What you need to know About Nakatani-Do

Nakatani-Do is a rice cake shop, but it is very famous for its high speed rice cake pounding.

The high-speed rice-cake pounding is a must-see.

The rice cakes are pounded at a dizzying speed with a vigorous shout.

This is not a performance. It is a technique for making delicious rice cakes.

What you need to know About Nakatani-Do

1. High-speed rice cake pounding time

At Nakatani-Do, high-speed rice cake pounding is carried out according to the sales of mugwort rice cakes. There is no set time.

If you ask the staff at the store on the day of the event, you may be told the approximate next time. The last time is until 16:00, as posted on a sign in front of the store (this does not mean exactly 16:00).

2. Number of times for fast rice cake pounding

The number of times the fast rice cake pounding is done in a day depends on the weather and sales.

As a rule of thumb, 10-15 times per day.

During the tourist season and on Sundays, there are days when 30 rice cakes are pounded.

3. What Nakatani-Do Mochi is like

All the ingredients used for Yomogi Mochi are domestically produced. The flavor of yomogi and the moderate sweetness of azuki bean paste spread in your mouth.

Soft, yet firm, you will want to eat as many as you can.

Nakatani-Do is famous for its “Yomogi Mochi” (mugwort rice cake).

Nakatani-Do pays particular attention to the preparation and ingredients of its Yomogi Mochi so that all customers can enjoy its delicious taste.

All the ingredients used for Yomogi Mochi are domestically produced.

The mochi is made with hiyuyu glutinous rice from Saga Prefecture, high-quality azuki beans and soybean flour from Tokachi, Hokkaido, and fresh sprouts of yomogi from Uwajima, Ehime Prefecture.

The surface of the mochi is covered with kinako (soybean flour), and the inside is filled with a sweet bean paste.

With its elegant sweetness and simple flavor, Nakatani-Do’s Yomogi Mochi is so delicious that one bite will bring a smile to anyone’s face.

The rice cake is richly flavored with yomogi (mugwort) because of the careful attention paid to the ingredients.

4. Details About the Mochi

Will mugwort rice cakes last long?

What is the expiration date?

Can I take out?

The best way to enjoy Nakatani-Do’s Yomogi Mochi is freshly made!

There is no eat-in service at the store, but you should definitely try the freshly pounded rice cake while it is still warm.

If you want to eat it right away, they will put it between sheets of paper, so we recommend walking around the streets of Nara with a Yomogi Mochi in your hand.

Of course, if you prefer to eat it slowly at home, you can also take it out.

The best-before date is the end of the day.

It may be difficult to buy as a souvenir, but since it tastes good even after it cools down, you can use it as a souvenir to eat that day.

5. About Mochi Pounding

Mochi pounding requires a high level of skill and speed, not to mention the synchronized breathing of the pounding and turning hands, the technique of evenly pounding the entire rice cake inside the mortar, and the adjustment of the moisture content.

If the temperature of the rice is lowered, the starch component of the rice becomes less entangled, resulting in rice cakes that are easy to break and difficult to stretch.

Fast rice pounding” results in soft, stretchy, yet firm rice cakes.

This is a traditional method of pounding rice cakes in Kamikitayama Village, Yoshino County, where the owner is from.

Kamikitayama Village is located deep in the mountains, and the winters when the rice cake pounding takes place are very cold, so it is thought that this is the wisdom of the ancestors to prevent the rice from getting cold.

6. Why is Nakatani-Do’s rice pounding process so fast?

At Nakatani-Do, we pound glutinous rice while it is still hot in order to make soft and firm rice cakes.

This may seem like a performance, but it is all part of our “commitment to making delicious mochi.

Please come to our store and watch our special rice cake pounding process. Some people are afraid of getting hurt when pounding rice cakes at such high speed.

It is true that the rice pounding is much faster and more violent than ordinary rice pounding, so we sometimes have visitors ask us, “Aren’t you going to get hurt? However, we have never had any accidents since the establishment of our company. However, there have been no accidents in the past since the company was founded.

7. Other Lineups

Sembei (rice crackers)

Nakatani-Do’s rice crackers are so popular that some people actually prefer them to rice cakes.

A wide variety of rice crackers are lined up in the store.

These are also recommended for eating and walking around.

The large cushion-shaped rice crackers are hearty!

You can enjoy its crispy and light texture.

There are nine types of rice crackers: soy sauce, shiso, flavor, shichimi, wasabi laver, aonori, tokkushaiko, ume zarame, and zarame. Please try to find your favorite flavor.

Price 120-160 yen per sheet

Mikasa

We also recommend Nakatani-Do’s “Mikasa” dorayaki with grains of sweet bean paste.

Made with simple ingredients, you will never get tired of the taste.

Price 150 yen per piece

8. How to buy

Nakatani-Do is especially crowded when the fast rice cake pounding begins.

Many customers gather at the storefront, and the freshly made yomogi rice cakes sell out in no time.

Reservations are possible, so please call to inquire.

What are your business hours and holidays?

Nakatani-Do is open from 10:00 to 19:00.

It is closed on irregular holidays.

Can I order it?

As mentioned earlier, the best-before date for Nakatani-Do’s yomogi mochi is the same day, so they cannot be ordered in.

9. Transportation

It takes about 5 minutes from Kintetsu Nara Station to walk south on the east-facing shopping street, and about 15 minutes from JR Nara Station to walk straight east on Sanjo Street.

Nakatani-Do is located on the corner where Sanjo-dori and Mochiidono Center Street intersect.

The store faces Sanjo Street. From Sarusawa Pond, it is about a 2-minute walk westward.