◉Genre: Japanese sweets, side dishes ◉Area: Located in Tanka Market, Kokurakita Ward, Kitakyushu City ◉Access: A few minutes' walk from the Tanka Station on the municipal monorail ◉Parking: Not available (coin parking nearby) ◉Credit card payment: Not accepted ◉Number of visits: Around 3 times ◉Number of reviews: 1st review On this day, I casually dropped by "Iwanataya." ◇Exterior and Interior This is a traditional Japanese sweets shop located in Tanka Market in Kokurakita Ward, Kitakyushu City. It exudes a nostalgic atmosphere. ◇Seating: Not available ◇Menu Composition Mainly offers traditional Japanese sweets using mochi such as red bean paste mochi, sakura mochi, and Mizu Daifuku, as well as steamed buns and Gokou. The items I ordered are as follows: - Sansai Okowa (220 yen) → Including tax. It has been a while since I last visited. I felt nostalgic and decided to stop by. Although I wanted to buy some mochi, I was drawn to the okowa. The flavor of the mountain vegetables and the simple seasoning brought a warm and nostalgic feeling. It was a comforting dish that soothed my heart. ◆Strengths Nostalgic traditional mochi shop! ◆Customer Service Average ◆Conclusion I prefer Gokou over Sekihan, especially the chewy texture. I will visit again. Thank you for the meal.

I visited a traditional Japanese confectionery shop in the local market. I wanted to try some daifuku, and they had two types: with salted red bean paste and with sweet red bean paste. The salted version was a bit more expensive. When I asked about the difference, I was told that the salted red bean paste has no added sugar, while the sweet red bean paste does. I decided to buy the salted one, and when I tried it, the absence of sugar really brought out the flavors of the rice cake and red bean. It was delicious and I was very satisfied.

While walking through the market, I spotted red rice. The large portion was 440 yen, but I found a small portion for 220 yen. It's convenient to have single servings available! Since it was raining, I didn't feel like eating out for dinner, so I returned to my accommodation with the red rice, fried burdock, and simmered sardines in miso. It turned out to be a wonderful solo party (laughs).

The plan for the day was to purchase something to take out at the Tanka Market in the early morning and enjoy it while looking at the Kanmon Bridge over the Kanmon Strait. Around 6:30, we checked out of our accommodation and headed to the nearby Tanka Market. The previous night around 9:00, only one hormone shop was open, so we planned to give it another try the next morning. Normally, in a city with many drinkers, mornings are slow, so expectations were low, but we also had another mission to use the monorail at Tanka Station, so it wouldn't be a waste. Since we already had a rough idea of the map in our heads, we entered from the southern end. Fish and vegetable shops were already unloading goods from trucks. As we continued, we found a shop called Iwataya. Next to the shop that makes a large amount of Japanese sweets, there were large and small portions of rice cakes and red rice. Since we planned to have a proper breakfast, we purchased the large portion of rice cakes for 400 yen and then transferred at Kokura Station to head towards Moji Port. Here, we encountered a small problem. The train we boarded split into two separate trains, one heading towards Moji Port and the other towards Oita Prefecture, with 3 cars each. We accidentally boarded the train that was departing later. This was a mistake similar to the one where we mistakenly boarded the only special express train bound for Wakkanai in Wakkanai since Sapporo. However, since there were many trains, it was not a fatal mistake. We noticed before departing towards Oita Prefecture, so the damage was minimal. We briefly considered going to Shimonoseki, which was about to depart, but we knew from a previous experience of crossing the Kanmon Tunnel with a rental bicycle that there were few good viewpoints on the Shimonoseki side, while the Moji side had excellent spots, so about 10 minutes later, we regained our composure and boarded the train bound for Moji Port. While heading towards Moji Port, we checked the opening hours of the rental bicycle shop and the bus transfer time, both of which were around 10:00, so we also considered visiting Karato Market, which was located far from Shimonoseki Station. Upon arrival, we had a hearty breakfast at the market, then visited the former British Consulate building next door, and considered using the tea salon that would open at 10:00, but we decided to walk to Kameyama Hachimangu Shrine, where the world's largest pufferfish is, and Akama Shrine, which enshrines the spirit of Emperor Antoku, a symbol of the downfall of the Heike clan, via Dan-no-ura historic site. We visited Kameyama Hachimangu Shrine, where we received a temple seal, and then walked to Akama Shrine. Finally, we arrived and saw the wooden statue of Miminashi Hoichi, famous for the story of Emperor Antoku's tomb, and the graves of the Heike clan. We paid our respects, received a temple seal, and remembered the most impressive member of the Heike clan, Taira no Kiyomori. After that, we enjoyed the rice cakes we purchased at Iwataya in Tanka Market. By the way, Akama Shrine, which resembles Ryugu Castle the most in Japan, was built in this way because Emperor Antoku liked Ryugu Castle. History is really interesting, isn't it?

