I visited Iseya, a famous wagashi (Japanese sweets) shop in Akabane. I purchased: - Mame Daifuku: I was surprised by the size of each piece! Even on weekdays, many customers line up to buy these daifuku. They come with both smooth and chunky red bean paste, and this time I chose the smooth one. The outer layer is chewy and the red bean paste inside has a rich flavor. Just a heads up, you can only buy up to five daifuku per person per day if there are no reservations.

During my lunch break, I passed by a traditional Japanese confectionery shop where there is always a long line. I never had the time to wait in line and always had to give up. But this time, there were only three people in line. And they had a variety of famous bean-filled rice cakes available! I decided to line up without hesitation. They were selling "Bean-filled Rice Cakes (smooth bean paste and chunky bean paste)" and "Kashiwa Mochi (chunky bean paste)." I was interested in all the different types they had. Even though I had just had lunch, I thought, "Well, it's okay for today. I'll just have a light dinner." While I was contemplating, it was my turn. Luckily, there were only a few people behind me, but already 5-6 people had lined up. I used to observe the shop from a distance, so I thought, "That bean-filled rice cake is huge." But when I saw it up close, it was massive. Is this really only 150 yen? I ordered one of each of the bean-filled rice cakes and the kashiwa mochi, and the total was only 460 yen. It was so cheap. It was so big. I couldn't wait and took a bite of the bean-filled rice cake, which was bigger than my fist. I started with the smooth bean paste. It was so chewy that I couldn't reach the bean paste in the first bite. It was a tough opponent. It took me until the second bite to finally taste the bean paste. Normally, I would have finished a regular bean-filled rice cake in two bites, but this one was different. I returned to my workplace and made some hot tea, and on the third bite, I felt at ease. Yes, it was delicious. I now understand why there is always a long line. I left half of it and enjoyed the rest during my break. The rice balls also looked delicious. Maybe I should line up during my lunch break and skip my lunch to try them.

Located in a shopping street about a 3-minute walk from Akabane Station, I visited this shop around 11:30 am on a weekday. It was already quite popular, with about 5 groups waiting in line outside the shop. When I visited, they were only selling red bean daifuku and ohagi, and they only accepted cash payments. After waiting for about 5 minutes, it was my turn. I purchased both the red bean daifuku and ohagi with red bean filling, and each cost 150 yen. In terms of taste, what stood out to me was the generous portion size. The red bean daifuku was about 4 times larger than what I had eaten before, but the amount of red bean filling inside was only about half of that, so the simple taste of the rice cake prevailed and it wasn't overly sweet. The ohagi was also about 1.5 times larger than usual, with less filling and more rice. While the portion size was impressive for the price, in terms of taste alone, it wasn't particularly outstanding.

・Price: 150 yen for a Daifuku (Japanese sweet filled with bean paste) ・Details: Visited Iseya in 1st Avenue from Akabane Station. Luckily, I was able to purchase without waiting in line. ・The Daifuku was huge, weighing over 280g. It is heavy. It is a homey and surprisingly large Daifuku with salty beans and a moderate sweetness red bean paste packed inside.

I visited the famous "Iseya" in Akabane without any prior research and failed a few times before finally getting my hands on their large bean daifuku. "Iseya" is known for their salt daifuku, and the Akabane branch is particularly famous for their large bean daifuku. These daifuku are huge, almost the size of an adult male's palm, and they only cost 150 yen each. People line up outside the store when it's time for sales, and there are two sales periods each day. I arrived at the store at the opening time and there was already a line of about 10 people. The store opens promptly, and the bean daifuku disappear quickly, but they are replenished from the back so if you're in line at this time, you should be able to purchase one. I managed to buy three bean daifuku, and the change was so much that even a 500 yen coin was not enough. There used to be a limit of 5 daifuku per person, but I'm not sure if that's still in place. I was surprised when I got home and found a rubber band stuck in one of the daifuku. The daifuku was so big that it was the size of a softball when I took it out of the bag. It was too much for me to eat in one go, and the not-so-sweet red bean paste made it even harder. In the end, I had to cut it in half to eat, and it was so filling that I had to reduce the amount of rice for dinner. Despite the size, the daifuku is still reasonably priced, and I appreciate their efforts to keep the price low in this era of price increases.

As many people have mentioned in reviews, I don't think this shop can beat high-quality traditional Japanese sweets shops with just volume. Even with such a large daifuku, they stubbornly refuse to give out small bags separately, including the bold red legs, which seems to be part of the shop's charm.

