【New Product】"Mochipeta" Born: A New Texture Baked Confectionery Combining Mochi and Sable
Yoneya Co., Ltd. announces the launch of "Mochipeta," a new baked confectionery with a unique texture combining mochi and sable, using soy sauce from Chiba Prefecture. It's a casual gift featuring family-themed characters and a "wobbly box," launching on April 1, 2026.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 1, 2026 at 21:00
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: June 2, 2026 at 12:57 (1479h 57m after Published)
Yoneya Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Narita City, Chiba Prefecture) will launch "Mochipeta," a new texture baked confectionery combining mochi (rice cake) and sable, starting April 1, 2026 (Wednesday), at Nagomi no Yoneya directly managed stores and online shop.
"Mochipeta" is a baked confectionery characterized by its moist and chewy texture, made by wrapping soft mochi, which uses Chiba-produced soy sauce, in a sable-style dough and baking it. It was developed with the concept of "sweets that can make friends with anyone" and "sweets that connect people," along with the family-themed characters "Mochipeta."
We propose it as a casual gift confectionery that can be easily given for everyday greetings or thank-yous, especially targeting the child-rearing generation.
Product Features
1. New Texture of Mochi x Sable: "Moist and Chewy"
"Mochipeta" is a baked confectionery made by wrapping soft mochi, which uses Chiba-produced soy sauce, in a sable-style dough and baking it. The outside is moist, and the inside is chewy.
We have created a new texture that is enjoyable with its combination of different mouthfeels.
The mochi incorporates "soy sauce," a proud product of Chiba Prefecture, which boasts the highest production volume in Japan, adding a familiar Japanese flavor. Combined with a rich dough, it creates a taste that is appealing to a wide range of generations.
2. Family-themed Characters: The "Mochipeta" Family
The packaging features the heartwarming "Mochipeta" characters, inspired by mochi.
The "Mochipeta" are a family of four mochi fairies. They have soft, stretchy bodies like mochi and are good at acting as "matchmakers" to connect people. As symbols of family, they represent the joy of overcoming various daily events together.
Kaburu (Wearing)
Wearing mochi on their head
Ageru (Giving)
Holding mochi in their hand
Petanko (Flat)
Body stretched flat
Nobiru (Stretching)
Stretching mochi
The character designs are based on the concepts of "large eyes" that instinctively attract attention, simple shapes that are universally appealing, and a white color scheme inspired by mochi.
3. Four Types of Individual Packaging Designs
There are four types of individual packaging designs, with each character conveying a message.
Additionally, one design includes a message space where you can write a short note to the recipient.
Using white as the base color for mochi, we incorporated four accent colors inspired by the blue sky, sun, rice ears, and soy sauce, expressing a bright and cheerful world view.
*Mochipeta 5-piece sets are randomly packed with 4 types of designs (designs cannot be chosen). Also, not all designs may be included in one box.
4. Fun, Wobbling Decorative Box
The 5-piece box has a unique structure that wobbles when placed upside down. Its fun appearance makes it a package that children and adults alike will instinctively want to pick up.
Development Background ~Regarding the Launch of "Mochipeta"~
In recent years, the usage scenarios for Japanese confectionery have been changing due to the decline in interest among younger generations and shifts in ceremonial gifting customs.
Therefore, our company aimed to develop a confectionery that could be used daily by the child-rearing generation in their 30s and 40s, not just our traditional main customer base of seniors.
This generation is also at a life stage where human relationships expand, such as children's enrollment/advancement, school and community interactions, and exchanges with relatives.
"Mochipeta" was developed as an "everyday casual gift confectionery" that can be easily used in such situations for small greetings, thank-yous, or souvenirs.
To please a wider range of people, we combined a "chewy texture," "familiar soy sauce flavor," and "rich and moist dough" to create a taste that can be enjoyed by all generations, widely favored by Japanese people.
Furthermore, Nagomi no Yoneya's confectionery making began when its founder, Chozo Morooka, sold "Kuri Yokan" (chestnut yokan) as a souvenir for Naritasan Shinshoji Temple pilgrims, inspired by the temple's vegetarian cuisine "Kurikan." However, at its founding in Meiji 32 (1899), it was a rice dealer (komeya).
Given these roots, we decided to launch a mochi-centric confectionery in April, the month of our founding.
Chiba-produced soy sauce was used for flavoring the mochi.
Chiba Prefecture boasts the highest soy sauce production volume in Japan, accounting for approximately 30-40% of the national share, making it a representative soy sauce producing region in Japan.
We consider the Japanese food culture supported by Chiba Prefecture as a common asset shared by us, the confectionery makers, and our customers who pick up our sweets.
Through "Mochipeta," we hope that everyone can feel the charm of ancient Japanese food culture and that we can continue to protect and nurture its value together.
About the Product Name
The product name "Mochipeta" was chosen with an awareness of "sound symbolism," focusing not only on the meaning of the words but also on the impression that sounds give to people.
Sounds like "pe" have a light and cute impression, while sounds like "mo" have a soft, rounded, and friendly feel. By combining such sounds, we expressed the gentle and fun world view of this product.
Furthermore, ending the name with "ta" was aimed at creating a bright sound that is easy to pronounce with an open mouth, so that when "Mochipeta" is called, the atmosphere of the place becomes a little brighter.
Product Overview
Product Name: Mochipeta
Release Date: April 1, 2026 (Wednesday)
Price: 1 piece 160 yen (tax included), 5-piece set 900 yen (tax included)
Sales Locations
Nagomi no Yoneya Directly Managed Stores https://nagomi-yoneya.co.jp/shop/
Online Shop https://www.eshop-yoneya.com/
Special page here
Customer Inquiries
Nagomi no Yoneya Customer Service Center
TEL: 0120-482-074
Hours: 9:00-17:00 (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays)
*Images are for illustration purposes. Actual products may differ slightly in design and specifications.
*Due to unavoidable circumstances, product and prize contents/designs may change.
■About Nagomi no Yoneya (Yoneya Co., Ltd.)
Founded in Meiji 32 (1899). Confectionery making began when its founder, Chozo Morooka, created "Kuri Yokan" (chestnut yokan) by kneading local Shiba chestnuts, inspired by Naritasan Shinshoji Temple's vegetarian cuisine "Kurikan," and sold it as a souvenir for pilgrims. We produce various sweets such as yokan, peanut monaka, dorayaki, and seasonal fresh confections.
FAQ
What kind of confectionery is "Mochipeta"?
It's a baked confectionery with a new moist and chewy texture, made by wrapping soft mochi (rice cake) using Chiba-produced soy sauce in a sable-style dough.
What was the concept behind its development?
Developed as a casual gift, its concept is "sweets that can make friends with anyone" and "sweets that connect people," featuring family-themed characters.
Who is the target audience?
Primarily targeting the child-rearing generation in their 30s and 40s, it aims for a taste and design appealing to a wide range of generations.