Locals recommend sweets and alcohol

• Table of Contents
• Ubagamochi
• Kusatsu Mandokoro
• Matsuri Mikasa  and Matsuri Monaka 
• Tenjogawa , Kusatsu Post Station on the Tokaido

Ubagamochi

Located at the junction of the Tokaido and Nakasendo roads, Kusatsu-juku is a famous rice cake that has been loved by travelers since the Edo period.

It is a famous confectionery with such a long history that it was even depicted in the ukiyo-e prints of Utagawa Hiroshige.

The traditional taste of mochi made from glutinous rice produced in Kusatsu, wrapped in bean paste and topped with white bean paste and yam paste, is what makes it so appealing. It is also a very popular souvenir.

If you make a reservation, you can also experience making Ubagamochi.

Ubagamochiya homepage is here

Kusatsu Mandokoro

This sake is made by Ota Sake Brewery, whose ancestor was Ota Dokan and whose brewery is located in Kusatsu-juku.

"Junmai Ginjo Kusatsu Mandokoro" is a sake made using "Aki no Uta" rice produced in Shiga Prefecture, and is characterized by its fruity flavor.

The other "Kusatsu Mandokoro, a single-distillation shochu made from daiginjo sake lees" is a shochu made from Yamada Nishiki rice grown in Kusatsu City. It was newly certified as a Kusatsu brand in fiscal year 2022.

You can see the precious tools and other items housed in the museum on the second floor of the Ota Sake Brewery store.

Ohta Sake Brewery homepage

Matsuri Mikasa  and Matsuri Monaka 

Japanese sweets made by a long-established store in Kusatsu-juku that was founded over 100 years ago. The red bean paste is hand-cooked in a traditional Japanese stove, giving it a traditional, comforting sweetness.

Dorayaki has a fluffy skin and is filled with a generous amount of red bean paste, making it a satisfying treat.

Monaka is a classic sweet filled with plenty of bean paste.

Matsuri Rosho Home Page

Tenjogawa , Kusatsu Post Station on the Tokaido

Furukawa Sake Brewery grew up alongside the post town of Kusatsu on the Tokaido. Their sake is made using rice from Kusatsu City, grown without the use of chemical pesticides or fertilizers.

It has a rich, mellow flavor with a hint of sweetness mixed in with the sourness.

Fans also come from outside Kusatsu City.

If you make a reservation, you can tour the sake brewery.

Furukawa Sake Brewery website