Extending along Heijō-kyo Higashi-rokubo-oji Street, “Mochiidono Center Gai” is one of the oldest shopping streets in Nara. There is a legend that still remains, explaining the origin of the name “Mochi-i-dono.” More than 1,100 years ago, Rigen-daishi, the high priest of Todaiji Temple, set off to slay a giant snake which was causing trouble for the ascetics on Mt.Omine-san. Hakoya Kanbe and 7 young men from this town, formerly known as Fukihatago, volunteered to go with him. They molded a lot of mochi (rice cakes) and made dried rice, and headed for Mt.Omine-san. Then, they distributed the “mochi and rice” among those who had been harmed by the giant snake, and safely vanquished it. Later, Rigen-daishi nicknamed the young men of this town “Mochi-i-no-dono” (Mr. Mochi-rice) to thank them for their hard work. It is said that after that, the whole town became known as “Mochi-i-dono.” Enshrining Rigen-daishi, both “Shobo Rigen-daishi-do” and “Mochi-i-dono Benzai-tensha” are found at “Munakata-jinja Shrine,” located on the 1st floor of the super market building in the center of the shopping street, and are worshipped by people. The Ōshukusho of Kasuga Taisha, where the Yamato-zamurai prepared to attend the “Kasuga Wakamiya On-Matsuri Festival,” held all over Yamato Province, is also located on Machiidono Center Gai. On December 15th, 2 days before the festival procession takes place, a purification ritual known as Oyudate is performed at the  Ōshukusho, where hot-water shrine maidens known as yutate-miko sprinkle hot water around with bamboo leaves and  “noppe soup” is passed out to gathered people. From long ago, Mochiidono Center Gai has had many shops, but numerous new shops have been born since the shared-space establishment "Yume Cube," owned by the shopping street and made for the stores of entrepreneurs, was launched. Including even the neighboring former red-light districts of “Minami-ichi” and “Ganri-in,” new stores that offer original products and food inspired by the most distinctive characteristics of Nara continue to increase.