
When it’s this easy and this affordable, there’s really never a reason to not be eating warabi mochi.
Daiso isn’t Japan’s favorite 100 yen store just because of its low prices, but also because of its amazing selection. It seems like every time we stop by, we find something awesome that we didn’t know that they sold, and suddenly realize we need.
The latest example of that: on our last Daiso run, we found out that they have super-easy-to-use kits for making your own mochi sweets!
Specifically, this kit is for making warabi mochi, a jiggly mochi dessert. The kit costs just 100 yen (US$0.65), and it contains every single ingredient you’ll need, aside from some water. As for necessary equipment, you’ll need a bowl, something to stir with, a spatula, and a microwave.
Open up the pack, and you’ll find three packets inside. The white one is mochi flour, the brown one is kinako (sweet roasted soybean powder), and the black one is kuromitsu (a molasses-like sugar syrup used in traditional Japanese desserts).
Start by combining the mochi flour with water in a bowl and stirring them together. We used the entire 50-gram (1.8-ounce) packet of flour, which requires 230 milliliters (7.8 ounces) of water, and the resulting mixture should be milky in color and consistency.
Next, pop the mixture in the microwave. In total, the directions call for four minutes of heating at a 500-watt setting, but you’ll actually want to break that time up into one-minute stints, taking the bowl out and stirring between sessions to make sure the mixture hardens evenly.
We didn’t notice much of a change after the first and second stint in the microwave. But the third made a dramatic difference, as a translucent gelatin was forming in the center!
Give this a stir, and you’ll feel that it’s now in a half-solid, half-liquid state, making this feel like half cooking project and half science experiment.
After one more time in the microwave, the mixture should now be a sticky paste.
It’ll take a bit more force now, but give it another couple of good stirs, then transfer it to a container of some sort, making sure you’ve got some extra space left over inside.
Next, we need to cool the mixture down, but you’re not supposed to put it in the refrigerator to do so. Instead, cover the mixture with cold water from the tap.
The kit’s directions are pretty vague on the exact amount, simply saying to “cover it with plenty of water poured from above,” so we filled the container up.
The water won’t dissolve the gelatin, and after an hour or two, the mixture should be firm and cool.
Now it’s time to cut the mixture into blocks, which you can do with a spatula.
At this point, you’ve got a bowl of warabi mochi! Well, technically this is warabi mochi, but before you dig in you’ll want to spruce it up some, which is where the kinako and kuromitsu come into play. Open up their packets, pour them on…
…and now you’re really ready to eat!
Part of what makes warabi mochi a classic Japanese dessert is how simple it is, and that straightforward deliciousness is 100-percent present in this 100-yen do-it-yourself version. Put it on a classy plate, and maybe even add a dash of matcha green tea powder if you’ve got some handy, and you’ve got an easy-to-make, easy-to-love treat for the next time you’re having friends over or just feel like indulging your Japanese sweet tooth.
Photos ©SoraNews24
● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
[ Read in Japanese ]




















Make luxurious, stylish green tea at home with this matcha warabi latte kit
How to make Kyoto’s most famous dessert, nama yatsuhashi, with your microwave
Cola-flavored mochi sweets are half Japanese tradition, half jiggly Pop Rock
Easy-to-use mochi-making kitchen gadget is here to help you create home-made Japanese sweets
New Japanese Kit Kat features flavour of traditional shingen mochi dessert
New Japanese overnight train coming to connect Tokyo with Tohoku in sleep-travel style
Japan’s cheap beef bowl chain goes upscale with Matsuya Premium, but is it worth the higher price?
7-Eleven Japan joins the craze for Korean Gamja Cheese Balls
Starbucks Japan releases special limited-edition summer drinks… at only 30 stores
Two of Kyoto’s famous temples tackle streetside trash with solar-powered trash cans
Lawson transforms convenience store food with massive katsu burger and an insane curry bread
Sanrio Hotel Floria isn’t actually a hotel, but it’s still a must visit for fans traveling in Tokyo
East Japan Railway announces plans to abolish magnetic-strip tickets
Anne Hathaway creates PR frenzy in Japan after mentioning Tottori in Devil Wears Prada interview
New Square Enix Cafe reveals Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, Nier, and Fullmetal Alchemist menu items
Japanese rice cooker recipe gives us a tasty new way to enjoy vegetables and wieners
Family Mart commits “reverse fraud” in new Giant All-Star Festival, and we couldn’t be happier
New Tokyo sweets shop offers 648 different mochi ice cream dumpling combinations
Even at twice regular Daiso price, this handy item is still great for summer travel in Japan
Ghibli’s No Face continues to demonstrate his generous character growth by dispensing soy sauce
Colour Hunting: The hot new street photography trend changing how we see Japan
Tokyo’s life-size Gundam anime mecha statue will be removed this summer
Kanji ice cream becomes a sell-out hit in Japan
Uniqlo reveals third round of massive 100-year-anniversary manga T-shirts for Jump’s Shueisha
New official Ghibli anime food cookbook will teach you how to make Ponyo’s ramen and more
Ichiraku Ramen-inspired ramen sets from Naruto anime pay homage to Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura
Japanese convenience store Lawson launches new “mini supermarket” chain, L Minimart
Japan’s real-world Pokémon hot spring’s first photos are here![Photos]
Kyoto public junior high school becomes first in Japan with a hoodie school uniform
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
Japan’s 5.3 million beautiful Hitachi Nemophila flowers are now in full bloom[Photos]
Pokémon and Ikea Japan cross over into each other’s worlds with collaboration events
These easy DIY bath bombs can be made with ingredients from the 100 yen shop
Is Daiso’s microwave Japanese rolled omelet maker worth your time and money? [Taste test]
How to make the most beautiful at-home tamagokakegohan ever with a 100 yen store kitchen gadget
Does this egg timer from Japanese 100-yen store Daiso really work?
A visit to the largest Daiso 100 yen shop in all Japan【Photos】
We became Japanese sweet chefs for a day with Popin Cooking’s DIY wagashi set
Fruit daifuku – A Japanese mochi dessert that’s simple to make and awesome to experiment with
How to make an awesome Japanese summer dessert using only things you can buy at Daiso【SoraKitchen】
We try out a 100-yen store bowl designed for microwaving frozen udon noodles
Daiso’s super-easy, super-cheap sushi maker lets you make sushi rolls without rolling anything
100-yen gyoza gadget helps you make delicious dumplings in the blink of an eye
How to put together an earthquake/typhoon preparedness kit at the 100 yen shop
Daiso DIY anime art! How to make awesome acrylic character blocks with 100 yen store parts
This super-compact raincoat from one of Japan’s 100-yen stores can literally fit in your pocket
64 Sanrio characters, decades of kawaii culture history all on one cup from 100-yen store Daiso!【Pics】
We test the cleaning power of the miniature washing machine from 100 yen shop Daiso
Stay safe on the cheap with a disaster preparedness kit put together at the 100-yen shop