The last place I visited was "Iseya". I made a reservation over the phone the day before. Today is the pick-up day. However, it was difficult to reach them over the phone because they were busy. I had to be patient and keep calling (sweating). I didn't know this, but the time when the products are displayed in the showcase is usually fixed, so the timing of your visit is important. I purchased "Mame Daifuku (smooth bean paste)", "Kusa Mochi (mochi with red bean paste)", both for 150 yen each, and "Jumbo Ohagi" for 480 yen, totaling 780 yen (including tax). The "Mame Daifuku" comes in smooth and chunky, while the "Kusa Mochi" is only available in chunky. As the "Mame Daifuku" was displayed, the line in front of the store started to grow. If you have a reservation, you can pick up your order without waiting in line by calling out from the side door. The size was bigger than expected. The weight listed in the photo is the actual weight of the products, excluding the weight of the plate. It was big, but when asked if it was delicious, I had to say that it was... well, the answer is a bit disappointing. Moreover, the "Mame Daifuku" was chunky... I was planning to compare it with the chunky "Kusa Mochi", so this mistake was unfortunate. The chunky bean paste was dry and the texture was not good, and there was no unity between the mochi and the bean paste, giving a scattered impression. However, if it's just big... in that case, it would be more satisfying to have a little bit of delicious Japanese sweets.

I became curious after seeing people lining up for Daifuku 30 minutes before it was ready, so I decided to join the line quickly when I saw the crowd growing. They raised the price from 140 yen to 150 yen, but when I saw the big white object from afar, I was confused. Is that the Daifuku? And they raised the price for that? My head was spinning. The other dango were bigger than those from other shops, and the grass mochi was big and very dark. Even though I don't like red bean paste, I tried it cautiously and found that it wasn't too sweet or sticky, making it easy for me to eat. It had a light sweetness and was delicious, and the guilt of gaining weight disappeared.

I received a souvenir from Akabane, a giant daifuku. I was surprised by its size, as I have never seen such a big daifuku before. It seems to be about four times the size of a regular one. It has a nice balance of flavors, with the mochi having a slightly salty taste and being soft and stretchy, while the red bean paste has a natural sweetness rather than just sugar. It's a delicious daifuku that is worth lining up for in the morning.

I went to Akabane and bought some souvenirs. I ended up in a shop with long lines, so I decided to wait and see what they were selling. It turned out to be a Japanese sweets shop. They had a sign advertising "Bean Daifuku for 150 yen", so I bought 4 without thinking much. I was surprised when I picked up the bag - it was so heavy! I peeked inside and found huge daifuku. I couldn't believe they were only 150 yen each. The lid wasn't even fully closed... But I carried them around all day and shared half with my favorite store on the way back. The staff there were also surprised by the size! Inside, there was sweet bean paste and even when cut in half, it was palm-sized. They even tried to give me a quarter to eat, but it was surprisingly not too sweet and the mochi was soft. Even for someone like me who doesn't like sweet things, it was okay. But for this size and only 150 yen, it's quite a deal in this day and age. It's understandable why there were long lines. If you're in the area, definitely give it a try! Just be prepared to carry them around all day. (laughs) Thank you for the meal.

I have been curious about this place for a while and decided to come on a weekday since the line was short. I bought two pieces of daifuku and when I received them, I was surprised by how heavy they were. It's hard to believe that these are daifuku... They are so heavy that I'm not sure if I can finish one (290g) by myself. And they only cost 150 yen... I wonder how they can make a profit and keep the business running. Are there other places that sell such big daifuku for such a low price? I am grateful for this affordable option.

Finally got to buy it! Laugh It's a giant daifuku, which can be considered a specialty of Akabane. This Iseya shop is a very popular long-established Japanese confectionery shop located in Akabane Ichiban-gai. The red bean daifuku is especially famous, but I always missed the timing to buy it. Currently, it is made at 10:30 and 15:00, so if you go at those times, you should be able to buy it. This time, I decided to make a reservation. Reservations are not accepted on the day of, and cancellations are only allowed until the day before. When you make a reservation, they will make it for you at that time. Since you can only reserve a minimum of 2 pieces, I reserved the red bean daifuku with smooth bean paste and coarse bean paste. When I went to pick it up around 14:00, they only had ohagi, mitarashi, and kusamochi. Still, customers kept coming one after another. From what I could see, the staff consisted of two elderly women and one middle-aged man. It's an old-fashioned local Japanese confectionery shop. Payment was cash only. When I received it, I was surprised by the weight! Laugh I had heard that it was big, but this one was beyond expectations. It was about 5 times bigger than I had imagined. From February 15th, they will increase the price by 10 yen, but for this size, it's too cheap. The expiration date is only for that day, so I'm worried if I can finish it all. ▶︎ Purchased items - Red bean daifuku (coarse bean paste) 140 yen - Red bean daifuku (smooth bean paste) 140 yen The one with pink color is the coarse bean paste. When I cut it, the mochi was thick! Laugh In the photo, it may look like there's less smooth bean paste, but it's just biased; it actually has as much as the coarse bean paste. There's plenty of beans too. One piece is about 4-5 regular daifuku. It couldn't fit on a large plate! Laugh When I tried it, some time had passed since I bought it, but the mochi was not hard even with this thickness, it was soft and chewy. The taste and texture were typical of mochi. The beans were a bit hard in some places, but they were fluffy and had a slightly strong salty taste. The coarse bean paste had a good aroma of azuki beans and was not too sweet. The smooth bean paste had a smooth melt-in-your-mouth texture and was refreshing. Both had their good points, but since the mochi was the main feature, the smooth bean paste felt lacking. With this mochi, I preferred the coarse bean paste with its azuki bean flavor. There was nothing particularly special about the mochi or bean paste, it was quite straightforward. It's difficult to balance when it's this big. It's not much different from what you can get at a supermarket. Nowadays, the quality at supermarkets is also high. But, a daifuku this big is like a dream! Laugh The presence of the mochi is outstanding and irresistible to mochi lovers. It had a lot of volume for one piece, but it was not too sweet, so I found myself finishing both before I knew it. Even though I was already full from dinner, it was like a dream to be able to fill up on daifuku. I, who have an endless sweet tooth, can't complain about this size and price. If I go to Akabane again, I might end up buying it. I would like to try mitarashi and others next time. Thank you for the meal!

