Kadohama Gomatofu Honpo

Kadohama Gomatofu Honpo is a celebrated specialist maker of goma-dofu, the silky sesame tofu that is one of Koyasan's most distinctive foods and a cornerstone of the mountain's Buddhist temple cuisine. In a place defined by centuries of monastic life, food is inseparable from religion, and this long-established shop lets visitors taste, buy and understand a delicacy that has nourished monks and pilgrims here for generations.

Goma-dofu is not tofu in the usual sense — it contains no soybeans. Instead it is made by grinding sesame seeds to a fine paste, combining it with kudzu starch and water, and cooking and stirring the mixture patiently until it sets into a smooth, dense, subtly wobbling block. The result is richer and creamier than soybean tofu, with a deep, nutty sesame flavour and a remarkably silky texture. Making it well is labour-intensive and demands skill, and Kadohama has built its reputation on doing so with particular care, using quality sesame and traditional methods.

The dish is central to shojin ryori, the vegetarian, animal-free cuisine developed in Buddhist monasteries and still served to guests who stay overnight in Koyasan's temple lodgings, the shukubo. Shojin ryori reflects Buddhist principles of avoiding harm to living creatures and finding richness in simple, plant-based ingredients, and goma-dofu, protein-rich and satisfying, is one of its most prized components. Tasting it here, at a dedicated maker, connects the food directly to the spiritual life that shaped it.

At the shop, goma-dofu is sold fresh to take away and can be enjoyed in several ways: chilled and savoury with a dab of wasabi and soy sauce, or sweetened with kuromitsu brown-sugar syrup as a dessert. There is usually a small space to sample or sit, and the friendly, focused nature of a single-specialty shop makes for a pleasant, low-key stop amid a day of temple visiting. Vacuum-packed and boxed versions make an excellent souvenir — far more unusual and evocative of Koyasan than the usual trinkets, though the freshest product is best eaten soon after buying.

Because it is entirely plant-based, goma-dofu is naturally suited to vegan and vegetarian travellers, and it offers everyone a gentle introduction to the philosophy behind Koyasan's monastic table. Set in the town's main street among the temples and lodgings, Kadohama is easy to fold into a day's sightseeing, whether as a light snack, a curiosity to try, or a gift to carry home.

For visitors, this small shop opens a window onto a side of Koyasan that the grand temples and cemetery do not directly show: the quiet, disciplined, sustaining culture of monastic food. A cool slice of its sesame tofu, nutty and smooth, is a simple pleasure with a thousand years of tradition behind it — and a delicious reminder that on this mountain, even a humble block of tofu carries spiritual meaning.