“Are there any good places in the Bikan Historical Area?”
“I’m going to Kurashiki. Which shops should I visit?”
When someone asks me this, the first shop I recommend is “Oishii Mono Boutique Heisuiken.”
The shop is filled with carefully selected delicious foods from all over Japan—it’s truly a sacred place for food lovers!
Treat yourself to something a little special and look for a treasure to take home.
There are lots of kind and knowledgeable staff, so you can rest assured even if you get lost among the products.
Here’s an introduction to “Oishii Mono Boutique Heisuiken (Heisuiken),” a select shop perfect for anyone looking for truly delicious food and quality goods.
The information presented here was accurate when the article was published in October 2022. Please note that it may differ from current information.
“Oishii Mono Boutique Heisuiken,” housed in a renovated Taisho-era warehouse
The ivy leaves look even more beautiful in the rain at “Oishii Mono Boutique Heisuiken.”
It’s a small shop in a quiet residential neighborhood, a little way from the center of the Bikan Historical Area, but customers come from all over Japan in search of delicious food.
Buyers from famous department stores and select shops apparently visit discreetly, too.
The shop’s exterior has a charming character, and you can see people stopping to take photos.
Heisuiken was founded in April 1990, after renovating a building that had served as a warehouse for Morita Shuzo since the Taisho era.
The first floor is the boutique, and the second floor houses the gallery “Baruchian Kurashiki.”
“Morita Shuzo,” right next to Heisuiken.
Morita Shuzo was founded in 1909 by Shoji Morita, grandfather of its president, Shoichiro Morita.
It’s a sake brewery representing Kurashiki, and it even appeared on NHK’s “Bura Tamori” (broadcast June 3, 2017).
Heisuiken’s logo features an adorable kingfisher.
The name Heisuiken apparently comes from the name of a tea room passed down in the Morita family since the Edo period.
Now, let’s go inside.
It’s always an exciting moment, wondering what delicious things we’ll find.
Delicious things everywhere you look! Inside Heisuiken
Products line the walls all around Heisuiken’s interior. I’m always captivated by this sight!
Heisuiken is a select shop stocked with around 1,500 food products that President Shoichiro Morita has discovered while traveling around Japan.
The shop opened with around 150 products, but according to the staff, the selection continues to grow.
A wide variety of products fill the shop, spilling out even near the entrance.
Sweets, seasonings, snacks, canned and bottled goods, jam, oil, delicacies…
Here’s just a small sample of Heisuiken’s selection, which never gets old no matter how many times you visit.
The chilled display case in the center of the shop
In the center of the shop is a refrigerated area packed with chilled products.
Even the otherwise unused spaces are filled with juice, leaving almost no gaps—that’s impressive!
There’s a wide variety of processed meat products, including delicious-looking prosciutto and liver pâté.
Perfect for a little indulgence! It’s hard to resist reaching for some.
Chilled products such as dry curry, hotteok, and lasagna.
They also carry “Yoshida Farm cheese,” known as “幻” (“legendary”). It apparently sells out as soon as it arrives.
Shelves of seasonings and dressings
This area is lined with bottles of dressings, hot pot soup bases, seasonings, and more.
The shelves are stocked with essentials for hot pot, including “Ishihara Nobuyoshi’s Salt Ponzu,” a brand from Kurashiki Kosen, a seasoning manufacturer in Kurashiki City.
Kurashiki Kosen originally focused on making ramune, but now develops a variety of seasonings, including ponzu, hot pot soup bases, yakiniku sauce, and dressings.
Heisuiken also offers a wide variety of convenient seasoned rice mixes.
Our family’s favorite is the “Sansai Kamameshi Mix” at the front.
It has a gentle saltiness and plenty of mountain vegetables, so we find it very useful.
There’s also a wide selection of snacks to enjoy with drinks, from dried foods to bottled delicacies.
Jam, canned goods, sake, and olive oil
A corner lined with jams, marmalades, honey, maple syrup, and more.
These beautifully colored jams are a joy just to look at.
Look at the variety and quantity of canned goods! Sardines in oil, smoked oysters, shishamo smelt with roe, rafute pork belly…
You could feel as if you’d traveled all over Japan just by browsing the canned goods.
Of course, you can also buy sake from Morita Shuzo, the parent company of Heisuiken.
The long-selling “Mannenyuki” series, made using methods preserved since Morita Shuzo was founded, is also a popular choice for celebrations and gifts.
