On the 11th day of the "Fukuoka Prefecture 72 Cities, Towns, and Villages Challenge," we visited Umi-machi, the third municipality on our list, and stopped by Umi Hachimangu Shrine. After enjoying a Yame Matcha Kin Toki shaved ice at "Chaho Umi Hachi," we noticed a sign next to the shop advertising "Blueberry Daifuku" at a nearby Japanese confectionery store called "Toki Nose." Curious about it, we decided to buy some as a souvenir for my wife and younger daughter who were not with us on this trip. The store, opened in December 2012, sells handmade Japanese sweets in the premises of Umi Hachimangu Shrine. Due to infection prevention measures, only two groups of customers are allowed inside the store at a time. We waited for the previous customers to leave before entering. Among the various sweets displayed in the showcase, we found the Blueberry Daifuku (1 piece for 265 yen including tax) we were looking for. There were still plenty left, so we bought four pieces right away. We brought them home and tried them after dinner. The Blueberry Daifuku is a double-layered mochi with blueberry fruit mixed in, wrapped in a passion fruit yogurt paste. Surprisingly, the paste had a subdued acidity, giving it a simple sweetness. When the blueberry fruit was tasted, the acidity was present but mild, complementing well with the mochi and paste. Initially purchased out of curiosity, we were pleasantly surprised by how delicious it was, exchanging surprised looks with my wife. This Blueberry Daifuku is only available during the summer season, from June to August.

This year's ohagi, which is available for sale until September 24th, is a must-have sweet for the equinoctial week. It has a perfect balance of taste and appearance with no unnecessary elements, making it a top choice for traditional Japanese sweets. The ohagi is not too heavy, and I can't wait to try all three varieties before the deadline in three days. Another recommended sweet for this season is the Mont Blanc Daifuku. For more details, search for it on tripcamera and refer to the article dated September 21, 2023.

The weeping plum trees are starting to bloom in the precincts of Umi Shrine. Spring-colored sweets like daffodils and strawberry daifuku are being sold. The shops were bustling with customers. The cute appearance of the Japanese sweets attracted many customers. Despite the crowds, there are plenty of cute Japanese sweets to choose from. In addition to Umi Monaka, there are shops inside the shrine selling dorayaki for palm safety prayers, and ichiyo mochi is also available (reservation required). It's the season to drive around and buy cute Japanese sweets. For more information, you can check out the link provided. #FukuokaSweets #FukuokaJapaneseSweets #UmiTownJapaneseSweets

In Umi-machi, Kasuya District, there is a traditional Japanese sweets shop that I discovered through a collaboration with the stationery store Hightide in Shirogane. I finally visited the shop as I happened to be in the area for errands. They offer a variety of sweets like Tabimonaka, Uminonaka, and Mikan, all made with fruits that are both cute and delicious. I would love to visit again to try their seasonal offerings. The shop closes at 4:30 pm on weekdays. The shop is conveniently located right in front of the free parking lot of Umi Hachimangu Shrine. Next to Kisonose, there is a tea house where you can buy the famous Koyasumimochi, which is similar to Umegae mochi. It seems that many people visit Umi Hachimangu Shrine for safe childbirth prayers. I also bought some sake from Kobayashi Shuzo, a famous sake brewery nearby. Even though it was a short trip, I ended up with a lot of souvenirs. The stylish and cute design of Kisonose's traditional Japanese sweets makes them very convenient and useful. ♡

A traditional Japanese confectionery shop in Umi Hachiman. Cute Japanese sweets lined up in a small shop. I bought tangerine and seasonal limited edition apple, daifuku, and dorayaki. The artistic Japanese sweets are fun to look at. The taste is also authentic with apple and tangerine flavors. The dorayaki is small and easy to eat, with just the right amount of sweetness. They also have various items that would make good souvenirs or gifts. I would like to visit again.

Within the grounds of Umijinja Shrine is a prestigious traditional Japanese confectionery shop. I thought they only sold Japanese sweets, but they also have Mont Blanc and Opera cakes, offering a mix of Japanese and Western confectioneries. The shop is charming and cute. The treats seem to have various benefits such as fertility, safe childbirth, and children's health. The seasonal yuzu jelly in the yokan is delicious, with a complex mix of fluffy egg whites, jelly, and yokan.

On this day, I visited Umi Shrine. It was a long weekend, so there were a lot of people and the line for prayers was very long. It took about 3 hours to finally finish. On my way back to the parking lot, I noticed this shop. When I entered, it was a traditional Japanese sweets shop. There were cute sweets shaped like fruits lined up, making it hard to choose. I picked four: a mandarin orange, a cute peeled shape. Dorayaki. Strawberry daifuku. The strawberry was so sweet and gooey. Just perfect. Apple. A white bean paste base with a little bit of sweet and sour apple flesh inside. Delicious. Each one is made artistically. Not only traditional Japanese sweets, but also Western sweets are available and they are also popular as featured on a major TV network. If I come back here next time, I will definitely visit again.

