One recommended Kyoto souvenir is shichimi, which is convenient, doesn't take up much space in your luggage, and can be easily purchased at Isetan before boarding the Shinkansen. In particular, black shichimi has a unique and distinctive flavor, making it a must-have for Kyoto shichimi. However, even though it's shichimi, everyone has different tastes. Most shichimi bought as a matter of course comes in pre-seasoned packages. There are surprisingly few places where you can have it made to your liking. Near Kitano Tenmangu Shrine, in front of Kamigawa River, there is a shop called Chobunya where you can have your shichimi custom blended on the spot. Back in the Showa era, during year-end shopping trips, I often went to the Nakadachiuri shopping street near Tenmangu Shrine with my friends. At the edge of the shopping street, there was a small, open-air shop with a width of less than 2 meters. Watching the owner mix the ingredients in a mortar right in front of us, my discerning friend would request extra sansho pepper for a spicy taste. He was particular about the shichimi he sprinkled on his New Year's soba. Eventually, that shop disappeared. For a long time, there was opposition to the construction of a large supermarket in Kitano Shirakumachi, and the shopping street declined. But when apartments started popping up here and there, the shopping street began to revive slightly. Then, one day, in the spring when I went to see the scattered camellias at a temple on Ichijo Street, I decided to stop by Kitano Tenmangu Shrine and found a shichimi shop... it was this shop. It was a joyous discovery. The shop has become much more impressive than it used to be. Perhaps due to their steady efforts, they have gained many loyal customers. Of course, since then, I have been visiting the shop about once a month. However, since the Reiwa era, the range of products has expanded. Originally, the main focus was on custom blending, but recently they offer freshly made packs of sansho pepper only, as well as ichimi and curry powder. Furthermore, ingredients such as nori and sesame for shichimi are now available for selection. You can even blend your own shichimi. This is a wonderful option. In the past, while I was having it freshly ground, the owner mentioned that people from Kyoto always ask for extra sansho pepper. They really like it. So, if the color of the sansho pepper looks a bit less green, they might say, "Is this old?" It's strict. So today, I once again requested a blend with extra spiciness, sansho pepper, and nori. The moment I transfer the freshly made shichimi into a container at home, the fresh scent that floats up is simply irresistible. Despite being a bit more expensive these days, in the current circumstances, this luxury for the price of a coin is highly recommended.

Located in a residential area off Kitano Shirakabegai, this specialty store for chili peppers seems unlikely to be stumbled upon by chance. I visited to find some Sansho pepper after it was recommended by a Kyoto kaiseki restaurant. The store looked new and could comfortably fit about 3-4 customers at a time. It seemed to attract a mix of tourists and locals, so it was always bustling. Upon entering, there were about 7-8 ingredients displayed, including chili peppers, Sansho pepper, black sesame seeds, white sesame seeds, poppy seeds, nori seaweed, shiso leaves, and hemp seeds. They would mix these ingredients according to the customer's preference. However, to make it easier for amateurs to purchase, they had a list showing the spiciness levels, quantity, and prices. They also had a pre-made option for "extra Sansho pepper." The spiciness levels ranged from "mild" for miso soup to "extra hot," with 4 levels in total. I purchased small packets of "medium" for table seasoning and "spicy" for my wife. The "medium" seasoning had a unique aroma and flavor that was different from typical seasonings. It's hard to describe in words, but my wife, who loves spicy food, really enjoyed it. The "spicy" seasoning looked similar in color and aroma, but when you taste it, the spiciness slowly builds up. My wife laughed when I reacted with "wow, that's spicy!" The Sansho pepper (large size for 750 yen) had a vibrant green color and a strong flavor and spiciness that far surpassed store-bought options. It was truly top-quality, just like what you would find in a high-end kaiseki restaurant. I was captivated by it. When I asked why it was green instead of the usual brown, I was told that it was slowly ground to prevent it from getting hot. The two male staff members efficiently and attentively assisted customers.

Nanamigoya Nagabunya in Kitano Hakuba-cho is a shop where you can have your own blend of shichimi (Japanese seven spice blend) made to your liking! While they have four basic blends - mild, medium, spicy, and very spicy - you can also request custom combinations such as extra sansho pepper or no pepper at all. This time, I requested two blends with only sansho pepper in the spicy category, and I plan to mix them according to the ingredients I'm eating! It's better to buy small amounts frequently rather than in bulk, as the flavor is richer and more delicious that way.

When I go to Kyoto, I almost always visit this place! I like how they ask about your preference for condiments and adjust the spiciness and flavor for you. They make it in front of you with great skill, which is fun to watch! My favorite is "Rokumi"! Rokumi is... Seven-spice blend minus red pepper equals Rokumi! In other words, it's suitable for those who don't like spicy food. Without red pepper, the flavor of Sansho pepper stands out, making it a great choice for Sansho lovers. I often buy it as a souvenir and it's always well received! Sprinkling it on simmered dishes or soba noodles enhances the flavor wonderfully. The photo... is of the opened package, I apologize for that.

I visited "Chokotto Kyoto" and as soon as I entered the shop, I was greeted by a wonderful aroma of shichimi. They blend it right in front of you, pack it, and you can have a fun conversation with the shop owner. They told me that shichimi needs to be refrigerated.

