When you go sightseeing, choosing souvenirs is one of the pleasures, isn't it?
When you think about buying a souvenir, local specialties from the area you visited are probably among the first things that come to mind.
In Kurashiki, “Murasuzume” is known as a local specialty.
And there is another local confection that has been loved by residents for many years, alongside Murasuzume.
It is “Fujito Manju” (Fujito Manju, Fujito manju) from Fujito Manju Honpo.
Fujito Manju is a steamed bun characterized by its refined sweetness from smooth red bean paste and a subtle sake-lees flavor.
In fact, Fujito Manju and Fujito Manju Honpo have a history of more than 830 years, with their origins dating back to the late Heian period.
The main shop of Fujito Manju Honpo is also housed in a historic building that is more than 100 years old.
Here, we introduce Fujito Manju and Fujito Manju Honpo, which can truly be called “part of Kurashiki’s history”!
The information presented was current when this article was published in May 2020. Please note that it may differ from current information.
Fujito Manju Honpo is the oldest company in the Chugoku region, operating since the late Heian period
Fujito Manju Honpo makes and sells Fujito Manju, a local specialty representing Kurashiki.
If you lived in Okayama or Kagawa Prefecture, you may also remember its TV commercial jingle.
You can listen to the jingle on the official Fujito Manju Honpo website and its official YouTube channel.
Fujito Manju Honpo has a main shop and a Kushida shop. As its name suggests, the main shop is located in Fujito-cho, Kurashiki City.
The main shop of Fujito Manju Honpo is in the suburbs, about 5 kilometers southeast of the Bikan Historical Area.
Fujito lies along the Kurashiki River, which flows from the Bikan Historical Area. During the Edo period, it flourished as a river port and as a town along the “Konpira Highway,” which connected Okayama Castle Town with Mt. Konpira.
Although Fujito Manju Honpo is located in Fujito, its history goes back much further than the Edo period, to the late Heian period.
It was founded in 1184, in the Juei era.
Its history spans more than 830 years!
According to Tokyo Shoko Research, it is the oldest company not only in Kurashiki City and Okayama Prefecture, but in the entire Chugoku region!
At first, it was sold to worshippers on the grounds of nearby Fujito-ji Temple.
It began to be sold in a shop in the early Edo period, and in 1860, during the late Edo period, a shop was built at its present location.
Its only product is the famous Fujito Manju!
Fujito Manju is the only product sold by Fujito Manju Honpo.
Apparently, there was a time when it also sold red-and-white manju and monaka, but now it sells only Fujito Manju.
It continues to make a product that has been around since the late Heian period.
The main shop building is over 100 years old! It has also served as a film location
As mentioned earlier, Fujito Manju Honpo established its shop at its current location in the late Edo period.
In fact, the current main shop building of Fujito Manju Honpo was built in the early Meiji period.
The building is more than 100 years old!
Fujito Manju Honpo has a long history not only in its products and business, but also in its building.
▼The main shop building, steeped in history.
▼The interior also has a charming atmosphere.
▼The antique clock displayed inside the shop is extremely valuable.
It was apparently made in 1871 by the New Haven Clock Company, one of the seven major clock manufacturers in the United States.
It is not just a decoration; it is still in use today.
With its historic exterior, interior, and furnishings, the main shop of Fujito Manju Honpo has also served as a film location.
▼The film was ALWAYS: Sunset on Third Street, released in 2005.
Items related to the film are still displayed inside the shop.
▼The noren (traditional shop curtain) used in the film was put to use in the shop as well.
Actor Kenjiro Ishimaru is said to have visited Fujito Manju twice for other shoots, in addition to filming the movie.
Many fans of the film also visit the location as part of film-location tours.
Apparently, TV programs and other shows are still occasionally filmed there.
Fujito Manju: thin-skinned buns filled with smooth red bean paste and flavored with amazake
The key features of Fujito Manju can be summed up in the following three points:
- Smooth red bean paste
- Thin skin
- Amazake flavor
The skin of Fujito Manju is extremely thin.
As a result, more than 90% of each bun is smooth red bean paste.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that Fujito Manju means smooth red bean paste; the filling is a key feature.
The smooth red bean paste in Fujito Manju is made with azuki beans from Tokachi, Hokkaido.
The next feature is its thin skin.
Fujito Manju is characterized by its very thin skin.
It is also semi-transparent, so you can see the smooth red bean paste inside.
In fact, the skin of Fujito Manju is made from amazake and wheat flour.
The amazake flavor is another characteristic of Fujito Manju.
The amazake is made each morning by pressing sake lees made with locally grown koji.
