Murakamiya Mochi Store

After beef tongue, the flavor that defines Sendai is zunda — a vivid green paste of mashed young edamame (green soybeans), lightly sweetened and used above all to dress mochi. Zunda mochi is the region's signature sweet, and few places make it with more history and character than Murakamiya, a long-established mochi shop that has been serving it in the traditional style for well over a century.

Zunda is deceptively simple. Fresh green soybeans are boiled, peeled, and pounded into a coarse paste, then sweetened just enough to bring out their nutty, grassy freshness without turning them into candy. Spooned generously over soft, freshly pounded rice mochi, it becomes a sweet that tastes unmistakably of early summer — bright, green, and gently sweet, with a texture that plays chewy mochi against the slightly grainy bean paste. It is one of those regional foods that is hard to find done well outside its home, which is exactly why seeking out a specialist in Sendai is worthwhile.

What sets Murakamiya apart is its restraint and craftsmanship. The shop is known for a zunda that is coarsely mashed and noticeably less sweet than many modern versions, a style that lets the natural flavor of the soybeans come forward rather than burying it in sugar. For purists, this is closer to how zunda was traditionally meant to taste, and it has earned the shop a devoted local following across generations. The mochi itself is freshly made, soft and springy, the way real pounded rice cake should be before it begins to harden — which it does quickly, so this is a treat best eaten soon after buying rather than carried around all day.

The shop is a modest, traditional wagashi maker rather than a glossy modern cafe, and that is part of its charm. You come for the product, not the decor: a plate of that celebrated zunda mochi, made by people who have been perfecting it for a very long time. Because it is handmade and popular, it can sell out, so it rewards an earlier visit. Prices are modest for a genuine taste of one of Tohoku's most cherished sweets.

Seeking out a place like Murakamiya turns a simple snack into a small cultural encounter. Zunda is tied to the agricultural rhythms of the Tohoku region and to Sendai's identity in particular, and eating a properly made version — coarse, fresh, and only lightly sweet — tells you more about local taste than the mass-produced zunda shakes and parfaits found around the station. Both have their place, but this is the real, rooted article.

The shop lies a short distance southwest of Sendai Station in the Kitameemachi area, an easy walk or a quick subway hop to Itsutsubashi. Fold it into a day of exploring central Sendai, and you will taste the city's beloved green sweet the way locals have enjoyed it for generations.