Ichikawamisato Town to Hold Recipe Training Session for New Regional Dessert Project Tentatively Named “Juhachiban Mochi”

Ichikawamisato Town is advancing a new dessert project, tentatively named “Juhachiban Mochi,” supervised by a well-known chef as part of efforts to create a new regional brand using the town’s resource as the birthplace of Ichikawa Danjuro. To pass on the recipe and production techniques to local businesses, the town will hold a recipe training session for restaurants and related businesses in the town from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 9, at the Ichikawamisato Lifelong Learning Center. Advance registration is required. The project is supervised by Chef Seiji Tsushimi of the restaurant “tsushimi” in Nirasaki City. “Juhachiban Mochi” has been developed as a vanilla caramel dessert with a mochi-like texture. What distinguishes this initiative from typical chef-supervised products sold only at specific shops is that the recipe and product development concept will be widely shared with local businesses. The training session will include a demonstration of the basic recipe, which will be provided to participating businesses. Each shop may set its own selling price and may also sell versions with original toppings or arrangements, allowing businesses to commercialize the product while making use of their own strengths and character. The initiative comes amid an increasingly difficult business environment for local operators, driven by population decline and shrinking local consumption. Many small businesses find it difficult to develop new products or create brands on their own. The town aims to use the historical background of being the birthplace of Ichikawa Danjuro as a shared regional brand asset, while bringing in outside expertise to help local businesses develop new sales channels and improve their earning power. The project is being carried out in cooperation between the town and the Ichikawamisato Town Society of Commerce and Industry. The town will set the direction for regional branding and the overall project while promoting the appeal of local resources. The commerce and industry society will handle outreach to local businesses, participant recruitment, and individual consultation for commercialization. Rather than ending as a one-off event, the project aims to build a framework for passing on techniques to local businesses and developing a new local specialty across the entire community. Regional food development projects often end with sales limited to specific shops or as one-time campaigns. In this case, however, the recipe and techniques will be broadly shared within the region, enabling each shop to continue offering the product as its own original item. The town is also considering deciding an official name for the tentatively named “Juhachiban Mochi,” with the goal of establishing it as a new regional brand symbolizing the area’s connection to Ichikawa Danjuro. Product concept: Name: “Juhachiban Mochi” tentative name. Feature: a vanilla caramel dessert with a mochi-like texture. Training session overview: Date and time: Tuesday, June 9, Reiwa 8, 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.; venue: cooking practice room inside the Lifelong Learning Center; eligibility: restaurants, confectionery shops, and similar businesses operating in Ichikawamisato Town; instructor: Seiji Tsushimi, owner-chef of restaurant “tsushimi”; content: demonstration of the basic recipe; target participants: restaurants in Ichikawamisato Town. Advance reservation is required through the Ichikawamisato Town Society of Commerce and Industry. Benefits and sales rules: Each shop may freely set the selling price according to its customer base and service style. Arrangements such as sides and toppings are permitted as long as they do not compromise the basic flavor, allowing each shop to express its own individuality. Inquiry: Ichikawamisato Town Society of Commerce and Industry, Tel: 055-272-4711 main office.