Do you like ohagi (botamochi)?
You may think of them as something offered during the equinoctial week, but they’re so familiar that even neighborhood supermarkets sell them.
I have a sweet tooth, so whenever I spot ohagi in a shop, I can’t help picking some up.
There’s a shop in Tamashima, in western Kurashiki City, that’s irresistible to anyone with a sweet tooth who loves ohagi.
It’s called “Amato no Mise Yamato.”
The words “Amato no Mise” at the beginning of the shop’s name tell you it’s a place for people who love sweets.
Yamato is a long-established specialty shop that has been making handmade ohagi for around 50 years.
Every day, a line forms outside before opening, and the popular shop often sells out by the morning.
Don’t you think it’s unusual for a shop to draw a line for ohagi?
It’s intriguing to hear that some customers come from outside the prefecture or from quite far away.
Here’s an introduction to Yamato, a popular ohagi specialty shop that anyone with a sweet tooth should check out.
The information presented here is as of the article’s publication in October 2020. Please note that it may differ from current information.
Yamato is a long-established ohagi specialty shop founded in 1971
Yamato is an ohagi specialty shop.
Ohagi are the only item it sells.
It was founded in 1971.
At the time of our interview in 2020, it had a 49-year history.
Yamato is a long-established shop that has devoted itself exclusively to ohagi for around 50 years.
Yamato is located in central Tamashima.
Across the street from the shop is Teshimaya, famous for Tate Sauce.
The area is also home to many popular shops, including Kimuraya, Tsukiyama Bakery, Minamida Branch of Handmade Croquettes, Chuka Soba Mizukawa, and Takedaya.
Yamato is one of the area’s popular shops, too.
Many customers visit to get Yamato’s ohagi.
▼ A line forms outside the shop even before it opens.
▼ It often sells out by noon.
Ohagi are sold at the window on the left side of the shop, facing it.
Even during our visit, the ohagi were flying off the shelves one after another.
We were surprised to see some customers buying several hundred at a time.
Ohagi cannot be reserved or held for pickup.
Ohagi are made by hand
The process of making Yamato’s ohagi is primarily done by hand.
As a result, there is a limit to how many ohagi can be made in a day.
Inside the shop, staff worked quietly and diligently.
▼ The ingredients for ohagi are glutinous rice and azuki beans.
▼ The glutinous rice is a blend centered on Himeno, a variety grown in Okayama Prefecture.
▼ The azuki beans are from Hokkaido.
The kinako (roasted soybean flour) is also domestically produced.
They start preparing the ingredients around 3 a.m. every morning, steaming the glutinous rice and azuki beans.
▼ They also pack the ohagi as orders come in with impressive efficiency.
I was also impressed by how well the staff worked together.
Ohagi come in just two varieties: “anko” and “kinako”
Information as of September 2020. Prices include consumption tax.
When you think of ohagi, can you imagine all the different varieties?
However, Yamato sells only two kinds of ohagi: “anko” and “kinako.”
Both are classic ohagi varieties.
What’s more, both the anko and kinako ohagi cost just 70 yen each, including consumption tax.
You might find yourself buying a lot.
The “anko” has just the right sweetness, with chunky red bean paste
Yamato’s ohagi are on the small side.
They’re a nice size—not too big—which is a plus.
The anko covering the outside is chunky red bean paste.
▼The chunky red bean paste is moist, with a refined flavor and just the right amount of sweetness.
It isn’t overly sweet, yet has the rich, satisfying sweetness you’d expect from red bean paste.
The red beans in the chunky paste have just the right amount of texture. They’re soft, yet still retain their presence, creating a perfectly balanced texture.
You can also enjoy the flavor of the red beans.
Under the chunky red bean paste is white mochi.
▼The mochi is half-pounded, with a pleasant graininess and chewiness.
“Half-pounded” ohagi: a state in which the grains of glutinous rice are left intact
After the sweetness of the chunky red bean paste, I tasted the moist yet chewy, sticky texture and refreshing flavor of the half-pounded mochi.
The harmony between the sweetness of the chunky red bean paste and the flavor of the mochi is exquisite.
“Red bean paste” is popular with older customers!
I found Yamato’s red bean paste ohagi easy to eat and not too rich.
The kinako has chunky red bean paste inside
The kinako ohagi is the same size as the red bean paste one.
▼A thin layer of pale yellow kinako covers the surface.
When you take a bite, plenty of kinako spreads softly through your mouth.
This kinako contains no sugar and isn’t sweet.
That lets you enjoy its flavor directly.
After the flavor of the kinako comes the mochi inside.
▼Inside the kinako-covered mochi was a generous amount of chunky red bean paste.
The mochi inside the kinako and red bean paste ohagi was different.
The chunky red bean paste inside the kinako ohagi is the same as the paste used in the red bean paste ohagi.
When you eat the kinako ohagi, the flavor of the kinako, the texture and taste of the mochi, and the sweetness of the chunky red bean paste come together in three layers, creating an indescribably delicious taste!
While the red bean paste variety is favored by older customers, the kinako variety is popular with younger people!
The kinako ohagi had a deliciousness all its own, different from the red bean paste one.
If I had to choose just one, I’d be so torn that I probably couldn’t decide.
Both Yamato’s red bean paste and kinako ohagi were so delicious and easy to eat that before I knew it, I’d popped another one into my mouth as soon as I finished the last.
Yamato has been making these delicious ohagi for about 50 years.
We interviewed Hirotani Masahiko, the owner of Yamato, a specialty shop devoted to ohagi.
Amato no Mise Yamato Information
| Name | Amato no Mise Yamato |
|---|---|
| Address | 1-8-14 Tamashima Chuo-cho, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Contact | 086-522-5055 |
| Parking | Available 7 spaces |
| Hours | 9:00 a.m. until sold out |
| Closed | Wednesday Also closed when it falls on a public holiday |
| Payment methods |
|
| Reservations | Not accepted Reservations and hold requests are not available |
| Seating | None |
| Smoking | Entire premises are non-smoking |
| Restroom | No restroom |
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The chunky red bean paste is, of course, homemade!