【Shiga Prefecture】Including Japanese sweets popular nationwide! 4 recommended souvenirs from Taga Town

Taga Town in Inukami District, Shiga Prefecture, is located right next to Hikone City. Taga Taisha Shrine, which enshrines the two deities Izanagi-no-mikoto and Izanami-no-mikoto, is a sightseeing spot so famous that people say, “If you visit Ise, you must also visit O-Taga.” As the temple town (monzen-machi) that developed in front of Taga Taisha—affectionately known as “O-Taga-san”—Taga is full of delicious souvenirs created to welcome worshippers, just like at Ise Jingu. Starting with Itokiri-mochi, Taga’s signature sweet, here are 4 recommended souvenirs from the Taga shrine town.

1. Itokiri-mochi

When it comes to specialties of Taga Taisha, it’s Itokiri-mochi above all! It is said to have originated in the Kamakura period, to commemorate victory over the Mongol invasions. Mochi with blue-red-blue lines, imitating the stripes on the Mongol army’s banners, was cut with a bowstring and offered to the shrine. Nowadays, shamisen strings are used instead of bowstrings, and Itokiri-mochi is sold at three shops in the shrine town in front of Taga Taisha: “Hishiya,” “Enjudō,” and “Tagaya.”

Even now, the only shop where you can watch the string-cutting technique at the storefront is Hishiya. The way the 100% rice-flour mochi is stretched into thin ropes and swiftly cut is a quick-handed skill that only visitors to Taga get to see. At Enjudō, they also sell a souvenir set for people who want to try cutting the mochi themselves, which includes a long, thin piece of mochi and the string. With its refined sweetness that you never get tired of, it’s worth trying and comparing the Itokiri-mochi from all three shops if you can.

2. Chiyo-musubi

When it comes to O-Taga-san souvenirs, Itokiri-mochi is overwhelmingly the most famous, but if you like traditional Japanese sweets, there’s another recommendation: “Chiyo-musubi.” Since Taga Taisha enshrines the married deities Izanagi and Izanami as its main gods, it is also popular as a shrine of matchmaking. “Chiyo-musubi” is a souvenir sweet inspired by this, made of soft, sweet mochi coated with roasted soybean flour (kinako).

The packaging, with its red-and-white wrapping tied with gold thread, has a design that really reflects the character of a shrine town. It’s a Taga Taisha–style souvenir that will delight both those who are already blessed with a good match and those who are still looking for a wonderful encounter.

3. Wakkaya’s doughnuts

Wakkaya is a bakery located just a short walk along the approach from Ōmi Railway’s Taga Taisha-mae Station. In its small shop created by renovating a garage, the shelves are packed with house-made bread and sandwiches, filling the space with a toasty aroma.

The most popular items are the doughnuts! The outside is crispy, while the inside is a chewy dough fermented with organic dry yeast. The slightly different texture from ordinary doughnuts is what makes them so well loved. The main ingredients are domestically produced wheat flour, beet sugar, and Okinawan salt. They are fried until crisp using only hand-pressed rapeseed oil.

Wakkaya’s doughnuts are made in limited quantities, with 2–3 varieties that change daily. They are also perfect for a small snack on your way to worship at Taga Taisha.

4. Taga Shamoji (rice paddle)

In Japanese, a tadpole is called “otamajakushi,” and the origin of that name is actually connected to Taga Taisha. About 1,300 years ago, when Empress Genshō fell ill, they cooked steamed glutinous rice at Taga Shrine and prayed for her recovery, and she was cured completely. The rice paddle that was used at that time to serve the strong, steamed rice has been passed down to the present day as a good-luck charm for health and longevity. Because tadpoles resemble this “O-Taga Shamoji,” it is said that people eventually came to call baby frogs “otamajakushi.”

At Taga Taisha, the ema (wooden votive plaques) are also in the shape of a rice paddle, and mini-sized “Taga Shamoji” are sold as amulets as well. As a souvenir from your visit to Taga Taisha, or as a slightly unusual charm for good health and freedom from illness, why not take home one of O-Taga-san’s rice paddles?

◎ Summary

Here we’ve picked out 4 recommended souvenirs from Taga Town, a sightseeing spot close to Hikone. Centered around Itokiri-mochi, the famous shrine-town sweet, there are many delicious souvenirs to be found in the area around Taga Taisha. Following the saying “If you visit Ise, you must also visit O-Taga,” be sure to visit Taga Taisha after going to Ise Jingu. And of course, after you pay your respects, have fun browsing for souvenirs in the shrine town.