[Burari Tomariage no Yomi (Akabane Station) - Extra Edition] At the 4th station, Akabane Station, we took a little stroll around the town. A friend and senior recommended buying dumplings at "Iseya" as a souvenir for their home. I decided to join in and make a purchase as well! [Menu for this visit] - Odango (dumplings) 140 yen - Kusa mochi (mugwort rice cake) 140 yen [Odango] The soy sauce flavor is mild with a hint of sweetness in the sauce. The dumplings are very soft and chewy, with a good balance with the sauce. [Kusa Mochi] The mugwort in the kusa mochi is very strong, giving a distinct "grass" flavor! There is a generous amount of sweet red bean paste inside, with a subtle sweetness and a strong taste of azuki beans. It has a mature taste. [Recommended item for this visit] - Kusa Mochi! Strong grass flavor! Sweetness-free red bean paste! A unique combination! [Editor's Note] - By the time we were heading back, it was time for Daifuku (rice cake with sweet filling). We lined up according to the time for each product! [Ratings for this visit] Takeout: 4.5 Delicious traditional sweets, thank you very much. It was a feast. Next time, it's Daifuku!

Maru Shichi-san had some time before the reservation, so I wandered around the Akabane area, known for its cheap drinking spots. The number of bars here is as impressive as the reviews say, and I thought to myself how lucky I am not to live nearby, as I would be dragged here often if I did. It's quite appealing for drinkers. There are only a few places like "Xi'an Dumpling Shop" (good value) and "Sushizanmai" (a bit different from Shinbashi), but other than that, there's not much in my Akabane. However, I remembered being treated to eel by a former director of my company in this area a long time ago, so I came to Iseya this time based on that memory. In the past, Iseya used to have several locations from Tokyo's northern region to Saitama. They offered not only dumplings and Japanese sweets but also onigiri, rolled sushi, and inari sushi, making them popular among the common people. However, in recent years, many of their stores have closed down, and sightings of Iseya have become rare. It's a shame. But Iseya in Akabane is still going strong, and the store is quite large. I was surprised to find that their bean daifuku was huge. I thought I was seeing things. They had both smooth bean paste and chunky bean paste, and the bean daifuku I bought to take home (smooth bean paste) weighed a whopping 410 grams. And it only cost 140 yen. Something doesn't add up. What's going on here? The place was constantly bustling with customers, all buying bean daifuku and ohagi. Next to them were ohagi (smooth bean paste), and they looked so delicious that I couldn't resist buying some out of curiosity. You can only buy up to four pieces per person. If you miss this time slot, you'll have to wait until the evening. As for the taste, it was delicious. The slightly sweet and smooth bean paste was good, but it was the mochi that stood out. It was proper mochi, with a strong mochi flavor. The beans were not too firm, and the saltiness was just right. If you're a fan of soft and stretchy mochi daifuku, this might not be for you, but for those who appreciate good mochi, I highly recommend it. But there's something that bothers me. It only costs 140 yen. I cut it into four pieces and savored each one, and it was still delicious. I felt like I had been defeated. Why is it only 140 yen? Perhaps it's because the veterans running the place have a set price for everything. Everything seems to be priced at 140 yen, regardless of what you buy. It's straightforward pricing. By the way, I initially thought the bean paste was in a pack, but it turned out to be a "Jumbo Ohagi" packed to the brim, and it was not 140 yen, of course. There are some exceptions, it seems. However, if this place were near my home, the people of Akabane would not be able to buy bean daifuku anywhere else. Iseya in Akabane is truly impressive. You need to plan your visit time carefully because the products change by the hour. The bean daifuku was available around 11 a.m. on this day, so next time, I want to aim for a time when I can get the bean daifuku and other items, creating a delicate balance.

