I had a matcha ice cream sandwich for takeout. It was quite delicious with a light sweetness, probably because of the matcha flavor. The store looks like a long-established place but the price is on par with convenience store sweets. It might be nice to have one of these after lunch and walk around in the hot weather during this season.

Today's takeout adventure took me to the area around Tsukishima Station. I exited from Exit 7 of the Tokyo Metro Yurakucho Line Tsukishima Station, walked through the main passage, and strolled down Monja Street (Tsukishima Nishi-nakadori) towards Tsukishima. I turned left before reaching Tsukishima Nishi-nakadori 4th Street, then turned right at the first intersection, and a short walk later, I found the shop I visited today, "Wagashi-shi Kyukunoya." I arrived at 12:35 pm on a weekday and checked out the various wagashi (Japanese sweets) available. The selection included assorted wagashi for 375 yen, red rice for 445 yen, various types of dango for 100 yen, nori rolls for 90 yen, inari sushi for 100 yen, red rice onigiri for 130 yen, kashiwa mochi (with miso, tsubu, or koshi an) for 175 yen, dorayaki for 175 yen, botan for 215 yen, kanoko for 235 yen, daifuku for 100 yen, karinto manju for 140 yen, warabi mochi for 185 yen, steamed castella for 175 yen, and kimi shigure for 175 yen. As it is now the season for Children's Day, kashiwa mochi is a popular choice at wagashi shops. Today, I was specifically looking for kashiwa mochi, which symbolizes prosperity for future generations. I purchased kashiwa mochi with tsubu an and koshi an, took it home, and enjoyed it. The kashiwa mochi with tsubu an had a chewy and fluffy texture with a layer of mochi wrapped in a fresh oak leaf. The kashiwa mochi with koshi an had a smooth and elastic texture, also wrapped in an oak leaf. Personally, I prefer not to eat the oak leaf when enjoying kashiwa mochi because I prefer to savor the original flavors of the mochi without the leaf's unique bitterness and crunchy texture. Before Children's Day, I indulged in the kashiwa mochi I bought and felt completely satisfied. Thank you for the delicious treat!

A traditional Japanese confectionery shop almost overlooked. The sign for ice cream-filled wafers sways gently in the breeze. Despite passing by every day, I finally stepped inside the shop for the first time. Old photos from when the shop was first established adorn the walls. It used to be located near Tsukishima Station, I was told by the kind and gentle shop owner. I decided to purchase the most popular red bean flavor among vanilla, matcha, and red bean. I hurried back to the office on my electric bike to prevent it from melting. Let's see... it's still intact. *crunch* *chill* Perfect for such scorching hot days. The subtle sweetness of the red bean. The wafer is so light and crispy, it almost feels like it's made of air. I would love to share this with ice cream-loving kids. The jumbo chocolate-filled wafers are tasty too, but the ice cream-filled wafers from this traditional Japanese confectionery shop are truly authentic and delicious.

I visited this shop just a few minutes' walk from Tsukishima Station. The shop is located in a back alley off the main street, so it may be helpful to locate it before visiting. I went there around 11 am on a holiday. Many traditional Japanese sweet shops are closed on holidays, so it was nice to find one that was open. I bought some traditional Japanese sweets like dango, daifuku, and kamonoko, as well as a unique one called yuzu mizu yokan. The shop also had a variety of other traditional sweets at affordable prices. The sweets were quite sweet, with a strong traditional flavor. The dango and daifuku had a chewy texture from the mochi rice, and the kamonoko and yuzu mizu yokan were also sweet and moist. Overall, it felt like a nostalgic and cozy traditional Japanese sweet shop with a good selection, reasonable prices, and delicious sweets.

I had mitarashi and seaweed-wrapped rice cake skewers. They cost 110 yen each. They also sold kashiwa mochi and thick rolls, all at reasonable prices. The rice cakes were chewy and not too sweet, especially delicious with mitarashi sauce!

Kachidoki and Tsukishima area have few traditional Japanese sweets shops, so this shop is a valuable find. Despite the recent rise in prices, with items like daifuku and odango going from 100 yen to 110 yen, it is still incredibly cheap. They are really working hard to keep their prices low.

These prices nowadays are amazing. That's why I have used this place several times. One piece of dango and daifuku is only 100 yen! Other sweets are also reasonably priced. Fantastic.

Daifuku, Karinto Manju, and Kashiwa Mochi are all delicious traditional Japanese sweets.

