Walking around, you may not be familiar with this shop. It is a long-established store that sells tsukudani (preserved food) and traditional Japanese sweets near the intersection of Kawaramachi and Shijo. I didn't know they also have a cafe. I was drawn to the sign for Kyoto-style roasted green tea, and stopped to try their shaved ice. It's not as common to see shaved ice these days, but in small shopping streets away from Nishiki Market and Shinkyogoku, the smell of roasting tea from tea shops makes you feel like you're in Kyoto. So, if you're asked what kind of shaved ice you like other than the usual fruit flavors, what would you choose? For me, it's roasted green tea, not matcha. The shaved ice topped with roasted green tea cream, roasted green tea syrup, and even roasted green tea ice cream hidden inside is a complete masterpiece of roasted green tea. Marukyu Koyamaen is known for using their roasted green tea, so it's a collaboration with Eirakuya. The spacious cafe on the second floor has a modern yet innovative ceiling with exposed beams, creating a very calming atmosphere.

Visited the long-established Japanese confectionery shop "Eirakuya" founded in 1946. Popular sweets like Kohaku and Mikasa have a good reputation among foodies, and it's a well-known souvenir from Kyoto located at the corner of Shijo Kawaramachi. I've been wanting to try the Lemon Shaved Ice (¥1300) for a while, so I kept postponing my visit until summer. The rare cheese sauce is quite thick, but the acidity gives it a refreshing taste. If the sauce runs out, you can switch to lemon sauce. The lemon sauce has a mature taste with both acidity and bitterness lingering. It wasn't as sophisticated as a specialty shop, but it was a perfect taste for summer.

I tried the limited-time roasted green tea ice. Personally, I felt like there was too little roasted green tea syrup on it. I wish there was more to enjoy. The roasted green tea ice itself was smaller than I imagined, so I was a little disappointed.

Visited on a weekend in May. Ordered a combination of matcha and vanilla ice cream. Honestly, the taste was just average. It was a flavor that you can find anywhere, so I regret not getting shaved ice instead. Looking around the shop, it seemed like many people were ordering shaved ice. Thankfully, the portions were quite generous, but I ended up leaving some... Sorry...

Located on Kawaramachi Street in Kyoto, Nagurakuya is a popular shop known for its tsukudani (preserved food) and traditional Japanese sweets. Recently, their café has been gaining a lot of attention. I tried their "Mikasa" which is made fresh daily. The texture of the outer layer was quite firm, while the sweet bean paste filling was average. I wish there was a bit more filling in proportion to the size of the sweet. I also learned that their Nagurakuya Tokubou requires a reservation, which was disappointing as I had nostalgic memories of coming here with my mother for special occasions when I was a child.

I bought grass dumplings and young ayu (^ ^) I forgot to take a picture, but the grass dumplings were the most delicious I've ever had, so chewy and amazing! I want to buy them again. The expiration date was the next day, so I thought I should eat it early, which was the right decision (^ ^) They were big and satisfying to eat! The young ayu had a firm and chewy texture with sweet bean paste inside, which was also delicious (^ ^) Next time I go, I want to buy Mizunogozu too.

When you're tired from walking, it's time for a carb refill with some sweets ♡ This is the long-established shop, Eirakuya, where the 2nd floor is a cafe and the 1st floor sells tsukudani and Japanese sweets. Today, I had a visually appealing parfait♪ The matcha ice cream was lightly sweetened and just to my liking^ ^ With a Japanese taste, it was easy to eat! It was delicious. Thank you for the meal!

During Golden Week, I visited a cafe where the first floor sells sweets and the second floor serves as a tea room. I ordered a matcha parfait that was delicious with matcha ice cream, shiratama (mochi), and sweet red bean paste. The combination was satisfying and I didn't get tired of it until the end. If I had to be picky, I wish there were more shiratama in it.

