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    Nisshodo Candy Store

    4.5 (697 reviews)
    Closed 7:00 am - 2:00 pm

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    Tsumami (green) coconut (pale pink) peanut butter (yellow) red bean (dark pink) lilikoi (purple)
    Rae W.

    Authentic local mochiya with freshly made mochi, manju, chichidango and senbei. Nisshodo mochi is my favorite here in Hawaii. Perfectly sized and perfect ratio of mochi to filling. The mochi is soft with the right amount of chew. While they do have some more "modern" flavors, I prefer the tsumami white bean filling which is smooth and has just the right sweetness. The coconut filled mochi is also a fave. Simple storefront hidden away in a block of warehouses, you have to know this local treasure is there. Friendly aunties at the counter patiently answer any questions and take your order. A box of fresh mochi or chichidango always makes for a good gift when visiting friends on the mainland.

    Melon mochi red bean mochi manju
    Jin L.

    We discovered Nisshodo Candy, a small, cozy mochi shop. It's like hidden gem in the middle of warehouse area. When we walked in, two sweet aunties welcomed us and explained all the different mochi flavors. We were lucky because the melon mochi had just come out when we arrived. We immediately bought some, along with a few other flavors. I honestly wanted to try everything, but we had just eaten and only came for a light dessert. The small candy-style mochi completely surprised me. The texture was incredibly smooth and literally melted in your mouth even softer than cotton candy. They kindly reminded us that they open 7am-2pm and only closed Sunday.

    Mochi still soft and yummy. Peanut butter, an and chichi mochi favorites but i wanna try the rest. Got the coconut, flavor is good but has stredded coconuts inside, i prefer something soft like the mochi but still tasted good. I called in the order and it was all boxed and ready to go. I should stop by more often, so yummy.

    Megan K.

    Wow wow wow! I've always been right next to Nisshodo and didn't know until I was leaving island so I had to go! I'm very glad I did. It is a little hidden, but there is plenty of parking. It's a little shop, with lots of mochi to choose from. I got one of each flavor. It was so fresh, so chewy! The lime, coconut, lilikoi, and peanut butter were my absolute favorites. I would come here for mochi consistently now that I know! Don't miss out. The woman working was so nice, and helpful. For all of it, it was $18. They also had pre packaged variety packs.

    Virgilynn B.

    This establishment is kind of hidden and was hard to find du to construction in the area. But I'm so glad I found it. This place was recommended by a friend so I added it to my bookmarks. I've never had regular mochi before. I've always been used to the ice cream mochi. I ordered one of each flavor and I made a mistake of sharing with my husband. All of them were so good but I think my favorites were the coconut and the lychee. I think this is going on my list of must visit places every time I come back to Oahu. Service was quick and the staff were nice. I should have ordered some chichi dango but there's always next time.

    Virginia H.

    When my friend mentioned taking me to eat mochi when I visited, I was icky expecting to eat one because I don't love mochi.... But wow! She's local so she knows exactly where to go. We got a variety box but my favorite was anything with red bean. Excellent texture. The outside was so soft. Usually mochi has a lot of outside and less filling but these had a perfect ratio. The colors are beautiful too! What a gem!!

    Mochi
    Jo Y.

