This is a famous shop for dried sweets located along the approach from Yuyakeoka in front of Shitennoji to Shitennoji. They offer various beautiful traditional Japanese sweets. For the Bon Festival, they have dried sweets shaped like lotus flowers, wind chimes, morning glory leaves, and peach yokan, as well as jelly. The making process varies, including a confection called tsuun made with agar and red beans. They also have water yokan and other traditional sweets with delicious red bean paste. Both the appearance and taste of the sweets are refreshing and delightful.

A traditional Japanese confectionery shop. I purchased the seasonal main confectionery and they kindly asked if I was okay with using yolk bean paste due to allergies. This is a great example of customer service. The main confectionery is small overall but the price is reasonable. The variety of dried confections is impressive. They are highly artistic.

I went to ask the landlord of an apartment in Kitami how to fix a leak, and he gave me some dried sweets called higashi. It's like a matcha-flavored candy with a crispy outer layer and a jelly-like inside. It's subtly sweet and quite fancy. Apparently, it's a traditional and expensive treat.

I visited a traditional Japanese confectionery shop called Kawato near Shitennoji Temple in the evening. This shop, which has been in business for over 100 years, is known for its dried sweets and its award-winning sugar confectionery called "Warabikihi" priced at 400 yen per 100g. The Warabikihi looks like cracked ice covered in a thin layer of crunchy sugar on the outside, while the inside is soft and delicate made of agar. The "Tsuu" priced at 150 yen is a variation of the Warabikihi with red beans enclosed inside. When you bite into it, the agar and chewy red beans create a unique texture and gentle flavor, making it a refreshing treat on hot summer days. Thank you for the delicious experience.

There is a traditional Japanese confectionery shop at Shitennoji Temple that offers fresh, half-dried, and dried sweets. In the past, each neighborhood had its own confectionery shop where they handmade sweets using fresh ingredients. However, in recent years, the popularity of Japanese sweets has declined, with foreign sweets dominating the market and leading to a decrease in traditional confectionery shops. This shop may be one of the few that have managed to survive. While the fresh sweets seem a bit lacking, the half-dried and dried sweets, which were commonly enjoyed in the past, still hold their charm. Some notable sweets include amber sugar and matcha-flavored candy, a sweet red bean paste called "tsu" set with agar, and string-like dried plums known as "noshi ume."

I visited this long-established traditional Japanese confectionery shop, Gokato, in Shitennoji. It has a history of over 100 years, starting from the Edo period when it was founded by a man named Kochiya Fujibe as "Kato". Originally located in Nara, he used to run a tobacco shop and a cotton shop. After moving to Shitennoji, the shop became a Japanese confectionery store, now run by the third generation. Their famous confectionery is called "Warabiki", which looks like rock candy but has a unique crunchy texture on the outside and a soft gummy-like inside. It is made of agar and sugar, with a mild sweetness. I recommend trying the one with red beans called "Tsuu". The shop also offers a variety of colorful dried sweets that look like art pieces in the showcase. You can either choose pre-packed assortments or create your own selection in a box, which adds to the fun of visiting. It could be a nice little souvenir to bring back. Overall, it's a lovely shop with a traditional and charming atmosphere.

It seems to be colorful Japanese sugar confectionery. The appearance is also good. Although there is no photo, the recommended products seem to be "Wari Coolina" and "Tsuun".

I bought three seasonal wagashi. They were small and perfect for tea time. Our guests were also very pleased with them.

Shaved ice. A well-established shop with beautiful confectionery.

While exploring the area around Shitenno-ji Temple in Osaka, I decided to stop by this traditional Japanese confectionery shop. The shop is now run by the third generation and has won the highest award, the Honorary President's Award, at the National Confectionery Expo. Inside the shop, there are many colorful dry sweets displayed in a simple setting. I chose to try the following treats: "Wari Kōhō" for 510 yen, which is a type of amber sugar made by boiling agar with sugar to create a soft texture, and "Tsuu" for 130 yen, which is a dry sweet with red beans inside. I found the unique texture and natural sweetness of these sweets delightful and would love to come back to try more tea confections in the future.

Now, let's talk about Mr. Kawato. I happened to stop by this shop when I was visiting Shitenno-ji Temple. It has a charming atmosphere. When I entered the shop, I was amazed by the beautiful and exquisite dried sweets on display. I decided to buy "Warihi" and "Tsuu" as souvenirs this time. As the weather is getting warmer, I thought it would be nice to enjoy seasonal sweets. I love "Warihi". Actually, the "Warihi" from a shop called Fujimaru in Kyushu is the best, so if you're interested, you should try it there too! It's a dessert made of thinly coated agar with sugar, and the texture and cool atmosphere are really nice! Well, "Warihi" is good enough, but it's not something that will surprise you. "Tsuu" is also delicious, but I thought it would be better if the red bean flavor was a bit stronger to improve the overall balance. I know I rambled a bit, but this shop offers elegant and delicious sweets with a sophisticated charm, making them great souvenirs. By the way, it's a shame that the treasure house at Shitenno-ji Temple is temporarily closed for renovation, but I highly recommend visiting Kame-no-ike. In conclusion, if you're going to Shitenno-ji Temple, be sure to visit this shop!

