Let's head to Ohno Mochi Shop

2024/03/15

Good morning.
When I opened Instagram this morning,
I found this post.

Episode 1: Started "Ohno Mochi Shop"

This is the next challenge for Mr. Ohno, who founded Kakuozan Fruit Daifuku Benzaiten.

Truth be told, I am jealous of Mr. Ohno.
No, I shouldn't just admire him.
I want to create a project that can stand alongside his.

It all started in
2022, when I happened to come across a WWD interview article.

I was completely blown away by how Mr. Ohno presents his products.

The multiplication of culture and innovation

Opening a shop next to a long-established imo-kenpi (sweet potato fries) shop,
he used a wildly imaginative branding method that feels like traditional Japanese modesty with a vintage aesthetic.
The interior is a perfect mix of the good old days and new culture, creating a stylish shopping experience that doesn't feel outdated.
He coined the term "#Moedan" for the traditional method of cutting daifuku with a string, creating a boom and turning even the moment of eating into entertainment—a novel food experience.
Of course, the daifuku itself is incredibly delicious, which is what makes these projects work.

By multiplying culture and ideas at key points,
he spread his business to the world with overwhelming speed, reaching 3 billion yen in annual sales and nearly 80 stores nationwide just three years after starting from the main store in Nagoya.

To make it such a stylish
boom in Japan!
It feels like Columbus's egg,
but no one else had done it or even thought of it.

He reconstructs buried value
and makes it shine many times brighter than before.

Advertising, vintage clothing, PR... even though I have
been into or experienced the same things,
my depth and breadth in each are shallower than Mr. Ohno's.

I want to do it too.

That was the moment jealousy was born.
(It seems I even tweeted something like this back then.)

Since then, when I heard he was giving a lecture in Kyoto,
I even made a mad dash to attend.

So,
having experienced that frustration in the past,
when I saw his post on Instagram for the first time in a while,
I couldn't sit still.

I set work aside and headed to Ohno Mochi Shop.
(Though I couldn't really set it aside, so I took a taxi to get there.)

Let's head to Ohno Mochi Shop

Since it was the opening day, I knew he would be busy dealing with stakeholders and such, so I decided to quickly buy the famous Oni Manju and head home.

I was able to talk to him for a little bit, so I snapped a photo to commemorate it.
(Damn it. I look like a fan...)

I just gave him a quick greeting,
and left after only a few minutes.

I only know them one-sidedly,
and since this is only our second meeting, they certainly don't recognize me.
However, just being able to witness this momentous day of a new challenge
was valuable to me.

Taking a bite of the oni manju while walking

…Delicious.
The crisp texture of the sweet potato
combines with the chewy texture, making it easy to keep eating.
Especially the edges. The last bite is the best.
The flavor isn't overly sweet either,
and I polished off two of them in no time.

Ohno Mochi Shop is continuing to take on challenges with an eye toward international expansion.
Everyone, please give them a try.

It's about a 7-minute walk from Kita-Higashizawa Station.

Their Instagram posts, which are a delicate mix of literary and pun-filled, are also interesting.

Alright, I'm going to give it my all too.