34Mikan Kasaboko
The Mikan kasaboko is from Nakashima-machi, a former castle town of Yatsushiro Castle.
The Mikan portrays the Yatsushiro’s specialty product, the Yatsushiro (Takada) mandarin, which was gifted to the shogunate during the Edo period, and features decorations of authentic-looking mandarins. It is considered to be a celebratory food that can extend a person’s lifetime 1,000 years if one is consumed. This mandarin has been said to be an elixir called togijikuno kano konomi (a fruit that is fragrant irrespective of time), which was brought back after receiving an imperial decree.
Nakashima-machi was built in the 16th century as the Sagara clan dominated Yatsushiro. Nakashima-kan was built as a guesthouse to entertain visitors and the area flourished before becoming a castle town of Yatsushiro Castle.
