Itsumoji is a traditional Japanese confectionery from Kurume, Fukuoka Prefecture. It is made by Yoshikane Kashiho, a Japanese confectionery shop founded in 1875, the eighth year of the Meiji era. The shop is one of Kurume’s oldest confectionery businesses, and Itsumoji has been made there since its founding.
The design of the sweet is inspired by the five Sanskrit characters written on the protective amulet of Kurume Suitengu Shrine. This distinctive motif gives the confection a strong connection to local religious tradition and makes it a notable example of Kurume’s traditional sweets.
Itsumoji is made by baking glutinous rice into thin sheets and placing a layer of yuzu-flavored sugar filling between them. The result is a delicate confection with a refined sweetness and a subtle citrus aroma.
The combination of thinly baked rice cake and fragrant yuzu sugar gives Itsumoji its distinctive character. Its understated elegance reflects the craftsmanship of traditional Japanese confectionery, where a carefully balanced flavor and a meaningful design are central to the finished sweet.
Produced by Yoshikane Kashiho since the shop opened in 1875, Itsumoji is a confection that brings together a long-standing local tradition and an original design. Its connection to the protective amulet of Kurume Suitengu Shrine, together with its delicate texture and yuzu-scented sweetness, makes it a distinctive regional specialty for visitors interested in traditional Japanese sweets.