Yamadamochi Honten

Yamadamochi Honten (山田餅本店) is a Japanese traditional confectionery retailer and producer based in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture. The shop was founded in 1927 (Showa 2) by first-generation owner Yonezo Yamada in Showa-ku, Nagoya, and later relocated in 1943 (Showa 18) to its current location in the Mizuho-dori shopping street, following the establishment of Nagoya Citizens' Hospital. Over more than eighty years of continuous operation, it has become a familiar local institution in the neighborhood around the Nagoya City Museum. The core of the business is mochi (pounded rice cake), which the shop prepares fresh every morning throughout the year. According to the company, the mochi is made by steaming the finest glutinous rice, pounding it thoroughly with a pestle, and then quickly shaping and stretching it by hand so that it is soft yet chewy and flavorful. Alongside mochi, Yamadamochi Honten produces a wide range of wagashi (traditional Japanese sweets) that follow the seasons and life events of its customers. Its product line is closely tied to Japanese annual observances and celebrations. It supplies kagami mochi and red-and-white mochi for New Year and auspicious occasions, sekihan (red bean rice) for celebrations and return gifts, hina-matsuri diamond rice cakes and kusa mochi in spring, hanami dango for cherry-blossom viewing, chimaki and kashiwa mochi for the Boys' Festival, ohagi for equinoctial and Obon periods, and tsukimi dango for the mid-autumn moon. Red-and-white mochi are also made for birth celebrations, longevity and yakudoshi observances, shop openings, and housewarmings. In recent years the brand has expanded beyond its main store. In May 2023 it opened "Mochi wa Mochiya," a takeout-only wagashi shop inside Tsuruma Garden, described as a new challenge by the century-old Nagoya mochi maker. The company also engages in local community activities, including markets and events in cooperation with the Nagoya City Museum and the Mizuho-dori shopping street. In November 2025, a member of the shop was recognized as a "Contemporary Master Craftsman" (現代の名工), reflecting its continued commitment to traditional handcraft. Yamadamochi Honten remains a privately held, family-style business focused on its home market in Nagoya, with no public listing and no disclosed parent company. Its identity rests on daily fresh production, seasonal wagashi, and a long-standing relationship with the local community.

Yamadamochi Honten was founded in 1927 (Showa 2) by first-generation owner Yonezo Yamada, who opened the shop in Showa-ku, Nagoya. The business began as a local mochi maker serving the surrounding community. In 1943 (Showa 18), with the establishment of Nagoya Citizens' Hospital, the shop relocated to its present site in the Mizuho-dori shopping street. The area later changed when Nagoya City University Hospital moved to nearby Kawasumi-cho, and the neighborhood transitioned from being known as 'in front of the Citizens' Hospital' to 'in front of the Nagoya City Museum.' Despite these changes, Yamadamochi Honten continued its daily work of making mochi and sweets. For more than eighty years, the shop has maintained a routine of pounding fresh mochi every morning, year-round, regardless of season. Its method involves steaming high-quality glutinous rice, pounding it carefully with a pestle, and then quickly shaping and stretching it by hand. This approach yields mochi that is soft yet firm and chewy. The product range expanded over time to cover the full calendar of Japanese seasonal and ceremonial occasions, including New Year kagami mochi, spring hishi mochi and kusa mochi, hanami dango, Boys' Festival chimaki and kashiwa mochi, ohagi for equinoctial and Obon periods, and tsukimi dango for the autumn moon. Red-and-white mochi became a staple for celebrations such as births, longevity, shop openings, and new homes. In May 2023, the company opened 'Mochi wa Mochiya,' a takeout-only wagashi shop inside Tsuruma Garden, marking a new venture for the long-established Nagoya mochi maker. The shop has also deepened its ties with the local community through collaborations with the Nagoya City Museum and the Mizuho-dori shopping street, including markets and events. In November 2025, a member of the shop was recognized as a 'Contemporary Master Craftsman' (現代の名工), an honor reflecting the brand's continued dedication to traditional handcraft. The business remains privately held and focused on its Nagoya home market.

• 2025

  A craftsman was recognized as a 'Contemporary Master Craftsman' (現代の名工).

• 2023

  Opened 'Mochi wa Mochiya,' a takeout-only wagashi shop inside Tsuruma Garden.

• 1943

  Relocated to the current Mizuho-dori shopping street location following the establishment of Nagoya Citizens' Hospital.

• 1927

  Founded by Yonezo Yamada in Showa-ku, Nagoya.

Traditional, community-rooted Nagoya mochi and wagashi maker emphasizing daily fresh handcraft and seasonal Japanese confections.

• Freshly pounded mochi

  Mochi made every morning year-round by steaming high-quality glutinous rice, pounding with a pestle, and shaping by hand.

• Kagami mochi

  Traditional stacked rice cakes for New Year and auspicious occasions.

• Sekihan

  Red bean rice used for celebrations and return gifts.

• Seasonal wagashi

  Handmade Japanese confections following the seasons, such as hishi mochi, kusa mochi, hanami dango, chimaki, kashiwa mochi, ohagi, and tsukimi dango.

1. 1山田餅本店 公式サイトyamadamochihonten.co.jp
2. 2山田餅のこころ 店舗案内｜山田餅本店yamadamochihonten.co.jp
3. 3Yamadamochi Honten - Wikidatawikidata.org