The once-disappeared flavor is back! The miracle of Fukushima's soul food, "Toten" [Fukushima Prefecture]

One of Fukushima's popular products is "Toten."

Toten, a hugely popular snack that was satisfying to eat, suddenly disappeared from the market in 2019. However, due to the wishes of many people who wanted it to return, one company took on the challenge of reviving the flavor. In this article, we will introduce you to this miraculous return of Toten. Please read to the end

What is Fukushima Prefecture's soul food, "Toten"?

A sweet aroma wafts along with the sizzling sound of deep-frying. A warm, golden brown, plump "Toten" is handed to you. When you bite into the freshly fried donut, you'll first feel the soft, sweet doughnut dough wrapped in a crunchy crust. It is then wrapped in smooth, fragrant frozen mochi, giving it a chewy texture

Just one serving of frozen tempura is enough to satisfy both your heart and your stomach, and it has long been loved as Fukushima's soul food

The frozen mochi used in koten was originally a preserved food. It has been made mainly in the Abukuma Highlands area. Taking advantage of the harsh winter cold and wind, the mochi is hung from eaves and frozen, dried, and hardened into a rock-solid substance, allowing it to be stored for a very long time. The mochi is bound with Oyamabokuchi leaves (locally known as "gonboppa"), giving it a vibrant green color

Tohoku Rokken Trivia Media NEFT

Eating frozen rice cakes | The ultimate preserved food born from the wisdom of daily life [Fukushima Prefecture]

https://jp.neft.asia/archives/10098

This article focuses on "komimochi," a preserved food that has been eaten throughout Fukushima Prefecture for a long time. Komimochi is a foodstuff enjoyed fairly widely from the Tohoku region to the Shinshu region. However, due to its appearance and hardness, many people may not know how to eat it. In fact, komimochi is not only delicious, but also the ultimate preserved food born from a long history and lifestyle wisdom. Learning about its background before trying it will surely make it even more delicious. Discover the depth of komimochi, learn how to eat it, and fall in love with it. What is komimochi? What is komimochi?

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The standard way to eat frozen mochi is to soak it overnight, then grill it and coat it in sweet soy sauce. A product called "Toten" was developed to adapt this local dish and make it easily enjoyable for everyone, from children to the elderly. With the trend of people moving away from local food, it's safe to say that many people discovered the deliciousness of frozen mochi for the first time through Toten

The story of the once-discontinued "Toten" and its miraculous revival

Toten is a confectionery made and sold by a rice cake shop in Minamisoma City

Koten is a combination of donuts and frozen mochi, which at first glance may seem unbalanced, but it has been successfully balanced. When its unexpectedness and deliciousness was featured on the TV program "Kenmin Secret Show," it quickly became known nationwide. Its popularity has led to the development of new stores and sales routes both within and outside the prefecture, and the shop is bustling with people buying Koten every day as a teatime snack, snack, or souvenir

However, business began to deteriorate due to negative publicity following the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident in 2011. In 2019, the mochi confectionery store filed for bankruptcy, and Toten disappeared from the market

The news that "we can no longer enjoy Toten" came as a huge shock to Toten fans both inside and outside Fukushima Prefecture

Meanwhile, a company headquartered in Fukushima City that sells cosmetics online began working to revive Toten. They won the patent and trademark for Toten, learned how to manufacture it, and aimed to "revive that flavor." Thus, in September 2020, the once-disappeared Fukushima flavor was revived at a franchise store in the Kunimi Service Area on the Tohoku Expressway's outbound lane

Where can you buy the revived Toten? Here's some must-see information for fans

The miraculously revived Toten can now be purchased at the following stores (as of October 2025)

• Pivot Fukushima store (direct store)
• Iwaki Lalamew store (directly managed store)
• Date Factory Store (direct store)
• Sendai Mori no Ichiba store (directly managed store)
• Koriyama store (direct store)
• Tanikawase store (direct store)
• Kunimi SA (outbound) store (franchise store)

You can purchase freshly fried crispy frozen tempura at the stores listed above. Please try this delicious frozen tempura that can be enjoyed like a snack

Toten is also sold frozen. It's a convenient product that can be enjoyed by the whole family, or used as a souvenir or gift. Here's how to get frozen Toten:

• Purchase at the above retail stores
• Purchase at stores in Fukushima Prefecture (Link: Toten Official Website )
• Purchase online (Link: Toten Official Shopping Site )

Please check it out

Toten store information

Pivot Fukushima store (direct store)

• 1F Power City Pivot, 1-1 Sakaemachi, Fukushima City, Fukushima Prefecture, 960-8031 ( Google Map )
• Phone number: 024-573-7400
• Business hours: 10:00-19:00
• Regular holidays/facility closed days

Iwaki Lalamew store (directly managed store)

• 1F Iwaki La La Mew, 43-1 Tatsumi-cho, Onahama, Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture, 971-8101 ( Google Map )
• Phone number: 0246-38-9008
• Business hours: 10:00-18:00
• Regular holidays/facility closed days

Date Factory Store (direct store)

• Address: 10-5 Sekigami, Kamigori, Koori-machi, Date-gun, Fukushima Prefecture, 969-1661 ( Google Map )
• Phone number: 024-563-5455
• Business hours: 10:00-17:30
• Closed/Irregular holidays

Sendai Mori no Ichiba store (directly managed store)

• 5-2-6 Oroshimachi, Wakabayashi-ku, Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture, 984-0015 ( Google Map )
• Phone number: 022-369-3847
• Business hours: 10:00-19:00
• Regular holidays/facility closed days

Koriyama store (direct store)

• 4-2-6 Kuwano, Koriyama City, Fukushima Prefecture, 963-8025 ( Google Map )
• Phone number: 024-954-8322
• Business hours: 10:00-18:00
• Closed/Irregular holidays

Tanikawase store (direct store)

• 〒970-8036 3-21-10 Hirayakawase, Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture, Inside the food court of York Benimaru Tanikawase store ( Google Map )
• Phone number: 0246-23-1950
• Business hours: 10:00-18:00
• Closed/Irregular holidays

Kunimi SA (outbound) store (franchise store)

• Address: 12 Yamaguchi, Kaida, Kunimi-machi, Date-gun, Fukushima Prefecture, 969-1711 ( Google Map )
• Phone number: 024-585-3561 (SA main number)
• Business hours: 9:00-18:00

summary

In this article, we introduced Fukushima's soul food, "Toten," which has made a miraculous comeback

The sweet and crispy doughnut dough and the chewy texture of the frozen mochi are addictive. Many people were excited to hear the news of its revival, hoping to be able to enjoy that flavor once again. It would be great if more stores could serve frozen tempura in the future. Be sure to go out and try some freshly fried frozen tempura

Motoharu Kahashi

Female in her 30s/Fukushima Prefecture/Writer who writes about the region, gourmet food, women's lifestyle, etc.