Mochiidono Shopping Street

The shopping street is located about 300 meters south of Nara Station on the Kintetsu Osaka Line, past the Nara City Higashimuki Shopping Street. It is adjacent to Nara's popular tourist spot, Naramachi, and is visited by many tourists. The main street, about 250 meters long and 3 meters wide, is lined with about 100 established and new stores, selling food, clothing, and household goods. There is not a single chain store and are all individually-run stores.

It is one of the oldest shopping streets in Nara and was called the best shopping street in the prefecture from the Meiji era (1868-1912) until the 1970s. The name "Mochiidono" is written in Japanese as "Mochi Iiden.” More than 1,100 years ago, Rigen Daishi, a high-ranking priest of Todaiji Temple, and Hakoya Kanbei went to Mt. Omine to exterminate a giant snake. Afterwards, when Kanbei visited Daishi, he brought rice cakes and rice. Rigen Daishi nicknamed Kanbei as "Mochi-i-dono", and the town came to be called "Mochi-i-dono.”

In 2007, the incubation facility "Mochido Dream CUBE'' was born. The novel glass-walled cube-shaped store design attracted unique shops run by young owners, and soon became a hot topic. Many shops, such as the popular shaved ice joint and bakery, have graduated from the Dream CUBE and set up stores on the shopping street.

The shopping street has historical spots such as the Kasuga Taisha Shrine's main lodging house, the Edo shogunate's Kosatsu (street bulletin board) where laws and ordinances were posted, and the zero milestone of Japan. Various events such as the Benzaiten Summer Festival and Charity Festa are held throughout the year.