I stopped by this place while I was in the area to eat soba noodles. I thought the store design and products were cute and had a sense of style. I bought daifuku and some cute wagashi, as well as a snack called "Hyakusenmanten," which is similar to a traditional confection called "Torimono" but uses more butter for a richer taste (it seems the same person makes both). When I got home and tried them, honestly, none of them were that great. The red bean paste in the daifuku was not moist enough. The wagashi looked fancy and cute, but the taste and texture were just okay. By the way, the filling was matcha red bean paste. The Hyakusenmanten was too heavy. I definitely would have preferred the traditional Torimono. There were many wonderful products with a trendy and stylish sense, but I probably won't buy them again.

A traditional Japanese confectionery shop located within the Umi Hachiman Shrine. Their "Tabimonaka" is famous and available even during high tide. In addition to the classic dorayaki and daifuku, they also offer seasonal sweets that are visually appealing. During my visit in summer, I tried the "Anra no Shizuku" and the classic dorayaki. The "Anra no Shizuku" was not only beautiful to look at, but also refreshing with its smooth jelly filled with chewy water caltrop and a light sweet bean paste. It was so delicious that I finished it in no time. The dorayaki had a moist, thick outer layer and a firm, well-blended sweet bean paste filling. The packaging is cute and stylish, making it a perfect gift choice.

This is a traditional Japanese confectionery shop located at the entrance of Umi Hachimangu Shrine. On this day, I bought some of their sweets to take home. Upon entering the shop at the entrance of the approach, I saw a colorful display of traditional Japanese sweets. I bought four items to take home: Warabi Mochi for 650 yen, Sasadango for 190 yen, Blueberry Daifuku for 230 yen, and 80000 Daifuku for 150 yen. The shop is located at the entrance of Umi Hachimangu Shrine. If you're interested, the shop's name is Kino Sei, and the address is 1-1-24 Umi, Umimachi, Kasuya District, Fukuoka Prefecture. Phone number: 092-410-3824. Business hours are from 9:00 to 18:00, and they are open every day.

The shop located on the grounds of Umi Hachimangu Shrine in Umi Town has a great atmosphere. They offer not only delicious sweets but also have a good sense of wrapping paper, handbags, and brochures. The 150 yen daifuku mochi is cute, elegant, and tasty. The 650 yen warabi mochi is soft, with a perfect balance of sweetness from the kinako powder, and very delicious.

The surroundings of Umi Hachiman Shrine are not very spacious, but have a lovely atmosphere. On this day, they started selling strawberry daifuku with Mont Blanc and persimmon. I was also drawn to the chocolate yokan and ended up buying it. The strawberry daifuku had a hint of condensed milk in the white bean paste. The chocolate yokan was also delicious, and my family and I finished it immediately.

I visited Kino'se in Umi Hachimangu Shrine to purchase tea ceremony sweets. Since I was already at Umi Hachimangu Shrine, I decided to visit the shop after paying my respects. The exterior was very stylish and got me excited. The interior and products were all wonderful as well. I purchased a morning glory manju for the tea ceremony sweets. There were also stylish monaka and beautiful fruit yokan collab with Haitaido. I was also intrigued by the 80000 daifuku in the shape of the number 8 for Hachimangu Shrine. It's a bit far from where I live, but I would still make the effort to visit.

Visited Umi Shrine during the JR Kyushu Walking tour. Passed through the gate and on the right side, there were rest areas and shops selling sweet treats. After offering prayers, I decided to check out the various shops. At Kinose-san, there were a variety of traditional Japanese sweets, with the 80000 Daifuku catching my eye due to its auspicious name. The daifuku is shaped like the number 8, symbolizing good luck. I purchased one for 150 yen without hesitation. At the neighboring tea house, Umihachi-san, they allowed outside drinks, so I ordered a matcha for 200 yen. The soft daifuku dough and large red bean filling were delicious. With so many traditional sweets available, I would love to try more. I noticed many families with newborn babies at Umi Shrine. According to the history, this shrine is visited by many for safe childbirth and gratitude, as it is said that Empress Jingu stopped by to give birth to Emperor Ojin on her way back from the conquest of Korea.

Yesterday was the middle day of the equinoctial week, so after visiting the grave, we decided we wanted to eat ohagi. We thought about where to go that would be less crowded, and then we remembered Umi Hachimangu Shrine. So we went there for a visit, had some mochi, ohagi, and taiyaki, and that was it! The ohagi at this shop is limited to the equinoctial week (one week). They have two types: with whole bean paste and with smooth bean paste. Like other sweets, they are elegantly made and could be eaten in one bite if you try, but we savored each bite and ate them half and half. I forgot to take a picture, and they disappeared into my stomach right away. If you're interested, hurry up!

Fruit jelly with a refreshing touch of Mojito liqueur, featuring seven types of dried fruits: mango, apple, apricot, pineapple, lemon, orange, and cranberry. Perfect for summer.

I received a souvenir from my parents' house. The strawberry daifuku with condensed milk was especially delicious! The sakura mochi had a slightly weak sakura flavor, but overall it was delicious, so I would like to visit the store myself next time.

I bought 80,000 daifuku strawberry mochi. They were very visually appealing but lacked a strong flavor impact. I was a bit disappointed when I saw an elderly lady being condescendingly served by other customers at the store.

It was a gift, but it was delicious to have agar jelly with water yokan on top. The photo is of Mojito yokan! I haven't eaten it yet.

I received a Mont Blanc Daifuku. The mochi was soft and not too sweet, it was delicious. Next time, I definitely want to try the strawberry Daifuku.