Mizu manju (water sweet bun)

Ogaki has been blessed with plentiful groundwater since ancient times and is called the "City of Water." This famous water paved the way for mizu manju, created in the late Meiji era.
This unbaked Japanese treat is made by wrapping azuki bean paste in a dough created with a mixture of kudzu and bracken starch and then cooling it with water, which gives it its distinctive smooth texture. The refreshing sight of them lined up in the water has become an Ogaki summer staple.

Read the recipe

Shops where you can eat treats, shops you can buy

Ogaki Confectionery Association
Ogaki City

It's eaten after being chilled by the plentiful groundwater.
It's a refreshing and fun summer staple!

Mizu manju are famous as a specialty from Ogaki, an area blessed with plentiful and high-quality groundwater to the point that artesian aquifers are still visible throughout the city to this day.
They're sold in sake cups in order to be refreshingly cool and fun to take out of the cups. Their flavor is a perfect balance between the fresh kudzu and the boldly sweet strained bean paste.

◆Ogaki Confectionery Association
"Established in 1885 and alive with the spirit of 'harmony in the same business' that it holds dear, this is the oldest confectionery association in Japan."

Ogaki has been famous for its confectioneries since ancient times due to the abundant, pristine water that springs from its artesian aquifers and the fact that the Ogaki Domain endorsed the tea ceremony there. Following that tradition, members of this association are committed to providing products that are delicious, safe, and trustworthy. They are working hard to strengthen management in their member companies and bring up young successors and, at the same time, they are also participating in local events including the Ogaki Jumangoku Festival and the Ogaki Marugoto Bazaar .

Shop list (in Japanese syllabary order)

■Ekitori Kinchodo
Address　　　　：1-47 Takaya-cho, Ogaki City
Phone Number　：090-6364-7600
H　　 P　　　　：https://ekitorikinchodo.hp.gogo.jp/pc/
Opening Hour 　：9:00～18:30
Holiday　　　　：Mondays, Thursdays
Parking Capacity：Not available
Service period　：From late March to late September

■Okashitsukasa Kochoan
Address　　　　：4-50-6 Minaminokawa-cho, Ogaki City
Phone Number　：0584-73-2848
H　　 P　　　　：http://kotyouan.com/
Opening Hour 　：8:30～18:00
Holiday　　　　：Closed on some Wednesdays
Parking Capacity：4 cars
Service period　：From early May to early September

■Okashi Tsuchiya, Tawaramachi Location
Address　　　　：39 Tawara-machi, Ogaki City
Phone Number　：0120-78-5311
H　　 P　　　　：https://www.kakiyokan.com/
Opening Hour　：9:00～17:00
Holiday　　　　：No holidays
Parking Capacity ：5 cars
Service period　：From late April to August 31

■Kashiwaya Tsuchiya
Address　　　　：1766 Miwa-cho, Ogaki City
Phone Number　：070-2182-9370
H　　 P　　　　：https://kashiwa2020.theshop.jp/
Opening Hour 　：9:00～18:00
Holiday　　　　：Wednesdays
Parking Capacity：3 cars
Service period　：From mid-May to late August

■Kinchoen
Address　　　　：2-10 Kuruwa-machi, Ogaki City
Phone Number　：0584-78-2022
H　　 P　　　　：http://www.kinchoen-sohonke.co.jp/
Opening Hour 　：8:00～19:00
Holiday　　　　：No holidays
Parking Capacity：Not available
Service period　：From early April to mid-September

■Kinchoen Sohonke　Ogaki Station Main Store　
Address　　　　：1-17 Takaya-cho, Ogaki City
Phone Number　：0584-75-3300
H　　 P　　　　：http://www.kinchouen.co.jp/
Opening Hour 　：8:00～19:00
Holiday　　　　：No holidays
Parking Capacity：Not available
Service period　：From late April to early October

