The dream of the Genroku era is now far in the past…

Banshu Ako, well known nationally as the home of Chushingura and the producing distric of Ako salt. Shihomi manju is made by So-honke Kankawa, a store that maintains the traditional taste of Banshu Ako. Every day, the workers carefully cook azuki beans from Tokachi, Hokkaido, with Ako water, wraps sweet bean paste with enough amount of Ako salt, with coating bun made with domestically-produced rice flour and finely ground sugar. Manju made using salt became so precious that it had been presented to the imperial family in the old capital Kyoto and to the Shogun in Edo for new year celebration. After the raid by Ako Gishi, it has been called Gishi manju or Oishi manju, making Banshu Ako even more famous.