West Hiroshima · MiyajimaguchiNo.998★★★Open in map →

Momiji Manju

— Hiroshima's maple-leaf cake

foodThe classic — done right

A castella cake pressed into the shape of a maple leaf and baked around a filling, born on Miyajima at the end of the Meiji period. At Miyajimaguchi, the mainland gate to the island, the makers keep shops within minutes of the ferry.

FromHiroshima Station
~30 minJR train, no ferry needed
Get off atMiyajimaguchi Station (JR Sanyo Line)
From there
Momiji Manju

Directions ↗

Where it is

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What to look for — in walking order

Miyajimaguchi Passenger TerminalSashimiteishoku / CC0

Miyajimaguchi Stationthe JR stop on the inland side of Route 2, with an underpass through to the water
Hiroden-Miyajimaguchithe tram terminus on the rotary, standing closer to the pier than the JR platforms
Miyajimaguchi Passenger Terminalthe gate for both ferry operators, with souvenir and food counters under one roof
Miyajimaguchi-nishithe streets west of the station where several momiji manju makers keep shops

How to actually get there

Hiroshima Station → Miyajimaguchi Station (JR Sanyo Line toward Iwakuni).
Miyajimaguchi Station → the seaward side (through the underpass beneath Route 2).
Across the square to Miyajimaguchi Passenger Terminal, where the boats and the souvenir counters are.
West of the station for the older confectioners, then back to the pier if you are crossing.

JR Sanyo Line from Hiroshima Station: At Hiroshima Station take the JR Sanyo Line toward Iwakuni and get off at Miyajimaguchi, roughly half an hour down the coast. The station stands on the inland side of National Route 2, and an underpass leads through to the water. Trains run through the day, so the timetable does not need planning around.
Back toward Hiroshima: The same line returns to Hiroshima Station. Services thin out late in the evening, so check the posted departures if you stay on the island until dark. The Hiroden tram runs later but takes close to twice as long.

Directions from my location (Google Maps) ↗

About the place

Momiji manju is a castella batter pressed into the shape of a maple leaf and baked around a filling. The shape comes from Momijidani, the maple valley behind Itsukushima Shrine on the island. Smooth red bean paste was the original; chocolate, cheese and cream are ordinary now. The batter and the paste are mixed differently from shop to shop, so one name covers a spread of flavours. Miyajimaguchi is where the boats leave for Miyajima, and it is also where several of the makers keep their counters. Some of them bake in front of you, and a cake handed over hot is a different thing from a boxed one.

How to enjoy it

The shops do not all open on one bell; late morning to mid-afternoon is when the widest choice is working. Buying on the way out means carrying the box all day, which is why many people leave it for the walk back from the pier. A cake straight off the iron is a different object from a boxed one, and it is meant to be eaten on the spot.

Background & history

The cake was made in 1906 by Tsunesuke Takatsu, a confectioner with a shop on Miyajima. The mistress of the Iwaso inn, up in the maple valley behind the shrine, had asked him for a gift worthy of the valley's name, and he answered with a baked bun shaped like a maple leaf. It was registered as momiji-gata yaki-manju in 1910. The first shop stood on the island; the name is carried on today from the Miyajimaguchi side, and the cake itself spread long ago across Hiroshima.

Before you go

Cash: The confectioners are small businesses, so carry cash. Rest days and opening hours are set shop by shop and shift with the season, so check at the door rather than planning around them. If you go on to the island, both ferry operators take nationwide transport IC cards.
Good to know: Rest days are staggered, and a street that is full one afternoon can be half shuttered the next. The terminal itself is open while the boats are running. The square in front of it is open ground, and the wind comes straight off the strait.
Another way: The Hiroden Miyajima Line runs out from central Hiroshima to Hiroden-Miyajimaguchi, which sits on the rotary closer to the pier than the JR platforms, though the ride is far longer. Boats also cross to the island from Hiroshima Port. From here the crossing to Miyajima takes about ten minutes, with two operators sharing one terminal.
After you get off: From the JR station, go through the underpass beneath Route 2 and come up on the seaward side. The passenger terminal is across the square, and the tram terminus is on the same rotary. The confectioners are spread between that rotary and the streets west of the station.