From New Year's Day to the end of Matsunouchi (January 7th in the Kanto region), I decided to review a different restaurant every day, starting with a search for a place called "Niconico." I explored about 7 Niconico restaurants in Tokyo in December, but some were easier to review than others. And now, I have come to the last restaurant on my list. Niconico Kikunoya is a traditional Japanese sweets shop with over 60 years of history located in Tsukishima. It was ranked 14th in the TV show "Ad-machi Heaven" for its popularity. The shop is nestled in a small alley in the Tsukishima Nishi-Nakadori Shotengai shopping street, with a display case full of various Japanese sweets. I bought dorayaki and karinto manju, but I'm not sure what to write for a review of Japanese sweets. Karinto Manju (¥135) has a crispy and fragrant outer shell, with a unique flavor of brown sugar. The inside is moist and sweet, creating an interesting contrast with the crispy shell. The combination of "karinto" and "manju" flavors is quite enjoyable. Dorayaki (¥170) has a soft and fluffy texture, with a mildly sweet red bean paste filling that retains the natural flavor of the azuki beans. Wow, Japanese sweets are tricky to review. I hope this is good enough. Thank you for joining me on this one-week Niconico review journey. To those who read without getting tired, those who pressed the "like" button, and those who even left comments, I wish you all good health and prosperity in the new year.

This month, I saw in Dancyu magazine that there was an ice cream-filled rice cake being featured, so I decided to come and try it since it's almost in my neighborhood. Surprisingly, I realized that it was located right on the street where I used to attend cooking classes with an acquaintance. The owner was very laid-back and mentioned that the magazine had already been sent to them. I informed them that it should be available in bookstores soon, and customers like me might come to check it out. The shop used to be a small diner in another location in Tsukishima, serving not only traditional sweets but also ramen. After relocating to their current spot and switching to take-out only, it seems like many old-fashioned confectionery shops are facing challenges. I chose the red bean ice cream-filled rice cake, which was not overly sweet like store-bought red bean bars, but rather had a crispy texture. However, eating it was a bit challenging due to the ice cream melting quickly in the summer heat. I heard that their mitarashi dango (grilled rice dumplings in soy sauce) is recommended, so I will definitely come back to try it.

During Golden Week, my family went to Tsukishima to eat monjayaki. It was a beautiful sunny day, and as we walked down the street, we spotted a sign for "Ice Cream Taiyaki." We just had to try it. The place was always busy with tourists and locals alike. We also bought some dorayaki, daifuku, and kashiwa mochi. These sweets did not disappoint and gave us a taste of the local charm. Thank you for the delicious treats!

Next to Nishinaka Shotengai, there were several narrow alleys, so I decided to explore the back streets. I found many Monjayaki restaurants along this street as well. I discovered Ice Cream Senbei at a place called "Nikoniko Kikunoie." I like how they have "Nikoniko" in their name, it's so cheerful! The Ice Cream Senbei costs 150 yen and comes in vanilla, matcha, and azuki flavors. The matcha flavor was rich and fragrant, with a light and gentle taste. The senbei shell was crispy! Both flavors were not too sweet and very delicious. It turns out this shop was ranked 14th in Ad-Machi Tsukishima. This is why I can't stop exploring the streets (hehe). Thank you for the meal.

Next to Tsukiji Honmaru suddenly appeared (!?) a traditional Japanese confectionery shop. Drawn to the words "karinto manju," I decided to buy some. It was my first time trying karinto manju, so I brought them home to taste. The outside was crispy, and the inside was filled with a rich red bean paste. The perfect balance of the fragrant sweetness of brown sugar, loved by karinto enthusiasts, and the light red bean paste made this sweet treat irresistible! The red bean paste was not as sweet as I expected, leaving a lingering taste that made me finish them in no time. This is delicious! Highly recommended! However, it is likely high in calories, so it may be a dangerous treat...

After eating Monjayaki, I was walking towards the station when I saw a sign for ice cream-filled senbei that seemed perfect for dessert. It seemed to be popular among locals as there were a few customers lined up in front of the small shop. They offered three flavors: vanilla, matcha, and red bean, and I chose the red bean flavor. Inside the crispy senbei shell was a generous serving of traditional red bean ice cream. The natural sweetness of the red beans added depth to the mildly sweet treat, making it refreshing and delicious. I would love to try the other flavors as well! And the best part is, it only cost 140 yen, which was very satisfying.