If you love matcha and you happen to have travel plans in any of the four prefectures of Shikoku Island, you may want to make a detour on your voyage through Ehime Prefecture for a very special treat.

Kiri no Mori Daifuku

Daifuku 大福 is a traditional Japanese sweet made of mochi rice and traditionally filled with red bean paste. This variation on the classic recipe, which blends a smooth red bean paste with a delicious cream filling, generously features matcha made with highly-prized green tea from the Shingū area of Ehime Prefecture, both blended within the mochi cake itself and also thickly powdered all over its surface.

The name Kiri no Mori 霧の森 means "misty forest," in reference to the tea fields as well as the verdant plateaus of the Shingū region, which are sometimes covered in mist.

Shiozuka Peak 塩塚峰 in the Kiri no Kōgen 霧の高原 (misty plateau) area:

Since Yamabiko Co., Ltd. created the Kiri no Mori Daifuku, the cake has gradually gained national attention, and now the lines in front of the few shops in Ehime Prefecture where they are sold begin forming before opening hours and continue until supplies run out. For example, here is a typical day at the shop in the prefecture capital of Matsuyama:

Normally, daifuku covered in any type of powdered ingredient are prepared by machines. However, in order to impart a particularly rich coating of matcha to each daifuku cake, the staff hand-roll each one in matcha several times to ensure a thick coating of matcha.

Product Details

• Name (JP): 霧の森大福
• Name (EN): Kiri no Mori Daifuku
• Price: 1,000 JPY (excl. tax) for a box of 8, or singly for 150 JPY ea. (only at Matsuyama Shop)
• Freshness: Can be refrigerated below 10°C (50°F) for three days
• Ingredients: Mochi (rice) flour, dairy product, caster sugar, Matcha (produced in Shingū), corn starch, powdered sugar, trehalose, emulsifier, flavoring
• Allergens: wheat, dairy, soy beans

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Where you can buy it

You can buy the popular sweet at the following locations:

Matsuyama Shop 松山店

• Address (JP): 〒790-0004 愛媛県松山市大街道3-3-1
• Address (EN): 3-3-1 Ōkaidō, Matsuyama-shi, Ehime Prefecture 790-0004
• Hours: 10:00 to 17:00
• Closed every 4th Monday of the month (unless a holiday), Dec. 31st to Jan. 3rd
• Availability: Can sell out in the morning, so coming early is recommended.
• Limit: 3 boxes per customer

Kiri no Mori Sweets Factory Shingū Shop 霧の森菓子工房 新宮本店

• Address (JP): 〒799-0301 愛媛県四国中央市新宮町馬立4491
• Address (EN): 4491 Umatate Shingūchō Shikokuchūō-shi, Ehime Prefecture 799-0301
• Hours: 10:00 to 17:00
• Closed on Mondays (Tuesdays when Monday is a holiday) from Sep. to Mar., open daily from April to August
• Availability: All times, while supplies last
• Limit: 3 boxes per customer

You can also enjoy them at one of the two cafes on the premises

Kiri no Kōgen Campground Shop 霧の高原店

• Address (JP): 〒799-0302 愛媛県四国中央市新宮町上山
• Address (EN): Kamiyama Shingūchō Shikokuchūō-shi, Ehime Prefecture 799-0302
• Only open from April 1st to October 31st
• Normal hours: 10:00 to 17:00 (shop), 10:00 to 16:00 (table area)
• Golden Week and summer holiday season hours: 9:00 to 19:00 (shop), 10:00 to 16:00 (table area)
• Closed on Mondays, open daily during Golden Week and summer holiday season
• Availability: All times, while supplies last
• Limit: 3 boxes per customer

Umatate Parking Area 馬立PA

• Address (JP): 〒799-0301 愛媛県四国中央市新宮町馬立2
• Address (EN): 2 Umatate Shingūchō Shikokuchūō-shi, Ehime Prefecture 799-0301
• Hours: 8:00 to 19:00 (March to November), 8:00 to 18:00 (December to February)
• Availability: Very limited supply
• Limit: 1 box per customer

Limited-Period Popup Shops

The next one is planned for the Abeno Harukas department store in Osaka from Aug. 28th to Sept. 3rd