Ise Specialty Akafuku

Akafuku's history goes back to a tea shop founded in 1707 (Hoei 4) in the middle Edo period — on the path leading to Ise Grand Shrine's Inner Shrine. At the time of "Okage Mairi" — when pilgrims rushed to Ise Grand Shrine from all over the country — Akafuku Mochi was born as a sweet that soothed travelers' fatigue. The simple sweet — with bean paste placed on soft mochi — soon became a famous Ise product.

The shop name and product name "Akafuku" is said to be taken from two characters of the word "Sekishin Keifuku." Meaning "with sincerity like a newborn child, rejoicing in one's own and others' happiness" — this word expresses the pure mind of Ise pilgrims. Akafuku has cherished this word as its creed — and continued to protect the origin as a tea shop welcoming worshippers.

Akafuku Mochi's bean paste — was originally salt-an at founding, then black-sugar-an — but in 1911 (Meiji 44) — when prepared with white-sugar-an for offering to Empress Dowager Shoken — she liked it very much — and this became the opportunity to improve to the current white-sugar-an. Since then — leveraging methods cultivated for over 200 years — while thoroughly enforcing time-matched quality and hygiene management — continues to protect the unchanging flavor.

The form of Akafuku Mochi — shaped after the murmur of the Isuzu River flowing through Ise Grand Shrine's sacred area — has hardly changed since founding. The three lines drawn in the bean paste represent the river's flow — the white mochi represents the pebbles on the riverbed — condensing Ise's nature and faith worldview into one confection. At the main shop — artisans called "mochi-ire-san" — who train for over three years — repeat with marvelous handwork the series of motions: rounding the mochi, placing the bean paste, and drawing the three lines with their fingertips.

Through over 300 years of history — also faced several crises: sugar shortages from war, and temporary closure due to labeling fraud issues. Each time — returning to the original spirit of "Sekishin Keifuku" — reviewing quality management and compliance systems. Now — while arranging a system meeting modern standards — like acquiring the international standard ISO22000 for food safety management systems — also holding the style of "delivering freshly-made from Ise as much as possible."

From the Edo period — when Ise pilgrimage was called "a once-in-a-lifetime special journey" — to the modern era — when day trips have become common — Akafuku has continued to welcome and see off travelers at the gateway of Ise. Going forward — together with Ise's climate — while protecting the unchanging scenery of "a cup of tea and a plate of Akafuku Mochi alongside Ise memories" — expanding Akafuku-like hospitality through new Japanese and Western confections, online shops, and town building.

A long-established Japanese sweets shop continuing for over 300 years before Ise Grand Shrine

Akafuku is a long-established Japanese sweets shop founded in 1707 (Hoei 4) — in "Oharai-machi" — the town in front of Ise Grand Shrine's Inner Shrine. From the Edo-period heyday of "Okage Mairi" pilgrimage — welcoming travelers as a tea shop for Ise pilgrimage — has been loved as Ise's famous product for over 300 years. The main shop still stands today in front of the Inner Shrine — along the Isuzu River — serving worshippers from early morning with tea and Akafuku Mochi.

The signature "Akafuku Mochi" shaped after the Isuzu River's flow

Akafuku Mochi is a rice cake confection — placing smooth koshi-an by hand on top of soft mochi. The three lines drawn in the bean paste express the pure flow of the Isuzu River — running through Ise Grand Shrine's sacred area — and the white mochi expresses the pebbles on the riverbed. At founding it used salt-an, then black-sugar-an — and in 1911 (Meiji 44) became the current white-sugar-an. With offering to the Imperial Family as an opportunity — came to be beloved as "the honor of Akafuku."

No preservatives or colorings. "Fresh-made flavor" delivered to limited regions

Akafuku Mochi uses no preservatives for long-term storage or synthetic colorings at all. To cherish material colors and flavors — the shelf life is short — and the sales area is limited to Ise-centered regions like Mie, Aichi, and Osaka. Using Hokkaido-grown azuki beans for koshi-an and domestic mochi rice for the mochi — performing consistent manufacturing at the Ise factory — using only ingredients matching in-house standards.

The thought embedded in the company creed "Sekishin Keifuku"

"Sekishin Keifuku" — also the origin of the shop name and product name — means "to have unaffected sincerity like a newborn child, and rejoice in one's own and others' happiness." With this word — expressing the pure state of mind of people worshipping at Ise Grand Shrine — as the company creed and management philosophy — Akafuku continues to transmit the spirit of hospitality from Ise — making each customer's happiness its own joy.

Tsuitachi Mochi, Akafuku Kori, and Akafuku Zenzai — products coloring the four seasons

In addition to classic Akafuku Mochi — products accompanying the seasons and events line up: "Tsuitachi Mochi" — sold only on the 1st of each month; summer-limited "Akafuku Kori"; winter "Akafuku Zenzai"; and "Shiromochi Kuromochi" — letting you enjoy black sugar and white azuki. At the Ise main shop and some directly-managed stores — while watching artisans called "mochi-ire-san" perform handmade Akafuku Mochi demonstrations — you can also taste freshly-made in the store.

Contributions to Ise town-building — Okage Yokocho and Isuzu Chaya

Akafuku — also deeply involved in the maintenance and operation of "Okage Yokocho" — reproducing the historic townscape of the town in front of Ise Grand Shrine — has engaged in creating places where worshippers can enjoy Ise's culture and food. Also — through the Japanese and Western confection brand "Isuzu Chaya" and the yokan brand "Isuzu Yokan" — continuing to transmit confection culture expressing Ise's ingredients and four seasons.