On the south side of JR Sakuragicho Station, in contrast to the futuristic look of Minato Mirai, are you familiar with the town of Noge, which is crammed with trendy restaurants?

We visited Momiji Kashishiho, a long-established Japanese confectionery shop located on the edge of Nogenakadori Street, a short walk from Sakuragicho Station.


Two craftsmen took over the store left behind by the founder

Momiji Confectionery Shop was founded in Noge shortly after the end of the war in the autumn of 1946. Mr. Nishimura, who knows this shop well and has been in business for over 70 years, told us about the beginnings of Momiji.

"At the time, due to the effects of the war, there were no sweets in this town. So our predecessor wanted to create something sweet and delicious for everyone, and that's how this shop began."

Momiji's signature product, "Large Dorayaki," was created in 1948. At the time, there were no souvenirs in Yokohama, so the previous owner thought of creating a Yokohama specialty. Associating Yokohama as a port city with ships and gongs, the large dorayaki was created. In 1964, it was designated as a Kanagawa Prefecture specialty confectionery.

Currently, Nishimura-san and Furuse-san, who originally worked as craftsmen under the first owner, are the second generation to take over Momiji. After the first owner passed away, the two decided to take over the business. They have been working at the store for over 60 years.

"They've left us with a lot of great things, so if they quit, there'll be nothing left."

Japanese sweets are deeply rooted in the local community. They add a little sparkle to our lives through New Year's, seasonal festivals, and various other events. That's why they wanted to protect the maples for the town of Noge.


"If we're going to do it, we should make something good" - the commitment put into "Dai Dora Yaki"

"Dai Dora Yaki" is also full of the particular taste of the two who took over Momiji. The black bean paste is made from Tamba Dainagon beans from Hyogo Prefecture, and the white bean paste is made from Daifuku beans from Hokkaido. After taking over the store, the two tried and tested various things to "make something even better", and they arrived at this flavor.

"After much consideration, I decided that this was the best. It's a little more expensive than the ingredients I used at first, but I wanted to deliver the best tasting product possible, so I came up with the current method."

All of the Japanese sweets on display at the shop are still made by the two of them in the shop every morning.

"We were originally craftsmen. Our desire to make good products came before any business considerations."

The two were craftsmen at Momiji, and their passion for the flavor of Japanese sweets was something they would not compromise on.


Its unchanging taste and appearance have made it a favorite of generations.

During our interview, there were customers of all ages and genders. Some people bought some to take home as a snack, while others bought some as souvenirs. Some people have been coming here for three generations. From the Showa era to the Heisei era and the Reiwa era, they have continued to watch over the town's growth without changing. Recently, they have been seeing an increase in young customers.

"It seems that young people who tried it once and thought it was delicious are now telling others around them. We don't promote it in any way, but more and more people are finding us and coming here."

"If you enjoyed it, please come again," Nishimura said kindly as he wrapped up the large dorayaki.

Because they are so delicious, you want to tell someone about them. And you want to come back again and again. That's how Momiji's Japanese sweets have been loved by generations to this day.

もみぢ菓子司舗
電話：045-231-2629
住所：神奈川県横浜市中区野毛町2-64
アクセス：JR桜木町駅から徒歩3分／京浜急行 日ノ出町駅から徒歩5分
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