Taki no Yakimochi (Grilled Rice Cake with Sweet Bean Filling)
Taki no Yakimochi (Grilled Rice Cake with Sweet Bean Filling)
Image: Wikimedia Commons
Taki no Yakimochi is a wagashi (Japanese confection) that has long been made at the foot of Mount Bizan in Tokushima City. Smooth sweet bean paste (koshian) is wrapped in a dough of rice flour ground in a stone mill, pressed flat in a mold bearing a chrysanthemum crest, and baked on an iron griddle. The name is said to come from Shiraito Falls on Mount Bizan. According to tradition, Hachisuka Iemasa, the founder of the domain (hanso) of the Tokushima domain, was fond of it, and it was presented to him to celebrate the construction of Tokushima Castle. Known as a famous confection of Tokushima with a history of more than 400 years, it is said to have later become an official confection of the domain. The azuki beans for the filling are said to have been cooked with Kinryusui, a renowned spring water that wells up from Mount Bizan. Shops around Mount Bizan still make it by traditional methods today. At a long-established kanmidokoro (traditional sweets shop) at the foot of Mount Bizan, you can enjoy yakimochi baked to order together with tea. It has also been selected as a 'Tokushima Tokusen Brand,' Tokushima's regional brand.
Origin
According to tradition, it began in 1585 (Tensho 13), when Hachisuka Iemasa became lord of Awa and built Tokushima Castle, and the yakimochi was presented in celebration. Iemasa is said to have liked this yakimochi, and it later became an official confection of the domain. Sources differ on when it was presented; the Japan Tourism Agency's multilingual commentary states that it was presented to celebrate the completion of Tokushima Castle in 1586.
History
There are many springs at the foot of Mount Bizan, and among them Kinryusui was a renowned water favored by the domain lords in the Edo period and strictly managed by the domain. According to the shop's explanation, Taki no Yakimochi was an official confection permitted to use this Kinryusui. National tourism materials note that several shops around Mount Bizan still make it by traditional methods. Among them, 和田の屋 (Wadanoya) is known as a long-established shop serving yakimochi at the foot of Mount Bizan.
Features
The dough is made from flour ground from glutinous rice (mochigome) and non-glutinous rice (uruchimai). Koshian is wrapped in small balls of dough, pressed flat in a mold with a chrysanthemum crest and baked on an iron griddle. The surface gets light browning and a chrysanthemum pattern, and it turns out crisp and fragrant. Wadanoya offers three varieties, plain white plus matcha and sesame, and says it uses azuki beans from Tokachi, Hokkaido, for the filling.
Main Ingredients
Food Culture
The classic way to enjoy Taki no Yakimochi is freshly baked, with matcha or other tea, at a sweets shop at the foot of Mount Bizan. It can also be taken home and is chosen as a souvenir of Tokushima. As a confection tied to the spring water of Mount Bizan, it has long been loved locally.
Famous Shops
和田の屋 本店（和田乃屋）
徳島県徳島市眉山町大滝山5-3
A long-established kanmidokoro (traditional sweets shop) at the foot of Mount Bizan, known for Taki no Yakimochi. The yakimochi is baked after you order and served with matcha whisked using Kinryusui. The inner garden has a waterfall and a pond, which you can look out on from the tatami room while you eat. According to customer reviews, a set of three yakimochi with matcha costs 1,070 yen (as of September 2026). Closed on Thursdays.
| Taki no Yakimochi (和田の屋) | At Wadanoya's main store, you can not only eat Taki no Yakimochi in the shop but also take it home. It comes in three flavors, white, matcha and sesame, and the shop says it uses azuki beans from Tokachi, Hokkaido, for the filling. These flat yakimochi stamped with a chrysanthemum crest are also bought as souvenirs of Tokushima. |
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FAQ
Q. What does 'Taki' (waterfall) in Taki no Yakimochi refer to?
A. The name is said to come from Shiraito Falls on Mount Bizan. Wadanoya's main store is at the foot of Mount Bizan, and there is also a waterfall in the shop's inner garden. In addition, Kinryusui, a renowned spring water from Mount Bizan, is said to have been used to cook the bean paste for the yakimochi. It is a confection closely tied to the water of Mount Bizan.