UIROU

UIROU (株式会社ういろう) is a Japanese company based in Odawara, Kanagawa Prefecture, that manufactures and sells both traditional medicines and Japanese confectionery (wagashi). It is known as the oldest established business in Odawara, with origins dating back to 1368 (Oan 1), when the founder, a former Yuan dynasty official named Chin Enyu (Chen Yanyou), fled to Hakata, Japan, after the rise of the Ming dynasty. The family later moved to Kyoto and served the Muromachi shogunate as physicians and diplomats, and in 1504 the fifth-generation Uirou Toemon Sadaharu moved to Odawara at the invitation of Hojo Soun. The company has operated continuously at the same location along the Tokaido road for over 500 years. UIROU's product line centers on two main categories: medicines and sweets. Its signature medicine is Tochinko, a silver-coated pill with a wide range of indications including abdominal pain, indigestion, cough, headache, palpitations, and shortness of breath. Other medicines include Myokosan (a powder for headaches, dizziness, tinnitus, and menopausal symptoms) and Furidashi Gokoto (a tea-bag style herbal blend for cold sensitivity and colds). The confectionery side is famous for its namesake 'Uirou' — a steamed rice-flour sweet that originated in the Muromachi period when the family created it to entertain foreign envoys. The traditional stick-shaped Uirou comes in white sugar, matcha, azuki, and brown sugar varieties, and there are also seasonal and premium items such as chestnut Uirou, apricot kernel Uirou, and Kikukiri Uirou. The company also makes yokan, monaka, and various seasonal fresh sweets. UIROU remains a family-run private company, currently led by the 25th generation representative director, Uirou Toemon. Its main store in Odawara includes a cafe (Kyourintei) and a branch near Odawara Station. The company emphasizes handmade production, using homemade bean paste and traditional methods. Its long history is intertwined with Japanese culture, including the Kabuki play 'Uirou-uri' and the Gion Festival's Toroyama float, which the family helped create. Despite fires, earthquakes, and the fall of the Hojo clan, UIROU has preserved its heritage and continues to operate as a beloved local institution and tourist destination.

The history of UIROU begins in 1368 (Oan 1), when Chin Enyu (Chen Yanyou), a former official of the Yuan dynasty, fled to Hakata, Japan, after the Ming dynasty rose to power. In the Yuan court, he had held the position of Vice Minister of Rites (Libu Yuanwailang), and upon naturalization in Japan he took the name 'Chin Uirou' (陈外郎), reading 'Uirou' in the Tang pronunciation, which gave rise to the unique etymology. His son, Chin Uirou Dainen, was invited to Kyoto by the third Ashikaga shogun, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, where he served the court and shogunate with medical skills, continental knowledge, and diplomatic abilities. The family's hereditary medicine, Tochinko, originally called Reppotan, was a round pill with broad efficacy and portability. It was named 'Tochinko' by the emperor when the fragrance of its ingredients wafted from the top of his head (eboshi hat). Because the name was difficult to read, the medicine came to be called 'Uirou' after the family name. The sweet 'Uirou' was also created by the Uirou family. The second generation, Dainen, devised a confection to entertain foreign envoys, using black sugar (rare and expensive at the time) mixed with rice flour and steamed. This became the origin of the Uirou sweet. The family settled in Kyoto at Shijo Nishino-toin, where their residence was called Kyorintei (a Chinese term for a physician's honorific). However, due to the Onin War (1467-1477), the family moved to Odawara in 1504 at the invitation of Ise Shinkuro Moritoki (later Hojo Soun). The fifth generation, Uirou Toemon Sadaharu, manufactured Tochinko and contributed to the health of the domain's people. He also held the name Uno Genji, granted by the eighth shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa, and served as a samurai and military strategist for the Hojo clan. In 1590, Toyotomi Hideyoshi's conquest of Odawara ended the Hojo clan's rule, but the Uirou family was allowed to continue as physicians and merchants, manufacturing Tochinko. During the Edo period, the family served as a senior elder (shukuro) of Odawara and contributed to the town's development. The Uirou shop, with its distinctive eight-roof (Yatsumune-zukuri) structure, became a famous sight along the Tokaido road, mentioned in travel guides and Kabuki plays such as 'Uirou-uri.' The family's cultural contributions include the Toroyama float in the Gion Festival, created by the second generation Dainen about 600 years ago. After the Meiji era, the business continued, and today it remains a family-run company led by the 25th generation, Uirou Toemon. It continues to produce traditional medicines and sweets at the same location in Odawara, preserving over 650 years of history.

• 2025

  Company continues operations under 25th generation Uirou Toemon.

• 1817

  A major fire destroys parts of Odawara, including the Uirou shop area.

• 1812

  Record shows the shop had a frontage of over 13 ken and depth of over 23 ken.

• 1789

  The 'Tokaido Meisho Zue' describes the Uirou shop with an illustration.

• 1691

  Engelbert Kaempfer records the Uirou shop in his book 'The History of Japan'.

• 1652

  First documented petition to stop counterfeit 'Uirou' sales.

• 1590

  After Toyotomi Hideyoshi's conquest of Odawara, the family is allowed to continue business.

• 1576

  Exclusive sales rights for 'Uirou' in Nikko are guaranteed.

• 1566

  Uirou family serves as Nanjuku town magistrate under Hojo Ujiyasu.

• 1522

  Gyokuden-ji temple is founded, indicating the family's settlement in Odawara.

• 1504

  Fifth-generation Uirou Toemon Sadaharu moves to Odawara at the invitation of Hojo Soun.

• 1408

  The pronunciation 'Uirou' is documented in the diary of Yamashina no Tsunenori.

• 1402

  Chin Uirou is recorded in the Yoshida-ke Nichiji, already in Kyoto as a physician.

• Chin Enyu (Chen Yanyou) flees to Hakata, Japan, founding the family that becomes Uirou.

Historic family-owned maker of traditional medicines and wagashi, preserving 650+ years of heritage in Odawara.

• Tochinko

  Silver-coated pills for abdominal pain, indigestion, cough, headache, palpitations, and shortness of breath. Available in 728, 428, and 141 pill sizes.

• Myokosan

  Powder for headaches, dizziness, tinnitus, hot flashes, and menopausal symptoms. Available in 90 and 15 packet sizes.

• Furidashi Gokoto

  Tea-bag style herbal blend for cold sensitivity and colds. Available in 30-day and 4-day supplies.

• Uirou

  Traditional steamed rice-flour sweet in stick form. Flavors: white sugar, matcha, azuki, brown sugar. Also chestnut and apricot kernel varieties.

• Kikukiri Uirou

  Fresh sweet shaped with the family crest of chrysanthemum and paulownia, filled with white bean paste or azuki paste.

• Tokusei Yokan

  Handmade yokan in white kidney bean, matcha, honneri, brown sugar, and chestnut varieties.

• Uirou Monaka

  Monaka with gyuhi and azuki paste in paulownia shape, or chestnut and white azuki paste in inro shape.

• Kurumi Mochi

  Mochi with soy sauce flavor, roasted Shinshu walnuts, and azuki paste.

• Tomanju

  Castella-style bun with azuki paste, said to have been introduced from Holland in the early Edo period.

1. 1ういろう 公式サイトuirou.co.jp
2. 2ういろうの歴史｜ういろうuirou.co.jp
3. 3商品のご案内｜ういろうuirou.co.jp
4. 4ういろう (企業) - Wikipediaja.wikipedia.org
5. 5UIROU - Wikidatawikidata.org