Established in 1946 (Showa 21), Eirakuya is a traditional Japanese confectionery store located on the northeast corner of the Shijo Kawaramachi intersection. The main store is a two-story building sandwiched between other buildings, with a variety of traditional Japanese sweets and pickles on the first floor, and a tea room on the second floor. The store is known as "Amakaraya," which means "sweet and salty shop" in Japanese. The sweet offerings include famous confections like Kohaku (released in 1997), Juuyo, Yuzu Kogori, Mikasa, Yokan, and dried sweets, with seasonal limited edition items available as well. On the savory side, the store offers popular items like Hitokuchi Shiitake (released in 1953), Konbu tsukudani, Chirimen Sansho, and Obumiso. One of the recommended sweets is Kohaku Yuzu, priced at 990 yen. It is a beautiful agar confection with a faintly visible single yuzu fruit inside. Made with only sugar, yuzu, agar, and mizuame, it has a shelf life of about one month. The contrast between the crunchy crystallized sugar on the outside and the smooth agar on the inside creates a delightful texture. The refreshing aroma of the yuzu from Tokushima Prefecture fills the mouth, enveloped by a gentle sweetness. The smooth melting texture, clean aftertaste, and fleeting yuzu fragrance make Kohaku a sophisticated and elegant Japanese confection. Perfect as a souvenir, it is sure to elevate your taste with its refined Kyoto charm.

Kyoto has a variety of delicious sweets shops, so I decided to explore a new one and ended up at a cafe in Gion, a well-established traditional confectionery shop. Unfortunately, the warabi mochi I wanted to try, limited to 15 servings per day, was already sold out by the time I arrived in the evening. I really wanted to try Kyoto's warabi mochi... So, I settled for a matcha parfait instead. Matcha parfaits in Kyoto never disappoint. I wonder if Eirakuya, the shop I visited, has expanded to Tokyo? Recently, many Kyoto shops have opened in Tokyo, so sometimes what I think is unique to Kyoto is actually available in Tokyo as well. While I personally don't like cereals or rice crackers in my parfait, the matcha and ice cream were delicious. I enjoyed Kyoto through this tasty parfait. Next time, I want to try the limited warabi mochi, so I became a member.

On the first day of my spring trip to Kyoto in March 2023, I had a traditional Japanese meal at Ayakoji Karatsu in the morning, then headed to Kurama. After that, I returned to Gion Shijo for tea time at Eirakuya Honten on Kawaramachi Street. It's a nice shop that sells tsukemono (pickles) and Kyoto sweets. I went upstairs and had a matcha parfait for 1,350 yen, which was surprisingly refreshing with a subtle sweetness and a yuzu and wasanbon (Japanese sugar) sherbet for 700 yen that had a strong yuzu flavor and was light. I also bought some sweets on the first floor, including a small bag of Rakumini for 1,450 yen, a refined and delicious confection called Kohaku that had a citrus fruit called Setoka inside a clear agar jelly, and a chestnut yokan with four large chestnuts on top for 900 yen. All the sweets were very delicious, and I was able to purchase them at a reasonable price with loyalty points that I could use on the spot. They can also be purchased online, making them a great option for gifts.

When I visited Kyoto for a dinner party, I had about an hour to spare so I decided to have some tea at "Eirakuya" restaurant. It was a freezing cold day in Kyoto, completely different from the temperature in Nagoya, which surprised me! I usually only drink beer, but the cold was so intense that I decided to try a warm drink for a change. I had a Black Sugar Kinako Latte and shared some Chestnut Zenzai with everyone. Kinako is written in kanji as 黄粉, which I learned for the first time. The default latte was extremely sweet! It was so sweet that it woke me up! The stick sugar the waiter brought was not needed, as the latte was already too sweet. Later, I bought a Yuzu Amber as a souvenir, and it was incredibly delicious. Thank you for the meal.

There is a beautiful Japanese sweet called "Kohaku," which can truly be described as a gem of Japanese sweets. It contains yuzu citrus in a transparent material, creating a stunning appearance. Not only is it visually appealing, but it also has a refined sweetness and a refreshing yuzu fragrance. It was a surprising sweet that made me reconsider my image of traditional Japanese sweets, which are often associated with red bean paste. I also used it as a souvenir for overseas trips due to its good appearance and taste.