    Chichi dango is a soft, slightly sweet, chewy mochi wrapped in twisted white or pink paper and is a best seller at Nisshodo Candy Store. Opened in 1821, the store's name reflects the meaning of the "sun never sets," which perhaps reflects the business' longevity and prosperity. Asataro Hirao emigrated from Japan to HI more than 100 years ago to work on the sugar plantation, and together with two of his friends who also emigrated with him, decided to start their own business. (FUN FACT: the 3 friends decided to go their separate ways, and one of the founders of this business in Jokichi Tasaka, founder of Tasaka Guri Guri Shop in Maui.) Asataro decided to make sticky rice-based sweets known as mochi, which he mastered in Hiroshima, Japan. Originally housed in an old 2-story building next to Aala Park, the building was heavily damaged by fire, and the business was moved to Dillingham Blvd and Kokea St in Kalihi where it is today. The 3-generation Hirao Family has been running the business, with his son Richard taking over after Asataro passed away, and now son Mike after his dad Richard retired as a banker in private business and at Nisshodo. Mike started working in the store at age 5 with his grandfather, folding boxes and alerting family of customers in front and later made mochi after high school graduation. While he admits his kids are not interested in taking over the business due to the manual work and long hours; however, there appears to be a lot of outside interest in wanting to continue this legacy. The recipes have stayed the same since the beginning of the business, as with making of the mochi and other confections by hand and taught by Mke's grandfather. It started with a focus on the candy business due to a longer shelf life; however, WWII made it difficult to get candy ingredients, so Nisshodo settled on mochi and manju. While some of the equipment have been upgraded, fillings of red bean paste are still made from scratch in 50 lb batches that require heavy lifting and carrying. Tropical flavors, e.g., lychee, lilikoi, pineapple, and coconut, have been added with the traditional red bean pastes to keep up with the trends of changing tastes. Additional flavors added include: melon, peanut butter, green tea, strawberry, blueberry, orange, with bits of dried fruit in the latter two flavors. You can only get these flavors at this shop, as Marukai and Don Quijote only sell their pink and white chichi dango. Staff is knowledgeable of its products and efficient in preparing your order. Many people, myself included, slows down the ordering process by not knowing what to order due to the many new flavors that have been added. Preordering would eliminate this process, as your order will be ready for pickup; however, you will still have to wait in line for your turn. Orders of 18 to 22 pieces of pink or white chichi dango that are soft, sweet and lightly dusted with potato starch, and then placed in a white box with a red ribbon and ready for omiyage giving to friends and family. I've seen customers order stacked boxes for omiyage gifts to the Neighbor Islands. The small shop is difficult to find, as it's housed in one of many gray-colored industrial warehouses at this Dillingham Blvd complex. It only has a simple faded sign that spells out mochi and manju. Its small interior simply has a display case showing its colorful mochi and manju. But local residents know where they are, and tourists using social media, seek them out for authentic experiences. Plus, Japanese tourists and journalists wanted to find out the "roots" of the shop owners to see how their successors are doing in the world. As such, there is a steady stream of customers throughout the day. It gets especially busy on certain holidays when mochi is used as part of the celebration: New Year's Day, Girls' Day (Mar 3), and Children's Day (May 5). Nisshodo helps to perpetuate local Japanese culture through their candy products. All orders must be pre-ordered for pick up for these holidays. People will be waiting outside due to the small store space. Hours of operation are from Mon to Sat 7a to 2p and Sun closed. There are 2 free assigned parking spaces right in front, and you can temporarily park in other spaces in the lot as long as you are not blocking others. Yes, there are other mochi and manju competitors, but Nisshodo holds its own via its 100+ family history and old-school traditions. I hope this small family-owned business located in a warehouse continues to thrive for many more years! Support local!

    Toni P.

    Tucked away in the shopping center, Nisshodo is still one of my favorites to visit when I'm back home. The lilikoi mochi has the right amount of sweetness and tart, and is my number one. The texture of their mochi is soft and the right amount of chewiness, and they generally melt in your mouth. The space itself is just big enough to fit 4 customers at a time, but that is no problem as the service has always been top notch and quick. You can place bigger orders for advance, or check out what they have in the showcase during the day.

    Lychee, Green Tea, Melona, Lilikoi, and 4 Chichi Dangos
    Jacqueline Z.

    Located in what looked like a warehouse, this small candy shop sells mochi, manju, and chichi dango. For their mochi, they have flavors like lychee, lilikoi, green tea, and coconut, although some flavors may be seasonal. My friend and I decided to get 4 different mochis to try the lychee, lilikoi, green tea, and melona. The mochi texture was the perfect chewiness and the fillings all had great flavors that were accurate to what they were advertised to taste like (for example, the melona tasted like the melona popsicle bar). We also got a few chichi dango, which they're known for, and they did not disappoint either in texture! If you don't know what to get, they also have some pre-set boxes with an assortment of different mochis, manjus, and chichi dangos. Note that they have a $10 card minimum, so bring cash if you don't plan to buy a lot of pieces.