There was a second fire at the market, but this area was safe. I bought the classic Anko and Kinako Botamochi as a souvenir for my family. There was a surprise underneath the Kinako - regular Anko! It made me happy. The Botamochi was moist and had a consistent flavor.

I visited a traditional Japanese confectionery shop in the market. The display of yokan and awa-zenzai looked beautiful and cute. I bought a water daifuku that was chilled on ice because it looked delicious. The outer layer was soft and springy. It was delicious! The red bean paste inside was very sweet and packed. It was quite large, so one was enough for me. Eating it chilled was the best. It was a hot day today, so this refreshing snack was a great treat!

While exploring the burnt down Danke Market, I spotted these sweet buns called "Dansetsu". They were only 90 yen each, so I decided to try three different colors. The taste was okay, but I hope the market recovers soon and becomes lively again.

Due to a large-scale fire, the Sundegaya Market was temporarily closed, but the shops have now reopened. I bought Mizudafuku and Awayuki from this popular shop. As the package suggests, they are perfect summer sweets when chilled. Awayuki has a sherbet-like texture that helps you cool down. Definitely give them a try.

The shop is located in the Danover Market, which was affected by a recent large-scale fire. I went to the market because I saw on the news that it was fully open and normal shopping was possible. In the evening, some shops like the fish market were already running low on stock, but the market itself was bustling with many customers, which was reassuring. This shop is located near the unaffected north side. On the table, there were daifuku, kashiwa mochi, sakuramochi, red rice, etc., and the showcase displayed mizu yokan and awa yuki kan. There were many varieties to choose from. Although I was tempted by the daifuku, I opted for the pre-packaged awa yuki kan and mizu yokan, which were also available for individual purchase. - Awa Yuki Kan (1 piece for 90 yen) - There are two types: the normal one and the one with blueberry sauce on top. When eaten, it had a light, melting texture that felt nostalgic, but lacked smoothness and fine texture, and the sweetness was quite mild. - Mizu Yokan (1 piece for 90 yen) - I often hear about enhancing sweetness by adding salt to anko, but the saltiness in the anko was very pronounced in this case. It's called salt anko, but it didn't suit my taste. Since it's a mochi confectionery shop, I should have listened to other people's reviews and opted for the daifuku, which seems to be delicious. Next time, I will go for the mochi confectionery.

At the Oimachi Market, there is a traditional Japanese sweets shop. It is located quite far south. They sell items like ohagi, red rice, and mochi. On this day, I purchased two steamed buns for 160 yen. They were labeled as honey-flavored. I also got one grape and one sweet potato black sugar bun. They were sweet, moist, and delicious.

Honey-filled insect bread at the 80 yen store. When passing by the table and seeing the sign saying 80 yen, I thought, "No way!" Turns out, it's 80 yen for one piece. I had assumed it was 80 yen for a pack (2 pieces). Still, it's cheap. The insect bread doesn't taste like honey. The raisin one is delicious with lots of raisins, but the sweet potato one is dry and bland. Almost tasteless. But the insect bread itself is tasty. They accept PayPay.

At the end of 2020, I had various errands in Kitakyushu and bought some ingredients at the Tanga Market. While I was there, I decided to stop by this place to get some snacks. I was drawn to the rice cakes, and the small size was only 220 yen, which I thought was reasonable. I ended up buying two different flavors. By the time I bought them, quite some time had passed, so the flavors might have faded a bit. My impression might change as well, but I ate them after about 6 hours. The mountain vegetable rice cake had a very nice aroma, and I liked that it had a slightly earthy smell. I personally enjoy this kind of flavor. The broth wasn't too strong, which I also liked. The texture was quite sticky and chewy. It's better than buying onigiri from convenience stores because it's more filling and has a good portion size. The red bean rice cake had a nice red bean aroma rather than sweetness. If you like sesame salt, you might want to prepare some separately. If you feel it lacks sweetness, try sprinkling some sesame salt on it.

