As many other reviews say, definitely get here early to beat the crowds. I totally had it in my itinerary to get here in the early AM but for some reason I totally forgot until in the afternoon. By the time we got here around 3pm, there was a huge crowd not just around the shop but the whole street in general.

I wasn't able to get a good view of the mochi pounding but we were still able to purchase some which made up for being unable to see the making. The mochi itself is so delicious, soft and chewy. You would think that with this place getting so crowded and being a typical tourist attraction would make the food not up to par, but that definitely isn't the case. Even my brother who has no care for places just because they're a popular tourist destination or 'IG/tiktok food recommendation' said the mochi from Nakatinidou were his absolute favorite, and we've tried a lot during our 2 week stay there.

I would tell people who are thinking of visiting this spot to not let the crowds deter you and to definitely still get in line to try the mochi and if you do want to watch the show, plan on getting there early lol