Nara Mahoroba-kan Visit Report — A Little Piece of Nara in Tokyo🦌👑✨

Thank you very much for your continued support of GUTS-MAN.

Do you know that you can actually buy products from Nara in Tokyo?

This time, our staff visited Nara Mahoroba-kan, located in Shiodome, an office district home to many major corporate headquarters.

We’ll be introducing our Naramaki products, along with unique items from Nara!

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Table of Contents

What is Nara Mahoroba-kan?

Introducing Naramaki, now available at Nara Mahoroba-kan

Highlights of popular and recommended products at Nara Mahoroba-kan

Let’s welcome spring with Naramaki 🌸

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What is Nara Mahoroba-kan?

Located just a 3-minute walk from JR Shinbashi Station and a 5-minute walk from Shiodome Station on the Toei Oedo Line, Nara Mahoroba-kan is easy to access.

With around 200,000 visitors each year, it relocated in 2021 from Nihonbashi—where it had been based for 12 years—to its current location in Shinbashi, reopening with a fresh new look.

As soon as you step inside, you’re greeted at the entrance by Sento-kun, Nara Prefecture’s mascot character, first introduced in 2008.

Looking at the exterior wall, you’ll find a deer—an animal that has lived in Nara for over 1,300 years—quietly gazing back at you.

Right at 11:00 AM opening time, as our staff stepped inside, there were already more than ten people in the store.

Surprisingly, the first-floor Café & Bar Mahora was already full, bustling with many visitors.

At the counter here, you can enjoy Nara’s famous kakinoha-zushi—sushi wrapped in persimmon leaves, a tradition rooted in the region’s long history as a persimmon-producing area.

You can also try shaved ice made with Nara ice, which has been gaining popularity in recent years thanks to the historical presence of Himuro Shrine, dedicated to the deity of ice.

Introducing Naramaki, now available at Nara Mahoroba-kan

Now then, as we started looking for Naramaki… there it was!

To our delight, it was displayed in two different locations: straight ahead from the entrance, and also to the left-hand side.

First, straight ahead from the entrance, you’ll find officially licensed merchandise featuring the currently airing NHK historical drama “Toyotomi Brothers!”.

The designs include protective charm-style embroidery of the helmet of Toyotomi Hidenaga—lord of Koriyama Castle in Yamatokoriyama, Nara—along with the helmet of his older brother, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, as well as the Otemukai Turret of Koriyama Castle.

When we spoke with store manager Hanaoka, we learned that the majority of Naramaki customers are overwhelmingly women. However, the “Toyotomi Brothers!” design is sometimes purchased as a gift for older men, such as fathers or supervisors. Some customers are also drawn to the designs themselves—there are even comments like, “It feels reassuring, like the Great Buddha is protecting my stomach!”

One of the key features that sets Nara Mahoroba-kan apart from similar shops in other prefectures is the way each product’s story is carefully introduced.

Rather than simply displaying and selling local specialties, the shop shares Nara’s culture and history through its products. There is also a tourist information counter inside, where knowledgeable concierges—well-versed in all things Nara—provide up-to-date travel information and recommendations.

Looking at the product cards, each one features its own carefully written, unique description. The GUTS-MAN staff were truly impressed by this level of attention to detail.

When we checked the Naramaki display, we found a description that read:

“It’s so thin, so it won’t show through your clothing. A soft, gentle-on-the-skin belly warmer made in Japan from cotton and silk.” It really felt like it was written based on actual use, which made it even more moving.

According to Ms. Hanaoka, one of the standout features of Naramaki is that “it’s made by a company that specializes in sock manufacturing. We’d love people to notice the elasticity made possible by sock-making technology, as well as the seamless circular knit construction, which makes it very comfortable to wear.”

She also shared, “It makes us truly happy when people become interested in Nara through Nara Mahoroba-kan and then go on to actually visit. All of our staff work every day with the hope of growing the number of Nara fans.”

Popular & Recommended Products at Nara Mahoroba-kan

Among them, the most popular item at Nara Mahoroba-kan is Inaka Age.

According to Ms. Hanaoka, people in Tokyo tend to like fried tofu more than those in other regions. In fact, it sells about 10,000 pieces a year. After purchasing it, our staff tried lightly crisping it in a frying pan and adding it to udon—it was absolutely delicious!

It’s also recommended to grill it with green onions or natto inside.

In addition, there are also unique items such as acrylic stands featuring the distinctive rear view of Nara’s deer.

There are also plenty of cute non-food items, such as deer-themed fortune slips (shika mikuji).

These are the kinds of items you might just find yourself buying on impulse.

By the way, while not many, there are also international visitors. When they do shop, they often purchase quite a large variety of items—such as Japanese tea, brush pens, and socks. Just the other day, someone even bought a Buddha statue figure!

There are many other appealing products as well, such as Nara-grown herbal teas and Narazuke cream cheese. Our staff couldn’t resist and ended up buying a lot!

Welcome Spring with Naramaki 🌸

So far, we’ve introduced Nara Mahoroba-kan—and in some parts of Tokyo, cherry blossoms are already beginning to bloom.

Did you know that Naramaki also has a spring-limited edition? It’s called: “NARAMAKI Super thin haramaki - Japanese nightingale and Cherry Blossoms-【Spring only】”

The nightingale is a bird associated with spring, said to bring good fortune when you hear its song. This seasonal Naramaki features delicate designs of nightingale and cherry blossom petals.

Wrap yourself in the feeling of spring, and be sure to visit Nara Mahoroba-kan, which we introduced today! 🌿

Thank you for reading!