1
Inatouen “Lucky Cat Manju”

Unparalleled cuteness. Five types of cat-shaped manju with distinct flavors

At a long-established Japanese confectionery shop with a history spanning over 120 years, the manju featuring five cats as motifs are currently creating a buzz.Inspired by the cats that roam the arcade in front of the shop and the back alleys, the shop drew on its long-cultivated manju-making techniques to create these treats. What began with a single white cat design has now expanded into a lineup of five distinct cat manju, each with a unique pattern, dough, and filling.

The tabby cat features brown sugar dough with coarse red bean paste; the calico cat has plain dough with a pattern made from kinako (roasted soybean flour) and bamboo charcoal, filled with matcha bean paste; the black cat features bamboo charcoal dough with brown sugar bean paste; the Russian Blue has black sesame dough with smooth red bean paste; and the white cat features plain dough with cream cheese filling.The slight variations in the placement of the patterns, the intensity of the eyes, and the expressions are all part of the unique charm of handmade goods.

[Product Name] “Lucky Cat Manju” 1 Piece, Set of 5 Varieties (Boxed)
【Shelf Life】3 days per individual item, 1 week for the set (3 days after opening)

Local Guide

My personal favorite is “Shironeko-san,” which tastes like a Japanese-style cheesecake. If you purchase the 5-piece set, it comes wrapped in packaging and a paper bag featuring a somewhat alluring cat design, making it a delightful souvenir for cat lovers.

Inatoyoen

• 2 Asahi-cho, Takayama City, Gifu Prefecture MAP
• About an 8-minute walk from JR Takayama Station
• 9:00-18:00
• Tuesdays
• 0577-32-1008
• Free (1 space; 2nd building east of the store)

2
Hida Sansho “Sansho Powder,” “Sansho Shichimi”

Bring the refreshing scent of the deep mountains to your daily table

The Okuhida Hot Spring Resort area has long been renowned for the cultivation of high-quality sansho (Japanese pepper), with records dating back to the Edo period showing that it was even presented as a tribute to the Tokugawa Shogunate. At Hida Sansho, we have, for generations, carefully selected the strongly aromatic sansho that grows wild in this region and cultivated it through grafting to produce high-quality sansho rich in the aromatic compound ferlandrene.

The sansho berries, carefully harvested by hand in the summer, are first dried in the shade and then in the sun to remove moisture. Only the outer skin is then pounded with a stone mortar and pestle to create sansho powder. Just a sprinkle brings a refreshing aroma and a tingling spiciness that whets the appetite.“Sansho Shichimi”—a blend of sansho powder, chili peppers, sesame seeds, dried tangerine peel, poppy seeds, and powdered green laver—has also been a popular item since the company’s founding. Its complex spiciness enhances fried foods, Chinese cuisine, and ethnic dishes.

[Product Names] “Sansho Powder” 5g, “Sansho Shichimi” 12g
[Best-Before Date] Sansho Pepper Powder: 6 months; Sansho Shichimi: 10 months
[Where to Buy] Hida Sansho, roadside stations in and around Takayama City, the Hida Antenna Shop “Marutto Plaza,” the Hida Local Products Hall, and other locations

Local Guide

In addition to canned sansho peppers, whole sansho peppercorns with a grinder—which let you enjoy their fresh, just-ground aroma—are also popular. Occasionally, the rare “red sansho,” which has ripened fully and developed a richer aroma, makes an appearance. Be sure to compare it with the green sansho.

Hida Sansho

• 35-1 Murakami, Okuhida Hot Spring Village, Takayama City, Gifu Prefecture MAP
• Take the bus from Hirayu Bus Terminal, get off at “Murakami,” and walk about 3 minutes
• 8:30-17:00
• Saturdays, Sundays and national holidays
• 0578-89-2412
• Free

3
Miso Senbei Honpo Inohiro “Miso Senbei”

A fresh take on Hida’s 100-year-old specialty, “Miso Senbei”

Since the company’s founding in 1908 (Meiji 41), our “Miso Senbei”—baked one by one by skilled artisans—has been a beloved specialty in Hida for over 100 years.Made by kneading in our homemade, three-year-aged miso and brushing the baked surface with sugar syrup, these rice crackers are light and crispy. The deep, rich flavor of the miso combined with the gentle sweetness of beet sugar is simply irresistible.

