Experience a history-filled food culture tour at Nikenjaya-Mochi! [Kadoya Mingukan, Kadoya Miso & Soy Sauce, Ise Kadoya Beer]

*This article is the Japanese version of a report written in traditional Chinese by a Taiwanese writer for the traditional Chinese website "Mie Travel Information Book."​
This article introduces the charms of Mie Prefecture for foreigners who use traditional Chinese, so your perspective may be a little different, but please enjoy it as well.

The road built as a pilgrimage route to IseJingu is called ``Imiya Kaido'', and among them, the road that crosses Ise Bay, goes up the Setagawa River, and lands at the boat dock of `` Nikenjaya-Mochi''. It was called ``Funesangu.''

*“ Nikenjaya-Mochi Dondokomaru” is a model that reproduces the boat used for Funasangu Shrine.

Why did "Funesangu" land at the boat dock of "Nikenjaya-Mochi"?
To jump to a conclusion, the reason is that Nikenjaya-Mochi 's boat dock is located in a place where you can go to Naiku and Geku by almost the same distance.

Let's take a look back at the history of Nikenjaya-Mochi.

Founded in 1575.
At that time, there were only two shops in this area: Kadoya (now Nikenjaya-Mochi), a rice cake shop, and Minatoya, a shop that served Ise-Udon.
At some point, worshipers began to refer to these two shops as ``Nigenjaya,'' and now, 445 years later, only `` Nikenjaya-Mochi'' remains.

When I entered Nikenjaya-Mochi, I was surrounded by a somewhat nostalgic atmosphere.
The staff's smile warms my heart, and I suddenly feel like I'm back at my grandma's house.

Perhaps the warm memories from my childhood and the gentle atmosphere that appeared in front of me overlapped. I immersed myself in this space for a while.

When I looked around the store, I saw a letter of appreciation from IseJingu.

There is also a monument nearby commemorating the time when Emperor Meiji landed on a warship at the Nikenjaya pier to visit IseJingu Jingu.

You can clearly see how important this pier was at the time.

We received rice cakes and warm tea that have been served for 445 years.

The rice cakes are freshly made by the grandmothers in the store every day. It's filled with a generous amount of elegant red bean paste, wrapped in a slightly thin and chewy dough, and finished with a sprinkling of fragrant soybean flour. Although it was simple, it was a masterpiece that you could enjoy in terms of texture, taste, and aroma.

Japanese people have a culture of eating mochi on auspicious occasions, and visiting IseJingu is also an auspicious and special time in one's life, so there are many long-established mochi shops along Sangu Kaido.

Nikenjaya-Mochi is one of them, and is also the oldest mochi shop in the Ise area.

Just outside Nikenjaya-Mochi, along the Seta River, there is an old wooden building with a rich history (left) called Kadoya Folk Museum, which has been selected as the Ise Town Museum.

This was once Nikenjaya-Mochi storehouse where brown sugar brought from Okinawa was stored, but now it displays historical antiques from the Edo period to the Showa period, as well as old mochi making tools and business tools. I am.

By the way, the dignified large camphor tree seems to be older than Nikenjaya-Mochi.

The second floor of Nikenjaya-Mochi was once used as an inn, and the ``Kadoya Folk Museum'' displays the tableware and bedding used at that time. What is shown in the photo is a commercial ledger called Daifukucho.

Returning to Nikenjaya-Mochi, let's also stop by Kadoya Miso and Soy Sauce Brewery and Ise Kadoya Beer jinkyu Factory, which are just across the road in front of you.

Kadoya Miso and Soy Sauce Brewing Company began brewing in 1912 by the 18th generation head of Nikenjaya-Mochi.

Inside the brewery, you can smell the pleasant scent of miso and soy sauce, and you can feel the weight of history in the huge brewing barrels that have been used for over 100 years.

Kadoya's miso and soy sauce, which are aged for three years, are rich and very mellow.
The deliciousness is created by the natural lactic acid bacteria and yeast bacteria that have lived in the barrels for many years, and the careful handwork of experienced craftsmen.

Because Kadoya's miso and soy sauce are brewed in small quantities, they are rarely shipped outside the prefecture, making them very popular souvenirs for visitors to IseJingu.

Next, let's go to the Ise Kadoya Beer jinkyu Factory, which is located right next to the Kadoya Miso and Soy Sauce Brewery.

Mr. Shirimune Suzuki, the 21st generation owner of Nikenjaya-Mochi, is an expert on microorganisms.

Using that knowledge, we began brewing in 1997 with the aim of creating the world's highest quality beer, and have now won numerous awards at various beer competitions both domestically and internationally.
(The number of medals is already in the hundreds!)

In addition to their standard beers, the Ise Kadoya Beer jinkyu Factory also brews many seasonal beers.

There are always 10 to 20 types of beer lined up at the shop, and it can be very difficult to choose which beer to choose.

Ise Kadoya Beer's beer is what is called "craft beer."
(From the left, HIME WHITE is fruity and refreshing, Pale Ale is mellow and is a Kadoya classic, and Imperial Red Ale has a strong richness and a refreshing aftertaste that makes a big impact)

Each has its own characteristics, and you can enjoy its delicate aroma and taste. Each product has its own fans, and even during the interview, regular customers kept coming to buy beer♪

How did you like this luxurious tour where you can feel the history?

The flow of this plan (tasting and sampling included) is
①Visit “Nikenjaya-Mochi”
② Listen to the story of “Funesangu Shrine” along the Seta River
③Visit antique tools and other items at the “Folk Tools Museum”
④Taste the mochi at Nikenjaya-Mochi
⑤ Tour of Kadoya Miso and Soy Sauce Brewery
⑥ Tour of “Ise Kadoya Beer jinkyu Factory” and beer tasting

The trip takes about 1 hour and costs 600 yen per person, including sampling of Nikenjaya's mochi and Ise Kadoya's PaleAle.
If you are visiting with 3 or more people, you can enjoy the 3 types of beer shown in the photo above.

*Reservations are required for guided tours.

You can also enjoy delicious Ise Kadoya Beer at Naiku in front of the Inner Okage-yokocho of IseJingu and Ise Kadoya Beer near the approach to Geku.