■Kondo Senbei Honpo
Address　　　　：293-1 Shizusato-cho, Ogaki City
Phone Number　：0584-92-0779
Opening Hour 　：8:30～18:00
Holiday　　　　：Mondays
Parking Capacity：5 cars
Service period　：From early May to mid-September

■Nagamatsu Kinchoen
Address　　　　：1100-7 Nagamatsu-cho, Ogaki City
Phone Number　：0584-91-5148
Opening Hour 　：7:30～18:30
Holiday　　　　：Tuesdays
Parking Capacity：3 cars
Service period　：From May to late Augus

■Maruhachiya Confectionery
Address　　　　：1-18-6 Tomoe, Ogaki City
Phone Number　：0584-89-2400
Opening Hour 　：8:30～17:00
Holiday　　　　：Tuesdays
Parking Capacity：3 cars
Service period　：From May 6 to September 30

■Miyakoya
Address　　　　：2-1060-9 Nakagawa-cho, Ogaki City
Phone Number　：0584-81-2694
H　　 P　　　　：http://www.miyakoya.jp.net/
Opening Hour 　：8:30～19:00
Holiday　　　　：The first, third, and fifth Wednesday of each month
Parking Capacity：3 cars
Service period　：From mid-April to early September

■Miwaya Factory Shop
Address　　　　：8-1794-1 Hayashi-machi, Ogaki City
Phone Number　：0584-78-8410
H　　 P　　　　：https://miwaya.jimdofree.com/
Opening Hour 　：13:00～17:00
Holiday　　　　：Wednesdays
Parking Capacity：4 cars
Service period　：From late May to mid-September

■Mochiso
Address　　　　：1-61 Kuruwa-machi, Ogaki City
Phone Number　：0584-78-3226
H　　 P　　　　：https://mochisou.com/
Opening Hour 　：8:30～17:30
Holiday　　　　：Wednesdays
Parking Capacity：3 cars
Service period　：From early April to early September

■Wagashidokoro Owariya Honten, Ogaki Location
Address　　　　：2-2-2 Kanda-cho, Ogaki City
Phone Number　：0584-78-2377
H　　 P　　　　：http://owariyahontenwagasi.web.fc2.com/
Opening Hour 　：8:00～18:00
Holiday　　　　：Tuesdays
Parking Capacity：Not available
Service period　：From late May to late August

＜Messages from the Staff＞ Aside from being transparent and refreshing, mizu manju's main ingredient—kudzu starch—cools your body down in the hot summer. Also, azuki beans are rich in fiber. Try a mizu manju to get you through the summer!

Mizu manju in sake cups, soaking in running water. They're refreshing!

The kudzu, bracken starch, and sugar that make up the kudzu dough. Finally, the most important part: water from Ogaki.

This mizu manju tasting set can only be found at Ogaki's confectionery expo, held once a year. This set is super popular as it lets you sample each shop's specialty mizu manju all at once.

Aside from the standard strained bean paste filling, other varieties such as matcha bean paste and seasonal fruit bean paste are also available.

Mizu manju recipe

Ingredients :

(for 15 pieces)
・90g arrowroot powder
・12g bracken powder
・180g sugar
・720g water
・170g(7g each) red bean paste

Method

①Put the arrowroot and bracken powders in water in a pot and dissolve them.

②Add sugar, put the pot over a fire, continue to mix it slowly, and turn off the heat when it becomes a translucent paste.

③Put the dough in half a cup, put the bean paste in the middle, and fill it with dough.

④Steam it for about 10 minutes (until it becomes transparent).

⑤Let it cool slightly after it is steamed, cool it with well water, and remove it from the cup.

※The above is a typical recipe and varies depending on the store.
※Even with the above recipes, the texture may be different depending on the arrowroot powder or bracken powder used.

The recipe source：Ogaki Tourism Association

※Recipes vary by region and family.

Mizu manju (water sweet bun)

Ogaki Confectionery Association Ogaki City

■ Traditional Vegetables of Hida / Mino - Search by name

Ogaki Confectionery Association
Ogaki City