A Japanese Sweet that has Followed the History of the Suzuka Circuit

Japanese Sweet Store, ”Toraya Shougetsu” opened in 1963, the same year the Suzuka Circuit was founded.
Have you ever heard of Rider Monakas sold at this sweet store?

Motorcycle Shaped Sweets; A Specialty of Suzuka

The first owner of ”Toraya Shougetsu” went through a lot of effort to make a sweet that would be a specialty of Suzuka and finally came up with the idea of making monakas that feature motorcycles. The sweet was named ”Mie no Hana”. *Monaka is a Japanese sweet with azuki bean jam filling sandwiched between two thin crisp wafers made from mochi.

Fifty years have gone by and to strengthen the relationship with Suzuka, ”Toraya Shougetsu” decided to remake ”Mie no Hana”
They started from making the glaze and spent two years to make the new ”Rider Monaka”.

Special Shape

The remarkable point about the new Rider Monaka is its shape.

Take a good look and you can see that the frame of the motorcycle resembles the HONDA Dream C70 that was released in 1957. The design of the C70 is called ”The Shrine & Temple Style”.

When Soichiro Honda, founder of HONDA travelled to Kyoto and Nara, he was inspired from the shrines and temples he saw there and decided to design the Dream C70 with these traditional shapes.
The unique square designs distinguishd the Dream C70 from other models that resembled overseas models and was the first Japanese model to have originality.

The monaka resembles the Dream C70 and that shows how much Toraya Shougetsu is obsessed with the history of Suzuka.

The package of the new monaka features ink-wash painting designed by Hiroshi Tarui who is well known for his dynamic work featuring motor sports.
The painting is written with ink made in Suzuka which also shows Toraya Shougetsu’s passion for Suzuka.

The ink-wash painting presents the fascination of the world championships that were held in the 60’s.

By the way at Moriwaki located near Suzuka, you can buy ”Moriwaki Monakas” which are shaped like a monaka exhausts.

The Rider Monaka is 125 Yen each (Tax-included) which is quite a reasonable price.
You can also purchase them in boxes to share with your riding buddies.

The shop is located on route 41 near the Suzuka Circuit. There’s no reason to regret a Japanese sweet like this filled with history and passion. Don’t forget to get one when you’re in Suzuka.

*Shop Information

[Address]
1871-15 Mikkaichicho, Suzuka City, Mie Prefecture Post Code 513-0803

[Open Hours]
Mon. to Fri. 8:00a.m to 7:00p.m
Sunday 8:00a.m to 6:00p.m

[Closed]
Tuesday

[Parking Space]
For 8 vehicles

Original Source[ Toraya Shougetsu ](*Japanese)