A new dorayaki inspired by Jindaiji's protective "Kakudaishi" figure is coming to Jindaiji Motomachi in Chofu City, Tokyo. Starting Saturday, July 18, 2026, "Kakudaishi Dorayaki" goes on sale on weekends and public holidays through Jindaiji Shokubunka Henshu-shitsu, a food-culture project run by fudo square LLC.
The dorayaki was planned by four women in their late 40s and early 50s who systematically reskilled in food culture through the Food Culture Design course at Kyoto University of the Arts. Wanting to turn the culture passed down in Jindaiji into a sweet that's easy to enjoy, they commissioned a long-established confectionery shop with 115 years of history to make it. Along the temple approach lined with Jindaiji soba restaurants, the treat proposes a new way to enjoy the Jindaiji area — through food-walking and bringing home a small gift.
A Yakuyoke Symbol, Turned into a Jindaiji-Only Dorayaki
Kakudaishi Dorayaki takes its motif from "Kakudaishi," a figure long worshipped for warding off misfortune, and is sold exclusively through Jindaiji Shokubunka Henshu-shitsu. Kakudaishi is said to be the form the Heian-era high priest Ganzan Daishi took on to drive away plague — transforming into a demon-like figure as a symbol of protection from misfortune. That slightly frightening yet somehow endearing look has been worked into the design of the dorayaki.
The Fourth-Generation Craftsmanship of Okita, a Confectionery Shop Founded 115 Years Ago
Kakudaishi Dorayaki is made to order by Okita, a confectionery shop with 115 years of history in Nagasaki. Fourth-generation owner Shintaro Okita values bringing a new sensibility to the handcrafted techniques passed down through the generations. The batter, made using pastry techniques, has a distinctively fluffy, moist, and chewy texture. For the filling, extra-large grains were carefully selected from Dainagon azuki beans, already known for their large size. Cooked slowly over two days so the beans keep their shape, the filling is kept lightly sweet, drawing out the beans' natural flavor and texture with every bite.
Okita is also among those who studied through the Food Culture Design course at Kyoto University of the Arts. The connection formed there with a group of women in their late 40s and early 50s led to this collaboration with the long-established Nagasaki confectionery shop, shaping a new dorayaki that carries forward the culture of the Jindaiji area.
Turning the Study of Food Culture into a New Way to Enjoy the Area
Close to central Tokyo and easy to visit on a whim, the Jindaiji area is full of charm, from its temple grounds and approach to its scenery of water and greenery. Kakudaishi Dorayaki is an idea that could only have come from systematically reskilling in food culture through the Food Culture Design course at Kyoto University of the Arts — rather than simply introducing the culture and history passed down in the area, it turns them into an experience.
Through Jindaiji Shokubunka Henshu-shitsu, the aim is to edit the area's charm through the lens of food culture and create a cycle of eating, learning, taking something home, and returning again. Walk a path you wouldn't normally take. Discover the culture passed down in the area. Taste what it has produced, and bring some home as a gift. And feel like coming back to Jindaiji again. Kakudaishi Dorayaki is a product that gives shape to that idea, editing culture that has been passed down through food and proposing a new way to spend time there.
Product Overview
Product name: Kakudaishi Dorayaki
Launch date: Saturday, July 18, 2026
Sales days: Weekends and public holidays only
Sales location: Jindaiji Shokubunka Henshu-shitsu
Address: 3-35-38 Jindaiji Motomachi, Chofu City, Tokyo
Price: ¥432 (tax included)
Contents: A chunky-filling dorayaki made with Dainagon azuki beans
Sales method: In-store sales only
Note: Limited quantity available; sales end once sold out
