Nanjakora Daifuku is a large, generously filled Japanese rice cake sweet created approximately 30 years ago by Kashino Hidaka, a confectionery shop in Miyazaki.
The idea originated at a Daifuku Festival organized by Kashino Hidaka. The company’s president came up with the idea of combining three already popular sweets—strawberry daifuku, chestnut daifuku, and cream-cheese daifuku—into one oversized confection.
When friends were invited to taste the new creation, their immediate reaction was an astonished “Nanjakora!”—a Miyazaki-style expression meaning something like “What on earth is this?!” That spontaneous exclamation became the product’s name.
The daifuku is approximately the size of a person’s fist and contains three generous fillings: a strawberry, a chestnut, and cream cheese. These ingredients are wrapped in soft, chewy gyuhi, a tender dough made from glutinous rice.
The combination of the fruity strawberry, rich chestnut, and creamy cheese creates a distinctive flavor and texture. The contrast between the generous fillings and the soft outer layer is part of what makes this daifuku so appealing.
What began as an imaginative festival creation has since become one of Kashino Hidaka’s signature products and a much-loved Miyazaki specialty.