These Miso Senbei are now being produced by the young fifth-generation sisters . The “Chocolate × Miso Senbei”—coated with chocolate and topped with coffee, wild herb granola, Japanese pepper, or tomato—is a novel snack that highlights the deliciousness of the base senbei.Furthermore, as part of the “New Snack Series” designed to pair well with alcohol, “miso senbei snacks.” has been launched—featuring broken miso rice crackers enjoyed with spicy-numbing green peas and cheese. The sweet-and-salty flavor is addictive.

[Product Names] “Miso Senbei” (2 pieces), “Chocolate × Miso Senbei” (1 piece), “miso senbei snacks.” (1 bag)
【Best-By Date】3 months
【 Retailers 】Inohiro Takayama Store, Hoshino Resorts KAI Okuhida, Hida Bussankan, Kiosk Takayama (Takayama Station Shop), etc.

Local Guide

At Hoshino Resorts KAI Okuhida, the “Miso Rice Crackers with Wild Herb Granola,” which we provide as in-room snacks, are also highly regarded. Since there are many other flavors available, why not stop by our main store or the Takayama branch?

Miso Senbei Honpo Inohiro

• 7-12 Ninomachi, Furukawa-cho, Hida City, Gifu Prefecture MAP
• Approx. 10-minute walk from JR Hida-Furukawa Station
• 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.; Sundays and holidays until 3:00 p.m.
• Year-end and New Year's holidays
• 0577-73-2302
• Free

4
Hida Yamamiya “Pickled Vegetable Steak”

Enjoy Hida’s home-style cuisine—roasted pickles—easily at home

In Hida, there used to be a custom of grilling pickles and eating them during the cold season. Pickles, being a preserved food, served as a substitute for fresh vegetables—which were often scarce in winter—and grilling them was said to warm the body as well. Today, this traditional Hida home-style dish has become popular as “Pickle Steak” at izakayas and other establishments in Hida Takayama.

Hida Yamamiya, a company specializing in pickles, prepared foods, and miso, has created a set that includes the pickles and sauce so that tourists who have enjoyed the pickled vegetable steak at their restaurant can recreate the dish at home. “ "Pickled Vegetable Steak" set, which includes pickles and sauce. Simply melt butter on a hot plate or in a frying pan, grill the pickled napa cabbage and red turnips, drizzle with the sauce, and top with a raw egg to finish. It offers a deep umami flavor unique to pickled vegetables—distinct from grilled vegetables—that leaving you wanting more flavor that leaves you wanting more.

[Product Name] “Pickled Vegetable Steak” (Soy Sauce Flavor, Miso Flavor)
【Best-By Date】3 months
【 Retailers ] Nagaokaya, souvenir shops in Takayama City, etc.

Local Guide

This dish is affectionately known locally as “Tsukesute.” The rich flavor of the pickles combined with the thick sauce makes it perfect as a side dish with rice or as a snack. We also recommend adding meat or bacon. It’s delicious even when scrambled with eggs.

Nagaokaya (Directly Operated by Hida Yamamiya)

• 1-45 Honmachi, Takayama City, Gifu Prefecture MAP
• About a 10-minute walk from JR Takayama Station
• 9:00-17:00
• Open daily
• 0577-34-4666
• None

5
Maruden Ikedaya “Tabigarasu”

Crispy monaka shaped like a wandering traveler walking along the highway

The motif is a wandering traveler walking the “Hida Kaido,” the road connecting Hida Takayama and Etchu Toyama.With a three-tiered straw hat pulled low over his eyes and a cloak draped over his shoulders, he is the very image of a romantic, wandering traveler. When he removes his hat, his dignified face resembles that of a fox or a raccoon dog, giving him a charming, endearing look.

The monaka wafer is deliciously toasty, and the coarse red bean paste—handmade by traditional Japanese confectioners—is kneaded with less moisture, resulting in just the right level of sweetness. Another special touch is that the paste is filled only in the belly area so the treat can stand upright without toppling over. It’s a famous confection that you’ll instinctively want to capture in a photo.

[Product Name] “Tabigarasu” (2-piece and 6-piece packs)
[Best-by Date] 4 months from the date of manufacture
【 Retailers ] Ippuku-dokoro Akebono-ya

Local Guide

You can purchase it at our company-run store, “Ippuku-dokoro Akebono-ya,” located in the historic “Old Town” district. The unsweetened mitarashi dango and gohei mochi—specialties of Hida Takayama—that you can enjoy right in the store are also exquisite.

