Ten years ago, I wrote about one of the oldest sweet shops in Japan. Ubagamochiya opened in Kusatsu on the south side of Lake Biwa more than 400 years ago. You can see the old store in Hiroshige’s “Kusatsu,” one of “The 53 Stations of the Tokaido.” They say that the “uba,” the wet-nurse for the grandson of one poor samurai family, started selling sweets so that she could raise the boy. Because of that, the sweet was named “ubagamochi.” Yesterday, I went to Kusatsu, and I found the main store. They are still making sweets the same way that they did 400 years ago! I bought a box of six and had one last night. These sweets are very small, but if you like soft rice cake covered with smooth sweet bean paste, you will like “ubagamochi”! (138 words)
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