During the year-end Bon festival, when returning to my hometown in the udon prefecture, a must-have is Kokurayamaso. It's a well-known but not widely known specialty from Kyoto's Nagaokakyo. It's been a favorite treat in my family for a long time. It's more like a rice-based snack, with different types of arare in each small bag. There are ones wrapped in seaweed, ones sprinkled with sweet salt, ones with beans mixed in, ones shaped like cherry blossoms, ones with black sesame mixed in, and more. It's the perfect match for Japanese tea, but on this day, I enjoyed it with Cava and then a gin and tonic during my evening drink. You can purchase it at major department stores and directly from the store, there are quite a few locations. It's a sophisticated Japanese gift, and my family will continue to buy it. Thank you for the meal.

Autumn Blessing meal for 1944 yen, Kyoto-style simmered dish for 735 yen. Total is 2679 yen. Got a 100 yen coupon with the karuta game!

"Cracked rice crackers are sold on irregular dates, notification through posters and receipts. Around 30% discount."

I came to Ogurayama-so for shopping. While waiting for my package, I can have tea for 10 points. I chose green tea today. This cafe is a hidden gem where you can relax with a parking lot available. It's a great place for a casual lunch in the northern part of Osaka or just for a cafe visit. I have quite a few points, so I occasionally enjoy free tea here (laughs). The atmosphere of the shop is nice, and personally, I highly recommend it.

This time, I received a gift from a friend couple living in Minoh. They make sweets themed around the Hyakunin Isshu and the aristocratic culture of the era at "Kokurayamaso" based in Nagaokakyo, Kyoto. The names like "Omoisomeshi" and "Akisayaka" are lovely. It's a delicious snack where persimmon seeds are coated in gentle chocolate. It's not like the smooth coating of a Niigata rice cracker maker. Persimmon seeds also change in various ways. This one is better.

I have often received these rice crackers as gifts, but this was my first time visiting the store. I was surprised by the variety of flavors, the size of the building, and the high ceilings...! I only knew the store in Kami-Shinjo, so this was a new experience for me. The packaging here is stylish and elaborate, which makes you want to give it as a gift and try out different flavors. The menu inside the store was also very well thought out. I love the tableware they use, it shows good taste. I ordered green tea with small rice crackers and coffee with round chocolates, and the prices were...? But I think it's worth it considering the calm atmosphere. On a side note, I was healed by watching an elderly couple quietly enjoying their tea by the window seat. It was a cozy and heartwarming place to be in.

During the middle of our food tour, we decided to take a break and visit Ogurasanso Minoh Garou in Minoh City. Ogurasanso is a specialty store originating from Kyoto (Nagaokakyo) known for their senbei and okaki. While they have many stores in department stores and elsewhere, Ogurasanso Minoh Garou also has a cozy cafe where you can relax and enjoy some tea while shopping. Ogurasanso is famous for their Saga no yaki, but personally, I love their sweet soy sauce senbei made without any artificial seasonings. Since it was quite cold that day, I ordered a hot green tea (315 yen) at the cafe. They use Uji matcha for the tea, giving it a subtly sweet flavor reminiscent of high-quality tea shops in town. The first floor shop was bustling with customers, but the second floor cafe was quiet and allowed us to relax.

[May 2012 Visit] I went on a tour of North Settsu with my foodie friends and had a great time! We visited a cafe where we could experience coffee roasting, followed by a bakery in Hankyu Yamada called "Le Mouton de la Vie". We then went to Sawayuri no Sato in Takatsuki Forest Center for mushroom hunting and barbecue. Finally, we stopped at Ogurayama-so in Minoh Galyo for some matcha ice cream at a traditional Japanese cafe. For our afternoon snack, we enjoyed tea time at Ogurayama-so's tea room. The first floor had a space where you could buy rice crackers and Japanese sweets, while the second floor was a Japanese cafe where you could enjoy chocolate and Japanese sweets. - Ogurayama (Matcha Ice Cream) 525 yen Matcha ice cream from Tsujiri in Kyoto with sweet red bean paste. The rich matcha ice cream paired perfectly with the elegant sweetness of the red bean paste. It also came with Ogurayama-so's specialty "Arare Zutsumi Komachi", which is a savory and sweet snack made of egg senbei wrapped in soy sauce-flavored rice crackers. - Momon Zenzai 420 yen - Vanilla Ice Cream Topping +158 yen - Kyoto Green Tea (Hot or Iced) 315 yen

In place of the Romantic Road shops that closed in December 2008, a new place called Ogura Sanso opened in Minoh last year. It has a striking exterior! The first floor sells rice crackers, with a high ceiling that gives a sense of luxury. I thought it was just a store, but there's a tea house on the second floor. The atmosphere is a bit too plain, could use some improvement... but since there were no other customers besides us, it might be a hidden gem. The menu is not extensive, but they offer free samples of strawberry chocolate rice crackers, which are delicious. They also have matcha, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, and more. I tried their Kyoto blend coffee for 420 yen, which was quite strong. It comes with whipped cream instead of plant-based cream. I hope they will introduce more dessert options in the future. There is plenty of parking available, and it's convenient to enter and exit from both sides of the road.

Located near the Kayano 3-chome intersection on National Route 171, this traditional Japanese confectionery shop caught my eye on my way home from work. The first floor sells a variety of Japanese sweets, while the second floor appeared to be a café. The parking lot was spacious, and the interior had a clean and expansive Japanese ambiance, which I appreciated. The service was friendly and polite. On this visit, I purchased a dorayaki (red bean paste filling) for 173 yen. I noticed that many of their products contained quite a few additives, and the taste was a bit too sweet for my liking. While the atmosphere of the shop was pleasant, I found the taste of the sweets to be somewhat disappointing.

Thanks to receiving it as a gift, I have been purchasing from this store frequently since then. Ever since the Minoh store opened, my purchase frequency has increased. There is a parking lot, so whenever I need a souvenir, I go there. There are various products, but I still love "Ogurayama Shunju" the most. Being able to eat 8 kinds of rice crackers without getting tired of them is great. When it comes to souvenirs, everyone has their preferences, but this one has a variety of flavors, making it easy to give. The staff's polite service is also a plus.

This is a high-class and delicious rice cracker shop. It is located north of the intersection where you can find "Kisoji" and "Coop Mino Chuo Store" on Route 171. The unique purple-framed building is well-known for its high-quality gifts. I highly recommend the rice cracker "Omoi Someshi" with chocolate on top. Recently, chocolate-covered rice crackers have become popular, with various confectionery companies introducing similar products, but I believe this shop's version is the best. The taste is elegant and refined. The products are named after the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu, adding a touch of elegance. The large tin of rice crackers costs around 5000 yen, so it is a bit pricey, but it is delicious. It is a delightful gift to receive from someone.