Lower Part of the Wada-No-Ya Main Building

Wadanoya Honkan Shimomune: A Living Heritage Confectionery at the Foot of Mt. Bizan

Nestled at the base of Mt. Bizan in Tokushima City, the Wadanoya Honkan Shimomune (和田の屋本館下棟) stands as a quiet testament to the enduring traditions of Japanese confectionery culture. This two-story wooden building, registered as a nationally designated Tangible Cultural Property, serves as the gateway to one of Shikoku's most beloved confectionery shops — a place where Taki no Yakimochi (滝のやき餅), grilled rice cakes with a history stretching back over 400 years, are still prepared by hand using the same time-honored methods and the celebrated spring water of Kinryusui.

The Shimomune (lower wing) of the Wadanoya main building occupies a special position at the entrance to the Otakiyama area, a historically sacred hillside at the foot of Mt. Bizan. For visitors from abroad, this is a rare opportunity to step into a piece of living heritage — a place where architecture, gastronomy, and local history converge in a setting of remarkable natural beauty.

Historical Background

The story of Wadanoya is inseparable from the history of Tokushima itself. In 1585 (Tensho 13), the feudal lord Hachisuka Iemasa established Tokushima Castle and became the ruler of the Awa domain, encompassing 250,000 koku of rice. To celebrate the castle's completion, a special grilled rice cake was presented as a tribute. The lord was so pleased that he granted permission for the confectioners to use his prized Kinryusui spring water — one of the finest natural springs flowing from Mt. Bizan — to prepare their sweets. Thus began the tradition of Taki no Yakimochi as the official confection of the Awa feudal lords.

The Wadanoya main shop has continued this legacy at the foot of Mt. Bizan's Otakiyama area, a district historically known as Teramachi (Temple Town). When Hachisuka Iemasa laid out Tokushima's castle town, he gathered temples from six Buddhist sects — 24 temples in all — to create this district, which served both as a center of religious life and as a strategic defensive line for the castle. The Wadanoya shop sits within this evocative neighborhood, surrounded by shrines, temples, stone stairways, and waterfalls that have drawn Tokushima residents for centuries.

The current Shimomune building was constructed in 1953 (Showa 28) and expanded in 1956. It reflects the architectural conventions of the mid-Showa period while maintaining the atmosphere of a traditional confectionery shop rooted in the Edo-era traditions of the Awa domain.

Designation as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property

On January 26, 2011, the Wadanoya Honkan Shimomune was officially registered as a national Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building) by the Japanese government. The building was recognized for its significance as a representative example of a long-established confectionery shop that has survived in a tourist area, preserving the commercial and culinary heritage of the region.

The registration acknowledges the building's architectural character: its complex roofing arrangement, the functional layout with a ground-floor workspace for mochi preparation and sales, and the traditional tatami rooms on the second floor. In a city where most historical structures were lost during the Tokushima air raids of July 4, 1945, the postwar Shimomune building stands as a valuable link to the area's cultural identity and its centuries-old confectionery traditions.

Architectural Highlights

The Shimomune is a two-story wooden structure with a tiled roof (kawara-buki), covering a building area of approximately 91 square meters. The building faces north toward the entrance path to Otakiyama and extends roughly 13 meters from east to west and 5.6 meters from north to south, with an additional extension on the western side added during the 1956 expansion.

One of the building's most distinctive features is its complex roof structure. The main ridgeline runs east to west, but at the eastern end, a perpendicular north-south ridgeline creates an irimoya (hip-and-gable) roof, giving the building a dynamic and visually striking silhouette. This layered roofscape reflects the practical need to accommodate the building's position on sloping ground at the mountain's base.

The ground floor is constructed as a doma (earthen-floor workspace), which originally housed the mochi grilling area and sales counter — a layout that directly supported the shop's primary function. The second floor contains tatami-matted rooms (zashiki), which were traditionally used for guests and gatherings. Visitors have described the building's appearance as evocative and charming, with its lantern-lit entrance and traditional wooden facade set against a backdrop of lush greenery and stone stairways.

