River. A space where any Japanese can relax and feel at home…this is enough to make me say, “I’m glad I came to this shop…”.

“Akafuku Bon,” the freshly made Akafuku rice cake eaten at Akafuku Head Shop, what was it really like to eat?

Let me introduce you to Akafuku Bon, the only eat-in menu item at Akafuku Head Shop. Image here…

Two Akafuku rice cakes on a tray and hojicha (roasted green tea)… This hojicha is an organically grown Ise tea from Mie Prefecture, specially blended to go with the Akafuku rice cake. A cup of coffee costs about the same as a cup of tea at a local café, so this Akafuku tray is a great value for money set.

The Akafuku rice cake was freshly made, with a light yet flavorful azuki bean paste and soft rice cake. This is quite different from the Akafuku rice cakes you get as souvenirs after some time has passed. In fact, the process of making Akafuku mochi for take-out and for eating in is slightly different. While the takeaway version is made by machine, the in-store version is made by craftsmen who carefully make each one individually. Hearing such a story, doesn’t it make you feel that the taste of Akafuku rice cakes at the store is a step up from the original?

Finally, I left the store with a cup of hojicha tea to rinse off any remaining red bean paste in my mouth. This hojicha is also fragrant and clear, and a sip or two will certainly refresh the palate. I wonder if this hojicha can be refilled? I left the store with a feeling of being pulled back, wishing I could enjoy the view from the porch more leisurely with a cup of tea in my hand, including the Akafuku rice cake.

For take-out, in addition to Akafuku rice cakes, there is also a new product called “White and Black Rice Cake”… To get to Akafuku Head Shop, take the Kintetsu Toba Line Isuzugawa Station to CANBASU Toba Aquarium or Mikimoto Pearl Island, get off at Jingu Kaikan-mae bus stop, and walk for 3 minutes.

Of course, Akafuku Head Shop also serves take-out Akafuku rice cakes. In addition to the Akafuku rice cake, a staple of Ise souvenirs, there is also a menu item called “White and Black Rice Cake”. I didn’t know that… I heard that the White and Black Rice Cake is a new product that was created after the new Corona disaster. This is a nice change to the almost routine Akafuku souvenirs from Ise. Since you may not be able to eat them at the store at the moment, I recommend buying a box on your way home.

Now, here are the details of the store…