It's perfect when you want to eat alone but a whole box is too much. Sometimes you just crave it. That's when a pack of 2 is just right. It's delicious when chilled in the summer. Well, I can eat about 4 of them. Of course, they also sell the regular size box of Akafuku.

Akafuku's popular product, Sakubi Mochi, changes every month. This month, it is Kashiwa Mochi, wrapped in the good scent of oak leaves. Inside the white, soft mochi is a refined sweet bean paste. The light Kashiwa Mochi is delicious and goes well with tea.

Last week I went to Ibaraki and received some azuki beans as a souvenir. I'm going to cook them and make zenzai. I'll drink houjicha with it, along with oshiruko. Houjicha is a winter drink that goes well with both snacks and meals. I quite like the houjicha from Akafuku. To prevent overeating, I drink houjicha. Instead of starting with solid food right away, I have a warm cup of tea first. I feel like I can control my runaway appetite. Akafuku Takashimaya Osaka Store 06-6631-1101 Osaka, Osaka City, Chuo-ku, Namba 5-1-5 Osaka Takashimaya.

When it comes to souvenirs from Kansai, people often think of Akafuku! However, Akafuku is actually made in Mie Prefecture. Akafuku is sold in large quantities at kiosks in major stations in Kansai every day. Even as a resident of Osaka, I sometimes crave it. Akafuku comes with a bookmark-like paper called "Ise Information," which features pictures and articles about Ise. What's interesting is that the content changes daily! Once you read it, you'll be curious about what it says on other days. I want to read the Ise Information every day, but buying Akafuku every day is a bit much. Actually, you can get the Ise Information for free every day at the Akafuku store in department stores! Just ask the staff for it. If you're interested, give it a try!

In the basement of Takashimaya in Namba, I found Akafuku, a small corner that always catches my eye. It's usually crowded during special occasions like Setsubun, but this time it was quiet. I spotted a box of Akafuku with two individually wrapped pieces, perfect for giving as gifts. I decided to get it as a souvenir for a client visit. When I served the Akafuku, the smooth red bean paste was just the right amount of sweetness. Akafuku never disappoints with its delicious taste. I hope they open an Akafuku tea house soon so I can try their ice Akafuku.

I went to Takashimaya in Namba to buy a Baton d'Or, but it was already sold out. What a disappointment. I was looking forward to buying it at Hankyu in Umeda this summer and eating it again. So I thought about getting something else... and I found Akafuku! I'm so envious that Akafuku is sold in department stores in Kansai. I wanted to buy it on the last day of my trip, but that's okay. I ate it at the hotel where I stayed that day. It had been a while since I had Akafuku, and it was delicious.

When lining up in the Baton d'Or queue, I suddenly looked to the side and saw it... What, what... Oh, the Red Fukufuku Ice that I wanted to eat is available! I was so touched. Since I was able to purchase the Baton d'Or in about 10 minutes, I headed to the Red Fukufuku shop. The Red Fukufuku Ice sold during the summer season is a limited edition item that I really wanted to eat. I was so moved when I ordered it. When I asked the children if they wanted some, they said they didn't need any, so I just ordered one. And there it was - a visually stunning, quite large shaved ice appeared. It had matcha syrup drizzled on top, and the fine texture of the ice was perfect. When I put it in my mouth, the way it melted was amazing. Inside the generous amount of shaved ice, there was a special red bean paste and mochi separately, not the actual Red Fukufuku. The red bean paste had a refreshing taste, not too sweet, which was nice. As for the mochi... I wanted to say more, but even though my child said they didn't want any, they started eating it as soon as it arrived. So, I only managed to have a taste test and tried the red bean paste. I wanted to have another one, but I had to give up because the Osaka food tour was waiting for me. Food grudges are scary... Additional note: Can you make a reservation for the Red Fukufuku shop's monthly Satsuki Mochi released on the first day of every month?

I make it a point to buy Akafuku's special mochi on the first day of every month, and I try different shops each time. In April, I bought it from a shop at Namba Takashimaya. The shop is smoke-free, as expected in a department store. The mochi for April 1st was the "Sakura Mochi," a simple and beloved treat inspired by cherry blossoms. It is made with sticky rice dyed a light cherry blossom color and filled with sweet red bean paste. It is wrapped in carefully selected cherry blossom leaves for an added touch. I pre-ordered a box of 6 pieces for 740 yen and enjoyed the subtle flavor of spring without any bitterness. It truly made me feel like spring is in full bloom. Looking forward to the "Kashiwa Mochi" for Boys' Day in May.