    Just meh to me.
    Julie N.

    I've seen these at DonQui, but we went all the way to the factory after hearing that their chi-chi dango is THE BEST. Well, I'm from California and I'm proud to say, we have a few VERY FAMOUS manju places that can very well hold their own and have been in business for over ~60 years, so they are obviously doing something right. I know everything is more expensive in Hawaii, but here, considering the price AND size of the individual pieces, including the mochi & manju... I'm not a fan. Possibly ALSO because the lady who helped us acted like she didn't have time. Maybe having a bad day or in a grumpy mood, but totally turned me off also, so after spending $29 here, I probably won't be back.

    Assorted dozen mixed mochi
    John N.

    Did not even know about this hidden mochi shop. I actually was trying to turn around in this parking lot to avoid the crazy traffic on Dillingham. I decided to go inside and found a very nice place to shop for a variety of mochi. I didn't want to get a lot in case I didn't like it. So I bought the assorted dozen. When I got home and tried it, I thought dang, should've got more. It's really good. Will definitely return. Aloha.

    Leona V.

    If you happen to be by Costco, this is a great spot to stop by for chichidango! I ended up using it as topping for my shaved ice. Loved all their flavors and variety of mochi. The lilikoi and lychee mochi were so unique, but the coconut was probably my favorite.

    yummmm
    Kristie Y.

    mochi, mochi, and mochi.... just a bit sad only a few parking stalls in front and they were all taken. Luckily, had someone wait in the car while I ran in. The other nearby stalls have reserved on them as they are in front of other businesses.

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    Exemplary!!! Best good food!!! The food is delicious and the compliments made to the food from people around. You makes it even better.

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    Best mochi i have had. Freshly made and amazing flavors. Service was quick too. They also explained everything well as i was new to mochi.

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    Page 1 of 18

    Nisshodo Candy Store Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Nisshodo Candy Store

    Regarding lychee and lilikoi flavors, does it come in the dango style or only in the round mochi filled style?

    Just round mochi.

    Do they still sell monaka shells?

    Hi, how long would the mochi last without being refrigerated? Thank you.

    You can freeze the mochi, just wrap them individually with wax paper and store in a freezer bag. When you are ready to eat them, just leave them out to room temperature and it will taste as fresh as the day you got it!

    Does chi chi dango have any milk or dairy products?

    Can I take Chi chi dango on the plane home?

    I have in the past

    How much is a lb for the chichi dango?

    $11 per pound last time I was there a few months ago.

    Do they take phone orders?

    yes! I just placed one for pick up same day, but I'd call when they first open.

    How many days will the chichi dango last? I want to take some back to Florida.

    We have kept it for as long as 5 days, but be aware that it does grow mold easily due to the high sugar content. This will happen quickly in Florida's high humidity. As Ward said, freezing is your best bet. Don't refrigerate it, as it will turn… Read more

    Do they ship/mail to California?

    No they don't unfortunately.

    Just picked up my order of chi chi dango and to my surprise was two other flavors besides the regular pink and white? I said "mixed" when placing my order over the phone and we are wondering what are these other delights??…

    The regular box of chi chi dango has the pink and white (same flavors though) and is usually assembled in a white cardboard box. . The mixed box includes other fruit flavors such as strawberry, blueberry etc and is assembled in a clear plastic… Read more

    Is it cash only or is card accepted?

    They accept credit cards.

    Do you use preservatives in any of your mochi products?

    These are fresh. They don't use preservatives. They go bad quickly.

    Is the store open regular hours now?

    I'll

    How many pieces typically in a lb of chi chi dango?

    20 30

    Does Nisshodo sell their mochi at any other location?

    They have their mochi sold by one of the vendors in shirokiya ala Moana center. I'm sorry I don't remember the vendor's name.

    When is the last day they take orders for New Years? Every year I call close to this time w d they already closed. I tried calling Saturday but the phone was busy all day. Today they not answering already 🙈

    I have see it at don Quixote.

    Is chi chi dango gluten free?

    Yes, it is.

    How much is a lb of chi chi dango? How many pieces in a lb? What flavors are there? Thank you.