The amazake and wheat flour are kneaded together and fermented, then rolled out thinly to make the skin, which is wrapped around the smooth red bean paste.
Once steamed, it becomes Fujito Manju.
At first glance, Fujito Manju can look as if it has no skin.
The irregular white patches here and there are also striking.
The original skin is whitish.
But it becomes translucent when steamed!
By the way, the white mottling is where the sake lees have fermented.
It’s fascinating that the whitish skin turns transparent when steamed.
I had been curious about what happens to the skin of Fujito Manju, so this finally answered a question I’d had for years.
When you actually try Fujito Manju, the skin is thin and transparent, yet feels springy when you bite into it.
The next moment, you notice the smooth, moist texture of the strained red bean paste.
The flavor is refined, with a mellow sweetness.
Even so, the sweetness is just right, and you can clearly taste the flavor of the azuki beans.
As you savor the sweetness of the strained bean paste, you also get a subtle hint of amazake.
The amazake flavor is perfectly balanced: even people who don’t like amazake can enjoy it, while amazake lovers will find it irresistible.
The sweetness and flavor are just right, so you’ll polish off one and find yourself reaching for a second without even thinking.
I think one of the charms of Fujito Manju is its mild sweetness—you could eat any number of them.
Fujito Manju is additive-free and contains no preservatives.
As a result, it does not keep for long, so please bear that in mind.
Fujito Manju has a shelf life of three days from the date of manufacture.
Fujito Manju varieties
Fujito Manju Honpo sells only Fujito Manju, but it is available in the following options, depending on the packaging and quantity.
| Packaging | Quantity | Price (tax included) |
|---|---|---|
| Sold individually (main store and Kushida store only) | 1 piece | 76 yen |
| Wrapped in bamboo bark | 5 pieces | 400 yen |
| 10 pieces | 790 yen | |
| Box | 10 pieces | 860 yen |
| 15 pieces | 1,350 yen | |
| 20 pieces | 1,720 yen | |
| 25 pieces | 2,100 yen | |
| 30 pieces | 2,480 yen | |
| 48 pieces | 4,150 yen | |
| Wooden box | 20 pieces | 2,050 yen |
| 30 pieces | 2,900 yen | |
| 48 pieces | 4,700 yen |
▼ Wrapped in bamboo bark (10 pieces)
▼ Box (10 pieces)
▼ The wrapping paper on the box features Fujito-ji Temple and Moritsuna Bridge, giving it a distinctly Fujito-cho feel.
▼ Wooden box (20 pieces)
The bamboo-bark wrapping is popular with people who want a traditional feel and those buying them to eat at home.
The boxed version is for souvenirs.
Many people use the wooden boxes for offerings at memorial services and as gifts.
Individual pieces are sold only at Fujito Manju Honpo (the main store and Kushida store).
They are not sold at souvenir shops, supermarkets, department stores, or other such places.
Local students and others sometimes buy individual pieces as a snack on their way home.
Strained bean paste is also sold on its own
Fujito Manju Honpo also sells strained bean paste on its own.
Of course, it is the same strained bean paste used in Fujito Manju.
Around the equinoxes and at the end of the year, some local people use our bean paste to make mochi!
However, strained bean paste is sold only at the main store and Kushida store.
Where to buy Fujito Manju outside Fujito Manju Honpo
Fujito Manju Honpo has only two locations: the main store and the Kushida store in Fujito.
However, several shops around Kurashiki City sell Fujito Manju, so you can buy it without going all the way to Fujito Manju Honpo.
The main shops selling Fujito Manju in central Kurashiki City (around JR Kurashiki Station and the Bikan Historical Area) are listed below.
- Tenmaya Kurashiki Store (Souvenir Shop, basement level 1)
- Omiyage Kaido Kurashiki (inside JR Kurashiki Station)
- Tenmaya Furusatokan (1st floor, Ario Kurashiki)
▼ Tenmaya Kurashiki Store Souvenir Shop
▼ Omiyage Kaido inside JR Kurashiki Station
▼ Tenmaya Furusatokan, 1st floor, Ario Kurashiki
It is also available at various Nishina supermarket locations in the city, as well as at some Sanyo Marunaka supermarket locations.
It is also sold at the Omiyage Kaido souvenir shops inside Okayama Station and Chayamachi Station.
However, Fujito Manju is popular, so it may sell out at any of the shops that carry it.
If you want to be sure of getting some, call Fujito Manju’s main shop or Kushida shop in advance to reserve it, then go to the shop to pick it up.
For details about the shops that sell it, see the official Fujito Manju website.
The History of Fujito Manju: Its Origins in the Genpei War
As mentioned earlier, Fujito Manju dates back to the late Heian period.
Let’s take a brief look at its history.