I don't usually walk around Akabane in the early afternoon, but I happened to finish work early and arrived at Akabane Station around 2:00 PM, so I decided to visit this shop that I had been curious about! I heard that the items are ready around 10:30 in the morning and 3:00 in the afternoon, and they sell out quickly, so I lined up in front of the shop at 2:30 PM. There were already a few people in line, but I managed to buy a daifuku successfully. It was huge! About four times the size of a regular daifuku, I think? But the price was only 140 yen, so it's a great deal! The taste was not too sweet, and it was deliciously chewy. However, I couldn't finish it all by myself (laughs). Next time, I want to try the freshly made mitarashi dango, which is said to be really delicious and soft.

Since I can remember, I have been buying dango and daifuku here. My partner was a big fan of the bean daifuku here. At that time, there were elderly female staff members running the shop, and the prices were fixed at 100 yen each, similar to a 100 yen shop. Maybe it was for the convenience of the elderly staff members, but the prices remained the same for quite a long time. From the time when there was a price increase from 100 yen, the amount of bean daifuku and the size remained the same, but the amount of bean paste decreased, and at one point, the bean paste became less sweet. Despite this, bean daifuku became popular and lines started forming. At one point, they were only sold three times a day, but on this day, I noticed that they were only sold twice a day. The limit for purchasing was also set at five pieces per person. I hadn't bought bean daifuku since then, but on this day, the green color of the mugwort mochi was so beautiful that I couldn't resist buying it. Today's purchases: - Mugwort mochi @ 140 yen - Two mitarashi dango @ 140 yen (Mugwort mochi) The bean paste wasn't sweet at all. It seems like the standard sweetness level has changed, just like with the bean daifuku. I wonder if everyone's taste for bean paste has changed. (Mitarashi dango) The dango here is always freshly made and deliciously soft. One thing to note is that you should eat it soon after buying it, or else the dango will become hard and lose its deliciousness. This is probably because there are no additives. I will continue to buy mitarashi dango.

I had been curious about "Iseya" for a while and finally visited around 11 o'clock. I had purchased from the Akabane Shimo store a few times, but the one near the station always seemed to be sold out whenever I tried to buy. Seeing the actual size for the first time, I was surprised by how big the bag of bean daifuku was... It seemed about four times the size of a regular one! I bought one each of the bean daifuku (smooth bean paste and coarse bean paste) for 140 yen each. The mochi of the daifuku was not very sweet, like freshly made mochi. There were plenty of beans inside, and the bean paste had a simple sweetness. I wonder if this is the true essence of daifuku...? As a fan of Japanese sweets who has tried various kinds, this was a new discovery for me. I was also curious about the freshly made mitarashi dango scheduled for 1 PM and the freshly made kusa mochi scheduled for 1:30 PM, so I went around 1:30 PM and found that there were only about 10 left of each. I bought one of each, and they were all delicious.

Revisited for the third time. This time, I had the freshly made rice cakes at the perfect timing. I decided to enjoy them in a nearby park as they seemed like they would harden if taken home. The "dango," "kusamochi," "kashiwamochi," and "dango" were just slightly warm and in their best state. The chewy texture and stretchiness were delightful. Being warm, the subtle sweetness of the rice cakes and the sweetness of the sauce matched perfectly. Delicious. Eating them right away was definitely the right choice. The "kusamochi" still had a stretchy texture and was very tasty. The red bean paste, with sugar kept to a minimum to highlight the natural sweetness of the beans, was excellent. This unique flavor allows for a full and satisfying experience, and the distinctive taste is what sets it apart. If you have the desire to indulge in red bean paste, this is probably the only flavor that will satisfy it. The "kashiwamochi" was also excellent. A traditional and classic kashiwamochi with the aroma of the leaves infused into the rice cake. The red bean paste in this kashiwamochi is also subtly sweet. That's why you could probably eat as many as you want in one go.

Revisited. Second time. Kusa-mochi. Once you try it, you can't forget it. The unforgettable factors are mainly two. One is the memory of the taste. The other is the memory of the texture. Especially the second memory of the texture is vivid. When you take a bite of the mochi, unlike other kusa-mochi, the texture of the mochi hitting the upper palate in addition to the tongue feels pleasant. Also, the glossy texture that touches the lips. And the chewy texture of the mochi. The smooth texture of the anko coming out from the mochi. All textures are well-balanced, and due to the large size, there is a new texture that is born, and since the sweetness is relatively subdued, my focus is more on the texture than the taste. This is the one and only kusa-mochi that you can only encounter here.