September brought plenty of rainy days to Asakusa this year.
When it rains, it can be hard to fully enjoy Asakusa’s famous food-hopping experience.
That’s when I recommend the warabi mochi at Asakusa Kohakudo.
The four-story building has dine-in spaces on the 1st to 3rd floors, making it a great spot to relax and enjoy your sweets even on a rainy day.
And when I tried the warabi mochi myself, I was surprised by its unique, almost completely new texture!
In this article, I’ll share my experience at Asakusa Kohakudo and why this warabi mochi is worth trying. Read on to discover it!
1. Is It Hard to Enjoy Food Hopping in Asakusa on a Rainy Day?
I visit Asakusa once or twice a week, but this past September brought an unusual number of rainy days. More often than not, my visits to Asakusa were met with rain.
One of the best things about Asakusa is food hopping—walking around and trying different treats from various shops.
But on a rainy day, it can be a little tricky.
Holding an umbrella in one hand, food in the other, carrying a drink, and trying to take photos at the same time… it’s not exactly easy!
Even when you find something delicious, it can be hard to relax and enjoy it in the rain.
That’s when I visited Asakusa Kohakudo.
Looking at the menu outside, I found all kinds of tempting options, from food-hopping treats and warabi mochi drinks to their signature “Original Fresh Warabi Mochi.”
So many things caught my eye that I couldn’t help but want to try them.
This time, I decided to try their “Original Fresh Warabi Mochi.”
2. Having Trouble Finding a Place to Relax in Asakusa?
When exploring Asakusa and trying different foods, you may find yourself thinking, “I just want to sit down and enjoy this for a while.”
That’s where Asakusa Kohakudo’s spacious dine-in areas come in handy.
On the first floor, there are long benches where you can take a quick break and enjoy their food-hopping menu.
The second floor has table seating, making it a comfortable spot to sit down and enjoy your sweets and drinks.
Then there’s the third floor, where you’ll find a more traditional Japanese atmosphere with tatami mats and floor cushions. It’s a lovely place to slow down and relax.
Since it was raining when I visited, the staff kindly let me enjoy one of their food-hopping menu items inside the shop.
Being able to sit down and enjoy your treats without worrying about the rain is definitely a plus.
I also love that you can choose between the different floors depending on how you want to spend your time in Asakusa.
3. What Is Asakusa Kohakudo’s Warabi Mochi?
Asakusa Kohakudo’s warabi mochi is known for its light, airy, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
Made without additives, it is carefully prepared in-house with a focus on bringing out the natural qualities of each ingredient.
One of the key ingredients is rare hon-warabi-ko, a premium warabi starch made from the roots of the bracken plant.
The starch is carefully extracted from the roots, and 100% pure warabi starch is used generously in the mochi.
It is said that only about 70g of this precious starch can be obtained from 10kg of bracken roots, making it an exceptionally rare ingredient.
For their fresh warabi mochi, hon-warabi-ko is combined with lotus root starch to create its signature texture—light and fluffy at first, followed by a soft, silky melt, with just the right amount of chewiness and elasticity.
This careful selection of ingredients and traditional preparation is what gives Asakusa Kohakudo’s warabi mochi its unique “fluffy and melt-in-your-mouth” texture.
My Experience
Here’s what I tried during my visit:
Fresh Warabi Mochi — Kinako & Vanilla Ice Cream, Kinako, and Matcha: ¥800 each
Warabi Mochi Drinks — Strawberry, Mango Lassi, and Chocolate: ¥800 each
The fresh warabi mochi is normally served as a food-hopping menu item, but since it was raining that day, the staff kindly let me enjoy it inside the shop.
The first thing that surprised me was the texture. It was incredibly soft and silky, with a light, melt-in-your-mouth feel. It was unlike any warabi mochi I had tried before.
I could also tell that great care had gone into selecting the ingredients.
The matcha uses matcha from Shizuoka, with a rich matcha flavor balanced by just the right amount of sweetness.
The kinako has a lovely roasted soybean aroma that spreads through my mouth with the first bite. Since the sweetness is quite subtle, I recommend adding plenty of kuromitsu (brown sugar syrup) for an extra touch of sweetness.
The warabi mochi drinks are another fun option, with smooth, slippery pieces of warabi mochi that are easy to enjoy with every sip. Topped with plenty of cream, they’re a delicious combination of Japanese and Western-style sweets.
Be sure to give it a good stir before drinking!
There are also plenty of flavors to choose from, including seasonal limited-edition options, so there’s always something new to try.
For souvenirs, I picked up the Kinako & Matcha and Chocolate fresh warabi mochi.
The Chocolate flavor has even received a Gold Award from the Japan Food Selection.
“Chocolate and warabi mochi?” I thought at first—but the combination worked surprisingly well! The rich chocolate flavor paired beautifully with the soft, chewy mochi.
If you’re looking for a unique Japanese sweet to try in Asakusa, I highly recommend experiencing the fresh warabi mochi at Asakusa Kohakudo.
Basic information
🏠Asakusa Kohakudo（浅草琥珀堂）
📍1-35-8 Asakusa, Taito City, Tokyo
🕘 Monday–Friday: 10:00 AM–6:00 PM / Saturday–Sunday: 10:00 AM–7:00 PM
💤 Open daily
🚶4-minute walk from Kaminarimon Gate
💴 Cash, credit cards, e-money, and QR code payments accepted
If you want to see more delicious food in Asakusa, be sure to check out my Instagram too📸✨Just click the icon below!
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