The Genji Warrior Moritsuna Sasaki’s Killing of a Villager
The area where the main Fujito Manju shop now stands was originally part of an island called Kojima, along the coast.
The Kurashiki River, which flows through the present-day Fujito area, was once a strait called the Fujito Strait.
During the late Heian period, the Genpei War, a conflict between the Genji and Heike clans, included the Battle of Fujito, fought across the Fujito area.
During the Battle of Fujito, the Genji warrior Sasaki Moritsuna planned to cross the Fujito Strait from the mainland (believed to be near present-day Ariki in Kurashiki City) and attack Kojima, where the Heike forces were stationed.
Moritsuna heard from a young local fisherman that there was a shallow stretch where even horses could cross the strait.
After safely crossing the Fujito Strait with the fisherman as his guide and reaching the Kojima side, Moritsuna shockingly cut off the fisherman’s head with his sword, killing him brutally.
After crossing to the Kojima side, Moritsuna captured the castle of the forces led by Taira no Yukimori, earning distinction.
For his exploits, Moritsuna later acquired land in Kojima, Bizen Province, and rose to prominence as one of Minamoto no Yoritomo’s trusted retainers.
It is said that Moritsuna killed the fisherman either to prevent him from telling the Heike about Moritsuna, or to claim the victory over the Heike for himself without his allies finding out.
This story is also told in The Tale of the Heike.
It was also adapted into a Noh play called Fujito, and is well known as a Noh performance.
Offerings to Honor the Slain Villager Became the Origin of Fujito Manju
The people of the village where the slain fisherman had lived held a Buddhist memorial service at nearby Fujito-ji Temple to honor his spirit.
The manju offered during the memorial service are the origin of Fujito Manju.
Eventually, the manju came to be served to worshippers at a teahouse in the temple grounds, where they became popular.
During the Genroku era in the early Edo period, a shop called Manzagoya opened at the home where the manju were made.
This Manzagoya is said to be the origin of Fujito Manju.
Records show that Fujito Manju was distributed to worshippers at a memorial service held at Fujito-ji Temple in 1785.
By the Bunka era in the late Edo period, the manju had come to resemble the Fujito Manju of today in both shape and flavor.
In 1860, the shop opened at the site of its present-day main shop.
▼Fujito-ji Temple still stands just south of the main Fujito Manju shop.
▼Behind the main shop, on the north side, the Kurashiki River was crossed by Moritsuna Bridge, notable for its red railings.
▼A large statue of Sasaki Moritsuna stands on Moritsuna Bridge.
The statue depicts him crossing the Fujito Strait on horseback.
Incidentally, Moritsuna Bridge was built in 1926.
The current bridge was rebuilt in 1989.
About the Kushida Shop of Fujito Manju
In addition to its main shop, Fujito Manju has one other location: the Kushida shop.
The Kushida shop is about 1.5 kilometers south of the main shop, along Prefectural Route 165 (Fujito-Hayashima Line), which passes right by the main shop.
The Kushida shop is a large store with an attached factory.
▼The interior is spacious and clean.
▼There is a Japanese-style room where customers can take a break.
You can eat the Fujito Manju you bought in the break room.
Please let a staff member know if you would like to do so.
Another appealing feature of the Kushida shop, which has an attached factory, is that you may sometimes be able to enjoy freshly made Fujito Manju.
The main shop has no parking, but the Kushida shop does.
Kushida Shop Information
| Name | Fujito Manju Kushida Shop |
|---|---|
| Address | 919-3 Kushida, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Phone number | 086-485-3221 |
| Parking | Available |
| Hours | 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. |
| Closed | Tuesday Second Wednesday of the month ※If a regular closing day falls on a public holiday, the shop is open and closes on Thursday |
| Payment methods | Cash |
| Smoking | Entirely non-smoking |
| Families with children | Strollers are allowed inside |
| Accessibility | Wheelchairs are allowed inside |
With a history of more than 800 years, Fujito Manju is still beloved by the people of Kurashiki.
We interviewed Hiroyuki Kanamoto, president and representative director of Fujito Manju.
Fujito Manju (Main Shop) Information
| Name | Fujito Manju (Main Shop) |
|---|---|
| Address | 48 Fujito, Fujito-cho, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Contact | 086-428-1034 |
| Parking | None (Parking available at the Kushida shop) |
| Hours | 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. |
| Closed | Tuesday Second Wednesday of the month ※ If a regular closing day falls on a public holiday, the shop is open and closes on Thursday |
| Payment methods |
|
| Website | Fujito Manju |
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The smooth red bean paste in Fujito Manju is very popular.
Some customers even ask to buy the paste on its own!