Age-Momiji

Age-Momiji (揚げもみじ) is a fried confection and registered trademark of Momijido (有限会社 紅葉堂), a long-established Japanese sweets maker based on Miyajima (Itsukushima) in Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima Prefecture. The product is a momiji manju — the maple-leaf-shaped sponge cake filled with sweet bean paste that is Miyajima's signature souvenir — coated in a special batter and deep-fried, then served hot on a bamboo skewer so it can be eaten while walking. It was launched on New Year's Day 2002 (Heisei 14) and has since become known as a "new specialty of Miyajima," with some visitors reportedly planning trips to the island specifically to eat it. The idea grew out of a practical problem at the Momijido workshop: during daily momiji manju production, some pieces came out slightly imperfect and could not be sold at full price, so they were previously disposed of as samples or giveaways. Encouraged by a hint from the fourth-generation owner, the family and craftsmen experimented with ways to turn these pieces into something delicious and enjoyable, eventually developing a unique batter with the help of a chef and frying the manju tempura-style. The result was a skewered, eat-on-the-go product that could be sold as a proper item rather than a giveaway. Age-Momiji is defined by its texture and serving style. Momijido's momiji manju uses a fluffy sponge dough, and that same dough gives the fried version its crisp-outside, soft-inside character. Because each order is fried to order, customers receive it hot and fresh; the warming process also melds the filling and dough, giving a different taste from a standard momiji manju. The classic lineup includes koshi-an (smooth red bean paste), cream, and cheese, with Setouchi lemon and rare cheesecake added in recent years as new standards. A related item, Age-Momi Soft, places the fried manju on soft-serve ice cream. Beyond the shops on Miyajima, Momijido has expanded Age-Momiji's availability and related retail. A Hiroshima Station meiten-gai shop opened in 2015 (closed September 2, 2018), followed by a Hiroshima ekie shop in 2019, a Miyajimaguchi etto shop in 2022, and a renewed Kaigandori shop in 2024. In 2016 the company introduced a "freshly fried kit" (揚げたてキット) so customers could make Age-Momiji at home; the kit was renewed in April 2019 and includes varieties not sold in stores, such as matcha, chocolate, and cheese. In 2023 Momijido opened its own bean-paste factory, Inaba Seianjo, on Miyajima to produce all the paste used in its products. The brand remains privately held under Momijido, with Takeuchi Motohiro as representative.

Age-Momiji was born from the daily operations of Momijido, a Miyajima confectioner founded in 1912 (Meiji 45) by Takeuchi Yohei and Takeuchi Tora under the name Takeuchi Momijido. The shop originally made thin-skinned manju and chikara mochi, and over roughly a century it continued producing momiji manju on Miyajima under successive generations, now the fifth. During production, some momiji manju came out slightly imperfect and could not be sold at full price; these were previously consumed as samples or service items. Wondering whether such pieces could be turned into something delicious and fun to eat, the family took a hint from the fourth generation's words and, working with a chef, developed a unique batter to fry the manju tempura-style. At the end of 2001 the idea became a product: a skewered, registered-trademark 'Miyajima eat-on-the-go specialty' called Age-Momiji. The product was launched on New Year's Day 2002 (Heisei 14). It was positioned not as a souvenir to take home but as something to eat hot on the spot, skewered like an American dog, and its appeal lay in eating it freshly fried. Over the years it gained enough recognition that some travelers planned Miyajima trips around eating it, and it came to be regarded as a new island specialty alongside the traditional momiji manju. Momijido expanded the brand's physical presence over the following decades. In 2006 (Heisei 18) it opened Momijido Nibanya, renovating a late-Edo-period machiya almost as it was, offering Age-Momiji, Age-Momi Soft, and freshly baked momiji manju in a café space, with an outdoor area called 'Age-Momiji Shrine.' In 2015 (Heisei 27) it opened a Hiroshima Station meiten-gai shop — its first off-island location and the only place off Miyajima to taste Age-Momiji — which closed on September 2, 2018. In 2019 (Reiwa 1) it opened the Hiroshima ekie shop inside Hiroshima Station, offering Age-Momiji and the new product Momiji-do Nuts. In 2022 (Reiwa 4) it opened the Momijido etto shop at Miyajimaguchi etto, near the ferry terminal. In 2023 (Reiwa 5) it opened Inaba Seianjo, a bean-paste factory on Miyajima producing all the paste used in its products. In 2024 (Reiwa 6) it renewed the Momijido Kaigandori shop, upgrading the takeout-focused 'Sanbanya.' In 2025 (Reiwa 7) it opened MAGOJii cafe & gallery and a new Momijido Miyajimaguchi shop. On the product side, the classic Age-Momiji lineup of koshi-an, cream, and cheese was later joined by Setouchi lemon and rare cheesecake as new standards. In 2016 a home-cooking 'freshly fried kit' was released so customers could make Age-Momiji at home; it was renewed in April 2019 and includes varieties not sold in stores, such as matcha, chocolate, and cheese. Age-Momiji also appears in popular culture, such as the Momotaro Dentetsu game series, which features a Miyajima station with an Age-Momiji shop.

• 2025

  MAGOJii cafe & gallery and a new Momijido Miyajimaguchi shop open.

• 2024

  Momijido Kaigandori shop renewed.

• 2023

  Inaba Seianjo bean-paste factory opens on Miyajima.

• 2022

  Momijido etto shop opens at Miyajimaguchi etto.

• 2019

  Hiroshima ekie shop opens; the freshly fried kit is renewed in April.

• 2018

  Hiroshima Station meiten-gai shop closes on September 2.

• 2016

  Home 'freshly fried kit' released for making Age-Momiji at home.

• 2015

  Hiroshima Station meiten-gai shop opens (first off-island location).

• 2006

  Momijido Nibanya opens, renovating a late-Edo-period machiya.

• 2002

  Age-Momiji launched on New Year's Day (Heisei 14).

• 2001

  At the end of the year, the skewered registered-trademark Age-Momiji is developed as a product.

• 1912

  Momijido founded on Miyajima by Takeuchi Yohei and Takeuchi Tora as Takeuchi Momijido.

A registered-trademark, eat-on-the-go 'new specialty of Miyajima' that reinvents the traditional momiji manju souvenir as a hot, freshly fried street snack.

• Age-Momiji (koshi-an)

  Classic smooth red bean paste filling.

• Age-Momiji (cream)

  Custard cream filling.

• Age-Momiji (cheese)

  Cheese filling.

• Age-Momiji (Setouchi lemon)

  New standard flavor with Setouchi lemon.

• Age-Momiji (rare cheesecake)

  New standard rare cheesecake flavor.

• Age-Momi Soft

  Fried momiji manju served on soft-serve ice cream.

• Freshly fried kit

  Home kit to make Age-Momiji; renewed April 2019 with matcha, chocolate, cheese varieties.

1. 1登録商標『揚げもみじ』 | 【公式】宮島「紅葉堂」揚げもみじ・もみじまんじゅうmomijido.com
2. 2紅葉堂について | 【公式】宮島「紅葉堂」揚げもみじ・もみじまんじゅうmomijido.com
3. 3揚げもみじ - Wikipediaja.wikipedia.org
4. 4agemomiji - Wikidatawikidata.org