Japanese sweets shop sells an ohagi so exquisite it sells out by noon

There’s one unique feature that makes this Tokyo sweet so sought after. 

While some Japanese sweets have attracted global attention, for the most part ohagi is yet to be discovered by overseas tourists. This traditional sweet consists of sweet pounded rice balls, made with mochigome (glutinous rice), and anko (sweetened red bean paste), and it’s a combination that many locals find irresistible, including our very own reporter P.K. Sanjun, who’s always on the hunt to find the most delicious ones Tokyo has to offer. So when he heard about a hugely popular shop where the ohagi reportedly sells out before noon, he knew he had to make the trip out to Hatanodai, where it was located.

▼ Ohagi

His destination was a rice specialty store called Okita Seimai, so quality glutinous rice looked certain to be on the cards. Plus, the store has been around since the Taisho era (1912-1926), proving its popularity with customers.

▼ The shop is about a five-minute walk from Hatanodai Station.

The store also sells sekihan (red bean rice) and mochi (pounded rice), but it’s their ohagi that has earned them the biggest following.

When P.K. arrived at the store shortly after it opened at 10 a.m., there was already a crowd gathered outside so it was clear that business was booming. Spying packs of red beans on the counter, he quickly made his way over to them, and saw that these were indeed the coveted ohagi. Grabbing a pack of three classic ohagi and a pack of three assorted ohagi, both priced at 577 yen (US$3.61), he felt tempted to join some of the other customers, who had purchased chopsticks with their orders and were eating their ohagi fresh nearby, but he decided to hold off and take the sweets back to the office for a proper inspection.

When he was at the store, he’d asked a member of staff about the ohagi’s sell-out popularity, and they confirmed that it was true, saying it often sells out before noon. Feeling extra lucky to have gotten his hands on this sought-after sweet, P.K. opened the package and was immediately struck by the red bean paste. It was absolutely glistening, with a gleaming shine. The anko looked so luscious and glossy that it was almost divine, and so good looking that P.K. had a sudden urge to photograph it and use it as his phone wallpaper.

One unique feature of these ohagi that makes them so captivating is they aren’t individually hand-wrapped in red bean paste like regular ohagi. Instead, the bean paste is generously spooned over the top. The paste looks exceptionally soft and moist, so it’s probably too delicate to use for the traditional hand-wrapped style.

Lifting a huge morsel to his mouth, P.K. took a taste and immediately found himself swooning. The azuki beans were cooked to perfection as they were wonderfully soft, yet still retained just enough texture to remind you they were beans. The sweetness was expertly restrained, allowing the natural flavour of the beans to shine through. Combined with the soft, pleasantly chewy glutinous rice, the result was a perfect marriage of flavours and textures.

The three-coloured assorted ohagi was excellent as well. The glutinous rice, mixed with ingredients like millet and yomogi (Japanese mugwort), had a wonderful aroma and depth of flavour that added different accents of taste to the sweet red beans.

P.K. polished off all three in no time. They were surprisingly filling, but so tasty that with a cup of green tea, he felt like he could have kept eating them forever.

These ohagi were so fresh and delicious that it’s easy to see why they sometimes sell out before noon. Whether you’re an ohagi fan, or looking to expand your knowledge of Japanese sweets, these are top-quality varieties that are absolutely worth getting up early for and trying at least once.

Store information

沖田精米 / Okita Seimai
Address: Tokyo-to, Shinagawa-ku, Hatanodai 4-6-3
東京都品川区旗の台4-6-3
Open: 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Closed: Mondays, Sundays, and public holidays

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