Himuro Manju is a lucky steamed bun eaten in Kanazawa on 'Himuro no Hi' (Ice House Day), which falls on the first day of the sixth month by the old lunar calendar — now observed on July 1 — to pray for good health. During the Edo period, the Maeda family of the Kaga domain stored snow that fell over the winter on the Hakusan mountain range in ice houses, and on the first day of the sixth month of the old calendar, it was customary to present this snow to the shogunate in Edo as 'Hakusan-gori' (Hakusan ice). It is said that runners known as Kaga hikyaku covered the roughly 480-kilometer journey in just four days, and it is believed that the practice of ordinary townspeople offering steamed buns to the gods and Buddhas to pray for the safe passage of this delivery gave rise to Himuro Manju. The buns come in three colors — white, red (pink), and green — said to symbolize purity, protection from evil, and health respectively. They are plump sake-yeast steamed buns filled with smooth sweet bean paste, and remain a summer tradition in Kanazawa, with confectionery shops throughout the city putting them on display all at once as July 1 approaches.
Origin
During the Edo period, the Maeda family of the Kaga domain stored snow that had fallen over the winter on the Hakusan mountain range in ice houses, and on the first day of the sixth month of the old lunar calendar, it was customary to present this snow to the Tokugawa shogunate in Edo as 'Hakusan-gori.' Under the fifth lord, Maeda Tsunanori, a Kanazawa confectioner named Dogan'ya Hikobei is said to have offered steamed buns to the gods and Buddhas to pray for the safe delivery of the ice, giving rise to Himuro Manju. It is also said that runners known as Kaga hikyaku covered the roughly 480-kilometer journey in just four days.
History
Even before Himuro Manju was devised, there was a folk custom around June, the wheat harvest season, of sending salt-flavored wheat buns to a married daughter's new family, and this is also said to have inspired the idea of offering buns to the gods and Buddhas. Since then, the first day of the sixth lunar month, known as 'Himuro no Tsuitachi,' has taken root in Kanazawa, and today, July 1 on the modern calendar is observed as 'Himuro no Hi,' carrying on a summer annual observance in which people pray for good health.
Features
Himuro Manju is a round sake-yeast steamed bun filled with smooth sweet bean paste, characterized by its skin dyed in three colors — white, red (pink), and green. White is said to represent purity, red to ward off evil, and green (or blue) to represent health, with a wish attached to each color. The skin, made with sake yeast, is plump and light, with a faint aroma of sake lees and gentle sweetness, and each shop shows its own character in the blend of the skin and the type of filling.
Main Ingredients
Food Culture
Eaten to pray for good health on July 1, 'Himuro no Hi,' it has become established in Kanazawa as a confection of an annual observance, and around this time of year, confectionery shops throughout the city put it on display all at once — a seasonal sign that summer has arrived in Kanazawa.
How It Differs from Home Cooking
It is rarely made at home; it is a highly specialized confection prepared seasonally by Kanazawa confectionery shops such as Morihachi and Koshiyama Kanseido, with subtle differences from shop to shop in the combination of skin colors and the type of filling used.
Famous Shops
森八 本店
石川県金沢市大手町10-15
On sale from around June 25. A gift box of 6 is around 1,050 yen, and a box of 10 is around 1,700 yen.
越山甘清堂 本店
石川県金沢市尾張町2-11-28
On sale from around June 24. A long-established Kanazawa confectionery shop that continues to uphold the traditional handmade flavor.
View details →FAQ
Q. When is Himuro Manju eaten?
A. It is eaten around July 1, the modern-calendar date observed as 'Himuro no Hi.' This custom traces back to the annual observance known as 'Himuro no Tsuitachi,' the first day of the sixth month of the old lunar calendar, when the Kaga domain presented Hakusan's snow ice to the shogunate.
Q. What does the color of the skin mean?
A. The three colors — white, red (pink), and green — are each said to carry a meaning: white for purity, red to ward off evil, and green (or blue) for health. The filling is generally smooth sweet bean paste regardless of the color.