Ippuku-dokoro Akebono-ya (Directly Operated by Maruden Ikeda-ya)

• 65 Kami-Ninomachi, Takayama City, Gifu Prefecture MAP
• About a 10-minute walk from JR Takayama Station
• 10:30-16:00
• Closed on weekends and holidays
• 0577-32-1010 (Maruden Ikedaya)
• None

6
Urada “Meshi Dorobo Pickles”

Hida’s traditional red turnip pickles, made even more enjoyable

In the Hida region—a high-altitude, mountainous area—pickled “red turnips” (akakabura) have been made since the Edo period as a food source to help people survive the harsh winters. At Urata, we use only sun-dried salt to slowly ferment and age the turnips, resulting in a pickle bursting with deep umami and tartness.

“Meshidorobo-zuke,” said to have been created around 1970 based on an idea from the previous generation, is made by finely chopping this traditional red turnip pickle along with daikon radish, nozawana (a type of mustard greens), cucumbers, and other pickled vegetables, then seasoning them with soy sauce, chili peppers, and other ingredients.Delicious served over rice, as ochazuke, or in fried rice, it’s truly a “rice thief”—a masterpiece that will have you reaching for another bowl.

[Product Name] “Meshi Dorobo-zuke” 180g
[Best Before] 90 days
【 Retailers ]Souvenir shops in Takayama City, etc.

Local Guide

“Meshi Dorobo-zuke” actually pairs very well with bread, too. It’s delicious when spread on toast with butter or mayonnaise, or mixed with cream cheese to make a dip.

Ura-da

• 0577-32-1428

7
Tenbin-ya “Rich and Creamy Sweet Potato with Hida Sukuna Pumpkin”

A moist dessert made with Takayama’s brand vegetable, Shukuno pumpkin

“Sukuna Pumpkin” refers to a pumpkin with a long, slender shape—similar to a loofah—grown in the Nibugawa region of Takayama City.Its vibrant yellow flesh is high in sugar content and low in moisture, giving it a distinctive, fluffy texture. Tenbin-ya, a shop specializing in Gifu souvenirs, recognized that this pumpkin becomes even more delicious when processed into sweets, and thus developed a line of desserts that highlight the rich flavor of Sukuna Pumpkin.

In addition to Sukuna Pumpkin pudding, bûche de Noël, and milk manju, the most popular item is the sweet potato dessert. Pumpkin is combined with sweet potatoes, fresh eggs, and fresh cream, then placed in a mold and steamed. It melts smoothly and tenderly in your mouth, releasing a natural sweetness.

[Product Name] “ Hida Sukuna Pumpkin Rich Sweet Potato ” 1 piece, 4-piece box
【Best Before】45 days from date of manufacture
【 Retailers ]Available at souvenir shops in Takayama City, “Alp Plaza” on the Hirayu section of the Alps Highway, the Shinhotaka Ropeway, and other

Local Guide

The name “Sukuna Pumpkin” comes from “Ryomen Sukuna,” the legendary warlord of Hida Takayama who even appears in popular manga. It features the natural, gentle sweetness of the pumpkin itself.

Tenbin-ya

• 0577-37-4022

8
Hida Meihan “Black Sesame Kokusen Chocolate Sandwich”

Wafer Cookies Hidden with Fragrant, Old-School Candy from a Long-Established Shop

"Hida Meihan," which sells tourist souvenirs, and,A collaboration dessert with “Utsuboya,” a long-established traditional candy shop in Hida Takayama. Utsuboya’s best-selling item is “Kurogoma Kokusen,” made by kneading black sesame seeds—roasted using a unique method to bring out their aroma—with malt syrup and kinako (roasted soybean flour).This “Kurogoma Kokusen” is finely crushed and combined with chocolate cream, then sandwiched between wafer layers. With a light, crisp texture and a creamy aftertaste accented by a subtle hint of black sesame, it offers a unique fusion of Japanese and Western flavors. It pairs perfectly with Japanese green tea, of course, but is also highly recommended with coffee or black tea.It’s a treat you’ll want to buy as a souvenir or to enjoy yourself.

[Product Name] “Black Sesame Kokusen Chocolate Sandwich” 10-piece pack (stand-up pouch), 16-piece box
[Best Before] 120 days
【 Retailers ] Hida Bussankan, Rubit Town Barou Takayama Store, etc.

Local Guide

We also offer “Black Sesame Kokusen Florentine,” which features a delightful texture from the combination of black sesame and almonds. Both items are individually wrapped, making them the perfect convenient souvenir from Takayama.

Hida Meihan

• 0577-34-7177