Eikichi: Yomogi Griddle Cakes by Murō-ji
Pick up a yomogi-scented, red-bean-filled kaitenyaki near Murō-ji's approach; confirm the day's opening and price because published guides disagree.
Verified site photographs are being prepared.Discover Eikichi: Yomogi Griddle Cakes by Murō-ji
Eikichi is a small sweet stop in Murō's temple village, known for kaitenyaki: round griddle cakes with red-bean filling and locally gathered yomogi in the batter. The Nara–Yamato Four Temple Pilgrimage's food guide identifies the shop at Murō 709-2, and a JR Tokai feature records how its family converted a former inn business into a light-food counter in the Shōwa era. A cake here can turn the wait for the return bus into a local-food stop, but it should not be treated as a bookable cooking experience or a guaranteed full meal. Opening hours, days and very low older prices differ across published sources; call before making a special journey.
Know what a yomogi kaitenyaki is
Kaitenyaki is a round Japanese griddle cake that other regions may call imagawayaki or ōbanyaki. The Four Temple Pilgrimage guide says Eikichi makes a simple flour-and-water batter with local wild yomogi and fills it with sweet adzuki beans. JR Tokai's shop interview describes the cakes being turned by hand in a long-used copper mould. The result is a warm sweet with a herbal scent, rather than a packaged souvenir. These are source descriptions, not a guarantee that a cake is freshly cooked at the moment you arrive or that every ingredient is unchanged today. Ask at the counter if a particular ingredient matters to you.
Keep the family story in its own time
The JR Tokai account says Eikichi's earlier business was an inn and that the family opened a light-food shop around the late 1960s to 1970s. It attributes the yomogi cake to a wish to use the herb long familiar in local kusa-mochi in a new form. Its interview describes one long-serving maker and a small place where customers may sit; the person's age and daily presence were true at the time of that feature, not a promise for every future opening day. MyNara has not interviewed the shop or confirmed its current staffing. Enjoy the food without presenting an older profile as a live owner biography.
Check hours and price rather than trusting the lowest listing
The current Nara–Yamato Four Temple Pilgrimage directory displays 07:30–17:00 and irregular closures, while Visit Nara and JR Tokai display 08:00–17:00; an older prefectural itinerary shows 07:30–18:00 and no regular closure. None is an owner-maintained live schedule. The older stories show a ¥90 example, and review pages include ¥100 examples without an operator-issued date or tariff; neither proves today's price. This guide therefore does not publish a current selling price or claim year-round daily opening. Call 0745-93-2024 on the travel day, especially if arriving early, late or in winter. Payment methods, seating and additional menu items need direct confirmation too.
Plan the temple and return bus together
Eikichi is on the Murō-ji approach, not at Kintetsu Murōguchi-Ōno Station. The temple's official access page says the Nara Kotsu bus from that station reaches the Murō-ji area in about 14 minutes, followed by about five minutes on foot to the temple; its March 2026 timetable has a midday gap and a finite afternoon return. The food guides place Eikichi near the temple and bus stop, but do not give a surveyed shop-to-stop distance. Check the current bus timetable and the temple's own hours before deciding whether to buy a sweet first or after worship. A taxi may be an alternative, but this guide does not promise availability in the valley.
Ask about allergens and photographs
The Four Temple Pilgrimage description says its batter does not use egg, and JR Tokai's older interview says no egg or milk was used then. That is useful background, not a certified allergen-free or vegan statement: flour contains wheat, fillings and shared equipment can change, and cross-contact may occur. Ask staff for current ingredients, oils and handling rather than relying on an article for medical decisions. The prefectural page shows summer shaved ice, but a seasonal menu is not guaranteed on a particular date. There is no MyNara-owned photo or permission for shop interiors, staff or customers; ask before photographing the counter and do not reuse official or visitor images.
What to look for
Yomogi-scented, red-bean-filled round cakes
Small Murō-ji approach stop with a former-inn family history
A practical bus-wait option if the shop is open on your visit day
Photo notes
No licensed Eikichi food, shop, staff or guest image is held for MyNara. The articles and directory photographs are research references only. Ask before taking indoor or staff photographs and obtain image rights before using any third-party picture in this guide.
Make a day of it
Explore guides close to this map point, then check the actual route before travelling. Distances below are straight lines, not walking distances or travel times; map points may not be entrances.
Sources & editorial status
Original MyNara draft based on the linked sources. Sources reviewed 19 October 2026. Opening arrangements, prices and offers may change; use the operator's current information before travelling.
- Nara–Yamato Four Temple Pilgrimage — Eikichi identity, ingredients, address, phone and listed hours
- Murō-ji temple — March 2026 access, bus route and timetable
- Visit Nara S01012 — directory identity, location, hours and seasonal shaved-ice description
- JR Tokai interview — older family and cooking account; price and age not current
- Nara Prefecture itinerary — older conflicting hours and ¥90 example
- Tabelog — dated 2026 customer visit as non-operator activity signal