Soon it will be Children's Day, so I had a reason to visit the Tanukikoji Market and stopped by here after a long time. I bought the classic Awadama and Kashiwa Mochi. Awadama still has that refreshing taste as always. In my hometown, we use rose leaves instead of oak leaves for Kashiwa Mochi, so it has a slightly stronger leaf scent than what I'm used to. But the mochi itself is delicious. This time, I got the yomogi flavor.

As I was walking through the market, I was drawn to this traditional Japanese confectionery shop. They had a display of nostalgic and classic sweets. Although I don't usually eat Japanese sweets, I decided to buy a strawberry daifuku as a souvenir. The daifuku with milk bean paste and strawberry was wrapped in a soft and chewy mochi, and it perfectly complemented the tartness of the strawberry. It was delicious and well-received. Thank you for the meal.

At the Tanagashi Market in Kokura, there are various shops with delicious-looking items lined up, making it tempting to stop by each one. One shop that stands out is Iwataya, known for their mochi sweets and red rice. The shop is crowded with people preparing for New Year's, and their sign with red and white kagami mochi decorations adds to the festive atmosphere. They offer large kagami mochi made with Kyushu rice, priced at 3,900 yen for a one-sho five-go size. It seems some people even decorate their homes with such large kagami mochi these days. As for their mochi sweets, they have various options like kakimochi, awamochi, and strawberry daifuku, but their popular item is the 160 yen salted red bean daifuku. The yellow millet, grass mochi, and white pure mochi lined up in the tiered boxes are all priced at 160 yen each and sell quickly. I bought one and tried it on the train later, and I was pleasantly surprised by the deliciousness! The natural chewiness, flavor, and aroma of the mochi were exceptional. The slight sweetness of the mochi, combined with the salty red bean paste inside, was just right, and the glossy red beans added a nice touch. While they call it salted red bean paste here, in Kanto, Hokuriku, and Tohoku regions, it's referred to as "shioan binmochi." I wonder if there is a reason or commonality behind the different names...

I went to the Tanka Market "Iwataya" in Kitakyushu after a work meeting. It was almost 6:00 PM and many shops were already closing. However, Iwataya was still open. They mainly sell mochi, but they also have delicious rice dishes like mountain vegetable rice. I bought a small pack for 200 yen and chose the mountain vegetable rice. It was really good, with fluffy rice and crunchy mountain vegetables. It's convenient that you can easily buy it.

This is a mochi confectionery shop located within walking distance from Kokura Station, and just a short walk from the Monorail Tanka Station in the Tanka Market. When I first visited the Tanka Market a few years ago, I was very interested in this shop, so I decided to go. The storefront had a variety of manju and mochi confections, and I wanted to buy them all, but I chose the kinako (soybean flour) ohagi for 100 yen each. The kinako ohagi had a mild sweetness in the filling and a homemade taste, which was delicious. I would like to go back to buy more.

I recently visited the Tsukagoshi Market, which is currently undergoing renovations. Many shops are temporarily closed, but I heard that there will be a major renovation soon. However, I feel like the market might lose its charm and become just another arcade. Amidst this, I found a delicious-looking shop called Iwataya. I bought some sweets such as Mizuyokan and Awagori, but unfortunately, the water-based sweets were not as good as I had hoped. Maybe I should have tried the rice cakes instead.

Within walking distance from Kokura Station is the Tanka Market, a traditional kitchen for the common people. This Iwata-ya shop is a super long-established Japanese confectionery store. It opened right after the war, so it's one of the oldest in the Tanka Market. They have a strong impression of mochi-based products, but this time I was curious about what I bought... It is a honey steamed bun for 160 yen each, or 80 yen each, which is a super bargain. The steamed buns contain honey, and one has raisins while the other has sweet potatoes on top. The homemade look is appealing, isn't it? The shopkeeper was not the savvy old lady I saw before, but a young man. Maybe her son? He was not very friendly, not even a "Thank you." I wish these types of market shops had more lively atmosphere. I explored the area and tried the buns... Oh! It tastes like a nostalgic home-cooked meal. The abundance of raisins and sweet potatoes is something you don't see elsewhere. They are not inflated, so they have a good weight. It's great to be able to buy these for 80 yen. I will definitely visit again if I have the chance.