Taki no Yakimochi: A 400-Year-Old Culinary Tradition

The confection that has made Wadanoya famous — Taki no Yakimochi — has been produced continuously for over four centuries. The recipe remains remarkably simple and unchanged: a dough made from stone-ground rice flour (a blend of uruchimai and mochigome) is wrapped around sweetened red bean paste (koshian) made from Tokachi-region azuki beans simmered in Kinryusui spring water. Each cake is pressed with a chrysanthemum-patterned stamp and grilled by hand to a golden finish.

The name "Taki no Yakimochi" (Waterfall Grilled Rice Cake) derives from the Shiraito no Taki (White Thread Waterfall), a slender cascade that flows down from Mt. Bizan just behind the Wadanoya shop. The yakimochi was designated as a "Tokushima Citizen Heritage" and a "Tokushima Select Brand" product, recognizing its deep roots in local culture and identity.

Visitors to the main shop can watch the mochi being grilled at the entrance and enjoy freshly made yakimochi paired with matcha tea while overlooking the shop's beautiful garden. Seasonal specialties include zenzai (sweet red bean soup) in winter and shaved ice with wasanbon sugar syrup and uji matcha in summer.

The Garden and Moraes's Flowers

The garden of Wadanoya's main shop holds a special botanical treasure: the Kibana-ama (Yellow Flax, Reinwardtia indica), known locally as "Moraes's Flowers." These golden blossoms were planted by Wenceslau de Moraes (1854–1929), a Portuguese naval officer, diplomat, and writer who served as Portugal's consul in Kobe before retiring to Tokushima in 1913 to live near the grave of his beloved wife Yone.

Moraes, who was fond of the yakimochi and often brought them as gifts, planted the Kibana-ama in the Otakiyama area, where they continue to bloom profusely each year from mid-November through early March. The vibrant yellow flowers cascading over the rocky garden walls, framing the Shiraito waterfall, create one of Tokushima's most photogenic seasonal scenes. The garden and waterfall also appeared in the film "Bizan," based on a novel by the celebrated author Sada Masashi.

Visitor Information

Wadanoya's main shop is located approximately 10 minutes on foot from JR Tokushima Station, making it easily accessible for travelers. The shop is open daily from 10:00 to 17:00, with Thursdays as the regular closing day (the shop remains open on national holidays, during cherry blossom season, and during the Awa Odori festival period). Parking is available near the main shop.

The Shimomune building can be viewed from the exterior at any time. When visiting the main shop, take a moment to appreciate the Shimomune's distinctive roof and traditional facade before proceeding up the stone path to the shop entrance. The interior of the main shop offers views of the garden, waterfall, and seasonal flowers, with both counter and tatami seating available.

In addition to the main shop, Wadanoya operates branches at Tokushima Clement Plaza (near JR Tokushima Station), the Awa Odori Kaikan, and AEON Mall Tokushima, where yakimochi can also be purchased.

Surrounding Attractions

The area around Wadanoya is rich with cultural and historical sites that can be explored on foot in one to two hours:

• Kinryusui Spring (錦竜水) — One of the Bizan spring water group, this historic spring was favored by the Awa feudal lords and is still accessible to the public today. It is included in the Tokushima Water Journey 50 Selections.
• Kasuga Shrine (春日神社) — The guardian shrine of the entire Tokushima castle town, enshrining the same deities as the famous Kasuga Taisha in Nara. The shrine grounds are renowned for cherry blossoms in spring.
• Choonji Temple (潮音寺) — The final resting place of Wenceslau de Moraes, where his grave stands alongside those of his wife Yone and her niece Koharu.
• Mt. Bizan Ropeway and Summit Park — A short ropeway ride from the nearby Awa Odori Kaikan leads to the summit of Mt. Bizan, offering panoramic views of Tokushima City, the Yoshino River, and the Shikoku mountains.
• Awa Odori Kaikan — A museum and performance hall dedicated to Tokushima's world-famous Awa Odori dance festival, with daily dance performances throughout the year.
• Shiraito no Taki (白糸の滝) — The delicate waterfall visible from Wadanoya's garden, which gave the yakimochi its name and has been celebrated in poetry and literature.