    $8 a pound. They're plain.

    Anyone know current prices (mochi & dango), can't find prices on website? TIAď

    I was there in August and the mochi was $1, except for Daifuku & Uguisu Mochi which was $1.25 each. The Chichi Dango was $8/pound

    View All 24 Questions

    Sing Cheong Yuan Bakery - LEFT TO RIGHT (Pork hash + custard tarts + baked Manapua char Siu) *10/1824

    Sing Cheong Yuan Bakery

    4.5(934 reviews)
    0.9 miChinatown
    $

    What can I say that hasn't already been said about this place…read more My go to's are the baked manapua, the huge pork hash, shrimp dumpling and rice cake. I tried the butter mochi this past visit and it was good. It always amazes me the ladies who take your order and don't write it down and somehow get it right. I can see one or two things but my wife likes to order 5-6 things. I've been lucky to go when no one was in line (a rainy day) and have waited in line for over 30 minutes. This past visit was only about 20 minutes. I guess it's a roll of the dice. After Char Hung Sut closed many years back this has been my go to for Manapua.

    We were gifted with goodies from Sing Cheong Yuan Bakery today. This is our first experience with…read morethe food from this business. The manapua had flavorful filling without too much bread. The pepeau was also flavorful and the pouch was light and delicious, not overly thick and chewy. There was a baked triangle filled with a pork filling. The pastry was light and delightful. The mochi rice pockets were especially enjoyable and a new favorite for me! Yum! And the custard tarts were fresh, not too much crust, and of the crust, it was light and flaky! Very well done! Will tell family and friends about this most tasty bakery and stop by again on our own! Woo hoo!

    Photos
    Sing Cheong Yuan Bakery - Sesame crackers, Chinese pretzels, tea cookies and more.

    Sesame crackers, Chinese pretzels, tea cookies and more.

    Sing Cheong Yuan Bakery - Mochi Siu Mai ($1.50) cross section

    Mochi Siu Mai ($1.50) cross section

    Sing Cheong Yuan Bakery - Breakfast of champions! Baked char siu manapua, char siu su, and pork hash

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    Breakfast of champions! Baked char siu manapua, char siu su, and pork hash

    Fujiya Hawaii - Peanut Butter Mochi

    Fujiya Hawaii

    4.7(365 reviews)
    3.1 mi
    $$

    This charming little shop is very clean and offers a variety of mochi to choose from…read more We were greeted as soon as we walked in and was assisted right away. There was one employee working at the register and another in the back. The service was attentive and efficient although there was only one person on the floor. They carry a great assortment of mochi and manju, including some varieties that need to be refrigerated. In addition, they offer local favorites like li-hing gummy bears and assorted flavored sembei, giving you plenty of sweet and savory options to choose from. The employee at the register was incredibly friendly and knowledgeable, happily sharing information about the different mochi flavors and offerings. Most importantly, the mochi here is absolutely delicious. During this visit, we ordered a Girls' Day pack and tried the chocolate ganache Oreo flavor which was amazing. The mochi was perfectly soft and paired beautifully with the rich chocolate ganache filling. My friend loved it so much that she went back the very next day to order more! If you love mochi, you really need to stop by. I highly recommended this shop.

    A friend called me to say she picked some mochi for me from Fujiya. It has been a very long time…read moresince I've enjoyed Fujiya products and I was very grateful for the treats. I received 2 strawberry and 2 tangerine mochi. I figured that I would eat 2 today and 2 tomorrow. Didn't happen. It was so good that ate all 4 in one evening. The tangerine was surprising. There is a whole tangerine in the mochi and it was sweet, juicy and sweet. Never had anything like this. The strawberry mochi was also a must buy. I liked that they didn't put too much an in it, so balanced with the sweet strawberry nicely. I must buy more soon and try other flavors.

    Photos
    Fujiya Hawaii - Manju and mochi varieties

    Manju and mochi varieties

    Fujiya Hawaii - What to select

    What to select

    Fujiya Hawaii - Grape Bites

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    Grape Bites

    Nisshodo Candy Store - candy - Updated May 2026

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