If you’ve at all been exposed to Japanese tourism videos it’s likely you’ve seen the famous shopfront of Nakatanidou, or more importantly the image of two men hard at work pounding at a large ball of glutinous rice cake with terrifying coordination. It’s no surprise that you’ll often find a crowd of tourists at the shopfront of Nakatanidou with their phones and cameras out, keen to film the entertaining demonstration. Otherwise, this shop sells yomogimochi for ¥150 (US$1.35) apiece.

We recommend you walk over to the nearby Sarusawa Pond where you can sit at a bench and relax while enjoying handmade yomogi-mochi from Nakatanidou, a well-known wagashi (traditional Japanese sweets) shop. Nakatanidou is at the intersection of Sanjo-dori and Higashimuki Shopping Street. From Sarusawa Pond, you can see the five-storied pagoda at Kofukuji Temple and the willow trees that are typical of Nara.

I probably should’ve started the day trip to Nara by swinging by the famous mochi pounding at Nakatanidou, but…eh. It’s a very social media popular attraction, so it’s PACKED. Granted, it is pretty fun to watch people pound the CRAP out of mochi, especially at the speed they do it, but unless you line up early to watch, you likely won’t get a good view.

👍🏻👍🏻 It is a small shop located off the main shop but very easy for you locate it as it is just near to a famous shop of Nara that selling Mochi called Nakatanidou!!. If you manage to find this shop, just walk into the street for 2-3 minutes right besides it and you will see it. Overall experience to dine here is good and the staffs were polite!!.

Nakatanidou: Nakatanidou is a renowned mochi shop where you can witness the energetic and rhythmic mochi-pounding performance. The staff’s synchronized movements as they pound the sticky rice with wooden mallets create a fascinating spectacle. The freshly made mochi is then served to customers, offering a chewy and delightful experience.

On the crossing of Higashimuki Shopping Street and Sanjo Dori Street, you can also find Nakatanidou, the viral mochi-pounding shop. Multiple times a day, they make fresh mochi with a special mochi pounding technique called mochitsuki. The crowds near this shop during the mochi pounding are crazy though – almost uncomfortably so.

Nara is also well-known for its mochi, a traditional Japanese rice cake made from glutinous rice. The most famous mochi in Nara is Nakatanidou’s yomogi mochi. Nakatanidou is renowned for its dramatic mochi-pounding (mochi-tsuki) demonstrations, where the mochi is pounded at incredible speeds.

We then headed to Nakatanidou, a foodie pitstop for all things local confectionary and snacks. We got their famous mochi and another sugary biscuit which is amazing after a warm meal. Sometimes they would have public mochi making shows too, so do check out what time those shows are.

Nakatanidou's pride and claim to fame is their dramatic mochi-pounding process, a tradition known as mochitsuki in Japanese. They perform high-speed mochitsuki every day at the shop, churning out hundreds of pieces of mochi, fresh and warm from the pounding.

Near the entrance of Nara Park, this traditional dessert shop sells a green mugwort vegan mochi with sweet red bean filling. The surface is dusted with soybean powder. The mochi is soft and chewy, and it’s filled with a generous amount of red bean paste.

Don’t leave Nara without trying out the freshly made mochi (Japanese rice cakes) at Nakatanidou. This mochi shop is trending, and crowds of visitors flock to it daily. The shop claims that their mochi is made by the fastest mochi pounders in the nation.

Mochi is a soft and chewy rice cake which can be found all throughout Japan. So, you’re probably wondering what makes the one in Nara any different?. You have probably come across a viral video of this place, but just wasn’t sure where it is from.

They mochi pound right in front of the window, so be sure to stop by to see it!. Then they sell the fresh mochi to all the customers. For one mochi, it’s about ¥130 but you can also buy packs of three.

Just a short walk from Nakatanidou is this shop which makes fish cakes on the premises. I always have a soft spot for these snacks and I had to stop to buy some. Worth getting a few try.

Keep an eye out when you arrive in Nara and walk past Nakatanidou on the way to the park, as they usually put out a sign of when the next mochi-pounding round will be.

For a touristy but fun experience, pop by Nakatanidou Google Maps location to watch the (lightning-fast) mochi pounding and enjoy a fresh mochi afterwards.

Located at the corner of Sanjo Dori and Mochildo-no-center-gai, Nakatanidou is a sweets shop that throws in a performance for its customers.

Most popular Mochi shop in Nara is called Nakatanido and you can’t miss it due to its location between Nara Park and the train station.

One of the most popular attractions in the area can be found at Nakatanidou, located at the entrance of the shopping district.

Have your mochi pounded at breakneck speed by champion mochi-making experts before eating it fresh and warm on the spot.