It is served in a cute, chestnut-like, round bowl. The chestnut sweet red bean soup with white rice cakes has a gentle sweetness and is filled with large Japanese chestnuts. It has a simple taste and I enjoy it every year. Under the bowl, there are salted chestnut leaves, giving off a soft fragrance. The chestnut sweet red bean soup is available until the end of February. It is a gentle, warm, comforting dessert. On the day I visited, it was cold and snowing lightly by the time I left. This Kyoto sweet shop has a spacious cafe space where you can relax and forget you are in Kawaramachi. They seem to have various limited-time items according to the season. I had a wonderful time feeling the essence of Japan. Thank you very much. Bon appétit! (^人^)

Matcha float Honestly, I was tired from walking when I visited. The matcha float wasn't too sweet, but it was refreshing for my tired body. The store was spacious, and I was able to relax comfortably. With so many people in Kyoto, I realized how tiring it can be to walk around sightseeing every day.

The place is Shijo Kawaramachi. It is located diagonally across from Takashimaya, with no parking available. The shop was established in 1946. It is a rare store that sells both spicy (tsukudani) and sweet (sweets) items. The exterior has a large old sign that exudes history. The interior is new, with the first floor for product sales and the second floor as a cafe corner. Today, I stopped by to buy the shop's specialty jumbo-sized "Ooban Ohagi," but they only sell ohagi on weekends. So, I decided to buy their popular item, "Mikasa." I purchased 5 Mikasa for 200 yen each. It is a large Mikasa (dorayaki) with Tokachi-produced sweet bean paste and chopped chestnuts. The dough is baked by craftsmen early in the morning. The expiration date is 2 days. I immediately ate it when I got home. The size is quite large. The dough is fluffy and fragrant, and it is filled with plenty of sweet bean paste and chestnuts. Those with a sweet tooth will undoubtedly be delighted.

After a tiring day of exploring Nishiki Market and on my way back to Kyoto Kawaramachi Station, I decided to stop by this shop. There is a café on the second floor where I took a break. I ordered a Matcha Float for 800 yen and it really revived me. When I'm tired, sweet treats always do the trick. Even though I'm currently watching my carb intake, I couldn't resist this. Then, I went downstairs. I'm not very familiar with sweets, but I tried their signature "Kohaku (Yuzu)" dessert. It had a crispy sugar coating on the outside and a jelly-like texture on the inside. It was amazing! I definitely want to try it with matcha next time. They offer various flavors, including seasonal ones, which would make great gifts. I bought some for myself to enjoy at home and also sent some yuzu dessert to my family. They also have other traditional Japanese items like simmered fish and kelp, which I also purchased. This shop truly lives up to its reputation as a top-notch establishment.

Limited edition fall/winter parfait. There was only one sweet potato chip (T^T) The menu was reduced, and there were no big ohagi or sankasu (T^T) It's sad... However, it's a calm cafe in a prime location in Shijo Kawaramachi. I will continue to visit!

On the way back from a short trip to Kyoto, I stopped by this shop to buy some Japanese sweets. Of course, it was to enjoy with my wife at our afternoon tea. I like Japanese sweets, but not ones with sweet bean paste, especially in the summer. However, even famous traditional shops now offer seasonal limited edition sweets that look refreshing for the season. Since I'm not very familiar with this and live in Tokyo, it's not easy to find them easily. Wagashi (Japanese sweets) are out of the question for me. This time, I bought them at this excellent shop right at the intersection of Shijo Kawaramachi. I wasn't familiar with the name of the shop, as it seems to be quite common. I had roughly planned to buy them here considering the route of my short trip. I bought Yuzu (citrus) amber and Yuzu jelly. The former might be available all year round. I don't need a large portion. The rectangular shape with a thin sugar coating, when bitten, the sugar coating crisply melts and the inside has a hint of yuzu's acidity and bitterness. It goes really well with green tea. Since they are small, you might want to have two at a time. I had a hard time transferring the jelly from the container to a plate to take a photo. I guess you are supposed to scoop and eat it directly with a spoon, rather than doing it like I did. It didn't look very neat, but eating it that way would probably make it look more delicious. We are bound by everyday rules in everything we do, so it's definitely better to make small efforts to enjoy them. The sweetness is not strong, it has an elegant taste. But maybe they are too small.