I want to keep my daily snack budget under 100 yen, but I also want decent taste, so I chose Akafuku. I have been familiar with it since I was a child, and whenever someone goes to Ise, they always bring back Akafuku as a souvenir. I like the light taste of the sweet red bean paste, but I like the spatula used to scoop the rice cake even more. Just starting from February is the beginning of the monthly Akafuku special mochi. On February 1st, it was the "Risshun Daikichi Mochi". Wow, so many people. Even if you make a reservation, there are so many people lining up like this? These people will be Akafuku athletes for the next year. Upon purchasing, they also make a reservation for next month. There are two types of mochi made from black soybeans and soybeans. I had never tried Akafuku's mochi before, but it was indeed delicious with a gentle taste. They are small, so I ended up eating both of them. On March 1st, it was the "Yomogi Mochi". Since Hinamatsuri is approaching, the wrapping paper also had a doll motif. Wrapped in the scent of yomogi, with the texture of sweet red bean paste. Let's enjoy the feeling of Hinamatsuri with this. On April 1st, it was the "Sakura Mochi". I was tired already. It's a struggle for someone who dislikes deadlines. But Sakura Mochi, I endured until this moment for this. Wrapped in a thin cherry blossom leaf, I want to unwrap it. Oh, I want to eat it without the leaf. Let's dig in. Huh? It's just a regular rice cake inside... What a dilemma, enjoying the "Sakura Mochi". On May 1st, it was the "Kashiwa Mochi". Akafuku started with a wide range of business, but now they are talking about returning to their roots, and even the president has stepped down. What will be the fate of the monthly Akafuku mochi in the future? I can't go to Ise to buy it, so I hope it will be available next year or later. This month is the well-known Kashiwa Mochi. I endured until this time. Ah, I wanted to eat it. I took a rare photo. It's a bit blurry though. They are small, so I finished both of them in one go. I wish they also included chimaki. Oh, it doesn't have red bean paste, so does it mean it's not Akafuku anymore? On June 1st, it was the "Mugi Te Mochi". When I tried to spread some trivia, the packaging was already torn open and someone had beaten me to it. I sadly took a picture of the mochi that I managed to secure. Along with the Mugi Te Mochi, there was wheat flour as a bonus, and they suggested making wheat kaki (wheat version of soba kaki) and enjoying it. As for the taste... Oh, it's a taste I tried for the first time. It has a peculiar taste of wheat flour, but the base red bean paste tastes sweeter than usual. Yes, it might be delicious with barley tea. It feels like summer is coming. I went to the store a bit late today, around 4 o'clock, and the same-day Akafuku mochi was already sold out, with people who were hoping for reservation cancellations coming to the store. Since I automatically reserve every month, I didn't know, but it seems that there are also many people who buy on the same day, so those who want only this month's mochi may want to line up at the start of the same-day purchase time. On July 1st, it was the "Take Nagashi Mochi". Damn, this month I couldn't make it to the shrine. I asked my mother to go instead, and she also bought a box, so now what to do. It's difficult for three people to eat 10 sticks, but then my mother said, "I don't like water yokan." What on earth. Now, how do I get the yokan stuffed tightly into the bamboo out. In summary, "Use the attached skewer to poke a hole in the bottom of the tube and tap the bamboo (like popping a pudding) to get the yokan out. If it still doesn't come out, suck it out with your mouth." The prestigious Akafuku is asking us to suck out the yokan. If this were served as a guest sweet, it would definitely be a nuisance. My mother, not noticing the attached skewer, brought out a regular skewer and poked holes in the yokan, making it full of wood chips, and said, "What about people who don't have this tool?" My mother, indeed. I noticed the attached skewer, but I didn't want to make a mess with wood chips or have the skewer break, so I used an electric drill to make a hole. It was probably the most challenging mochi of the year. On August 1st, it was the "Hassaku Mochi".

One of the famous souvenirs from Mie is Akafuku mochi, which you can easily get at Takashimaya without having to go all the way to Mie. It's a bit sad that you can buy it nearby, but it's convenient when you want to eat it right away. The red bean paste has a perfect sweetness and is moist, making it incomparable to other mochi with red bean paste. The mochi itself is chewy and delicious. Usually, if I eat too much sweet red bean paste, my stomach feels heavy, but with Akafuku mochi, I can eat as much as I want. A pack of 8 pieces disappears in an instant!!