Visited on a Thursday holiday at 12 o'clock. A traditional Japanese confectionery shop with a unique charm. This shop is famous for its grass mochi, so I chose the grass mochi with smooth red bean paste. The grass mochi with smooth red bean paste has a generous amount of red bean paste inside a thin grass mochi, with a balanced sweetness and a distinct grass mochi flavor that comes through afterwards, making it delicious. Perfect for gifts. The persimmon has white bean paste inside. Well, this is all about the visual appeal, as the taste is just as you would expect from its appearance.

This is a highly skilled Japanese confectionery shop that has won the top prize, the Honorary President's Award, at the All Japan Confectionery Exhibition. It is located on the approach to Shitennoji Temple from the Yuhigaoka Station on the Tanimachi Subway Line. Despite passing by many times, I didn't know about this place until a follower told me about it a while ago. When I finally visited, I found a wide variety of dried sweets displayed in a glass case inside the small shop. It was difficult to choose, but I ended up selecting "Wari Koori," a colorful dried sweet called "Nihon Mukashi Banashi," and "Mugi Rakugan." Each item was carefully packed in individual bags. Wari Koori has a thin sugar coating on the outside that is crunchy, while the inside is a pleasant firmness made of agar. I bought both plain and matcha flavors, and the matcha was particularly delicious with its sweetness and bitterness. Mugi Rakugan had a deliciously nutty flavor with a subtle sweetness from the barley flour. Although I didn't buy it this time, I am interested in trying "Tsuu" next time. Tsuu is a square-shaped sweet with azuki beans visible through an ice-like sugar coating. It is made with only agar, sugar, and azuki beans. It looks very refreshing, and the combination of the crunchy sugar coating, the jelly-like agar, and the large azuki beans is said to be excellent. It seems like there will be many customers around the time of the equinoctial week. Fortunately, there were no other customers on the day I visited, so I was able to choose at my leisure. Thank you for the delicious treats!

When you get off at the Yūhigaoka Station in front of Shitennoji Temple and walk towards Shitennoji, you will find a shop. In recent years, I have used the set of "dried sweets and cracked ice" for gifts on various occasions. This time, I really wanted to eat it personally, so I bought only the amber sugar, which is available all year round. The colorless type is available all year round, and around the end of June, colored ones are also sold. The outer layer is slightly thicker than extremely thin, perhaps due to a longer drying period. The inside is a sticky and creamy texture with a crystal-like transparency that can be seen through the other side. I thought the sweetness was mild at the beginning, but in the middle, the sweetness becomes clear and assertive. And towards the end, the sweetness clears beautifully. It has a definite flavor profile while not interfering with any drink (it even goes well with any type of tea), making it a perfect confectionery for tea time. The reason I became obsessed with amber sugar was because of the "cracked ice" from this shop. Once again, I was able to enjoy it very much this time. I find it very useful for when I need to give Japanese dry sweets as a gift, or when I suddenly crave amber sugar outside of summer.

In the summer, refreshing traditional Japanese sweets are available, such as warabi mochi, mizu yokan, and kuzu manju. Today, I would like to introduce a special summer treat called "mizu manju" available at the confectionery shop called "Kawafuji." This shop sells both dried and fresh sweets, and I discovered it through a book called "Anko no Hon." The mizu manju comes in three flavors: red bean, matcha red bean, and plum. The translucent outer layer reveals a generous amount of smooth red bean paste inside. The matcha and plum flavors have a delicate and beautiful color. The shop is located near the Minami Exit of Shitennoji-mae Yuhigaoka Station on the Tanimachi Line. It is recommended to make a reservation if you want to ensure you get your hands on these treats. I look forward to visiting this shop again to try their seasonal fresh and dried sweets.

It's a shop that I wanted to visit, recommended by a reviewer. It's a really small shop that you might overlook when driving along Tanimachi Street. The display of dried sweets in the vintage showcase inside is very pretty. I bought a box of seasonal sweets and black sugar sweets, which were delicious. The hint of black sugar flavor was really tasty. They have grass mochi with either whole bean paste or smooth bean paste, and I chose whole bean paste, but I think smooth bean paste would be better with this kind of mochi. The scent of mugwort was nice. The wheat gluten snack, which I thought was matcha flavored, turned out to have a nostalgic seaweed scent. These kinds of dried sweets are often associated with Kyoto, but this shop really captures the essence of Osaka. I would love to visit again.

There are cute dried sweets in a case, lined up in rows - "Wari Koori". It comes in two flavors, plain and matcha. The matcha flavor can change seasonally to black sugar or ginger, which is nice. They are soft and easy to break, with a rich and astringent matcha flavor. Another option is "Rakugan", which includes various flavors like hattai flour, azuki bean flour, and wasanbon. You can enjoy different flavors of rakugan in a mix. It has a gentle sweetness and a simple, nostalgic taste that melts softly and is very delicious.

I revisited this year as well in March 2015. Of course, I went to buy grass mochi. It was delicious just like in the past. I visited the confectionery Kato in March 2013. It is located on the way to Shitennoji Temple from the Yuhigaoka station on the Tanimachi subway line. The appearance of the shop makes you think that it has been in business in this area for a long time. When you open the glass door, the showcase catches your eye. There are various items, but I already know what I want to buy. Yes, grass mochi. The grass mochi here is delicious. I have purchased it several times before. This time, I bought both smooth red bean paste and chunky red bean paste. Both have a strong mugwort fragrance. I come here to seek this rich mugwort flavor. I am very satisfied this time as well. It is my favorite shop near Shitennoji Temple. I have to come back to buy more.