And the “olive oil” flown in from Italy is another must-have.
The oil from northern Italy is mainly used raw, such as in salads, while the oil from southern Italy is used for cooking, such as sauteing. They are chosen according to their intended use.
After visiting for this article, my family also bought extra virgin olive oil from northern Italy.
It was so delicious it nearly made us jump for joy, and it has been a staple at our table ever since.
Discover Heisuiken’s Original Products
Heisuiken not only gathers products from all over Japan, but also develops many original products.
This is “Setouchi Oysters Marinated in Oil,” 1,134 yen (tax included).
First-grade oysters from Mushikam and Yorishima in the Setouchi region, and Hiroshima, are marinated in XO sauce and grilled in garlic oil.
The jar is packed with plump oysters. It’s an irresistible treat for oyster lovers.
This is “Shuho Akahira,” 1,944 yen (tax included).
A delicacy made by marinating the ovaries of mullet caught in spring in a paste based on Morita Shuzo’s daiginjo sake lees, then aging them.
Enjoy it sliced as is, or lightly broiled and served over rice in tea. It’s a luxurious snack that’s sure to make you want another drink.
How about pairing some sake with those delicious snacks?
“Mannenyuki Honjozo Unpressed Sake Arabashiri,” recommended by the shop staff and priced at 1,582 yen (tax included), is a special sake collected only between 5 and 6 a.m.
It has a wine-like aroma and rich flavor, and apparently many customers visit specifically for this roughly pressed sake.
“Sakaya no Bonbon,” found just inside the entrance, costs 389 yen for 2, 702 yen for 3, and 1,080 yen for 5 (tax included).
Perhaps the name is a play on “young master” and chocolate bonbons?
The chocolates are filled with plenty of pure rice sake from which the alcohol has been removed.
This long-selling product sells out around Valentine’s Day.
It’s amazing that they even make everything from snacks and delicacies to chocolate to go with sake.
Products I Personally Recommend
Even though I was there on assignment, I’m also a big Heisuiken fan! Here are some of my personal recommendations from among the products I bought.
This is Heisuiken’s own “Meat Sauce with Balsamic Vinegar,” 486 yen (tax included).
This sauce was created with the concept, “We absolutely want a delicious meat sauce.”
The tang of balsamic vinegar and the fresh sweetness of tomatoes are superb! It comes in a generous 210-gram portion.
This is “Bakke Miso” from Miyoshi Foods in Akita Prefecture, 616 yen (tax included).
Bakke is the Akita dialect word for “butterbur sprout,” so this is butterbur sprout miso.
The vivid aroma of butterbur sprouts and the simple, nostalgic flavor make it impossible to stop eating rice.
“Viva Garlic,” made by a group of women in Hiroshima Prefecture, is garlic from Aomori Prefecture simmered in olive oil for two hours.
It’s delicious mixed into sauteed meat or fish, or steamed vegetables!
Having Viva Garlic on hand greatly expands the range of dishes I can make every day, and it’s very useful.
“Natsumikan Slices” from Yuzuya Honten in Yamaguchi Prefecture. I bought them on impulse because they looked so appealing.
The white, soft part between the peel and flesh of natsumikan is sliced and preserved in syrup.
The slices have a moist texture, and the syrup, infused with the aroma of natsumikan, is delicious too. I eat them with yogurt.
Gallery “Baruchian Kurashiki,” Featuring the Morita Family’s Collection
Currently closed as of January 2023 due to COVID-19 prevention measures
I also had the chance to visit “Baruchian Kurashiki,” the gallery on the second floor of Heisuiken.
Climb the stairs by the entrance and head to the gallery.
It is a gallery and cafe that makes use of beams dating back to the Taisho era.
It was my first time going up to the second floor, and I had no idea such a lovely space was waiting there.
A collection of beautiful Japanese dolls. All the items on display are treasured pieces passed down through the Morita family.
The displays apparently change with the seasons, featuring prints, hanging scrolls, and other items.
Over coffee at the cafe, I spoke with Morita Shoichiro, president of Heisuiken.
Delicious Foods Boutique Heisuiken Information
| Name | Delicious Foods Boutique Heisuiken |
|---|---|
| Address | 8-8 Honmachi, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Contact | 086-427-1147 |
| Parking | None |
| Hours | 10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. |
| Closed | Monday |
| Payment methods |
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| Website | Kurashiki Heisuiken |
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