A great smelling spice shop! The aroma of their shichimi is amazing! With this, even bad udon will surely become delicious udon! (laughs)

I happened to stop by a restaurant and tried their udon noodles. They used this shichimi spice blend, which was refreshing and fragrant, and I really liked it. I ended up asking for the restaurant's name and went to buy it.

I have been raised on the shichimi and sansho from here since I was little, so I can't stand the ones bought at the supermarket. The flavor is outstanding.

The stone-ground Sansho pepper is very good.

I visited a specialty shop for carefully crafted shichimi and powdered sansho near Kitano Tenmangu Shrine in Kyoto, recommended by SNMZ. It was the perfect place to purchase a unique Kyoto souvenir at the end of my Kyoto gourmet trip. The shop had limited parking space, so I had to wait briefly for a spot to open up. Upon entering, the shop was filled with the aroma of spices. A man wearing a T-shirt and a towel on his head was blending shichimi for customers. I ordered medium spicy shichimi, ichimi, and special sansho powder. The transparent case displayed ingredients like red pepper, sansho, white sesame, and hemp seeds. I opted for a milder shichimi with more sansho. Back home, I cooked udon with Kagawa's Kamada udon noodles, topped with the usual Kagawa dipping sauce and Naruto dried seaweed. Opening the shichimi bag released a delightful aroma. Sprinkling it on the udon enhanced its flavor and spiciness, making the meal even more enjoyable. I now look forward to adding a dash of shichimi to other dishes. Thank you for the experience!

When you enter the store, the aroma is amazing! The scent of sansho pepper is fantastic. It makes me break out in a sweat. It's so wonderful here. Just the aroma alone makes my body feel warm. It must be the natural spices, sansho pepper and shichimi, that give me energy. I heard that Chinese cuisine uses sansho pepper for spiciness, while Korean cuisine uses chili peppers. Here, you can customize your spice level from mild to hot. This specialty store for sansho pepper and shichimi is my favorite in Japan. The aroma is so important, it tickles all five senses. My hair stands on end. Maybe it's the spiciness of the shichimi that does that. I don't get goosebumps or feel scared at all (laughs). The dishes here are amazing. I admire their dedication. The store is clean, the chef is friendly, and it's conveniently located on Ichijo Street. I've visited the top three shichimi shops in Japan: Shimizu Shichimiya in Tokyo, Yagembori Nagano Hachimanya, and Isogoro in Kyoto. But I still prefer this place. It feels more like a sansho pepper shop than a shichimi shop. I'm a fan of sansho pepper, so this place is perfect for me. I always have sansho pepper and shichimi in my fridge. They're essential seasonings. If you don't keep them fresh, the flavor and aroma will fade. You need to restock regularly. At an eel restaurant, you can tell the quality of sansho pepper by its color and aroma. It needs to be a deep, beautiful green. Sansho pepper is especially known for its aroma. Appearance is important, like a turtle shell. It's true that quality matters. I buy other spices too, but when I'm in Kitano, I always want to stop by here.

When I go to Kyoto, there is a place I always visit. Kyoto is actually a mecca for shichimi (seven-spice blend). You can find delicious shichimi togarashi (seven-spice blend) in many places, but one place you cannot miss is "Chobunya" in Kitano Hakubaicho. They blend shichimi togarashi, sansho pepper, sesame seeds, etc. in a mortar for each order, and their shichimi togarashi is loved for its high fragrance. In Japan, there are three long-standing shichimi togarashi shops nationwide that I know of: Nakajima Shoten in Asakusa, Tokyo, Shichimiya Honpo in Kiyomizu, Kyoto, and Hachimanya Isogoro in Zenkoji, Nagano. Each shop has its own unique blend and uses different ingredients. Nakajima Shoten mainly uses raw and roasted chili peppers, as well as tangerine peels, while Shichimiya Honpo uses fragrant ingredients like nori seaweed and shiso leaves. Hachimanya Isogoro in Nagano focuses on creating a balanced shichimi blend suitable for Nagano's cold climate. The ingredients used may vary depending on the region's characteristics. The shichimi blend at "Chobunya" consists of traditional ingredients such as chili peppers, sansho pepper, mustard seeds, sesame seeds, nori seaweed, black sesame seeds, white sesame seeds, and shiso leaves. This is a traditional Kyoto blend. I think Kyoto locals like sansho pepper, and the best powdered sansho pepper I know of is available at Chobunya. Located near Kitano Tenmangu Shrine in Kitano Shoten-gai, Chobunya has been operating as a specialty store for shichimi and sansho pepper for a long time. They relocated to Kitano Hakubaicho several years ago and are now run by the third generation and his son. The freshness is evident as soon as you enter the store, with a pleasant aroma of shichimi. They carefully select eight spices for their shichimi blend: sansho pepper, sesame seeds, chili peppers, mustard seeds, nori seaweed, black sesame seeds, white sesame seeds, and shiso leaves. They blend the spices in front of you according to your preferred level of spiciness and flavor. First, you decide on the level of spiciness by choosing from mild, medium, spicy, or very spicy based on the amount of chili peppers. Then, you can specify preferences like "more sansho pepper" or "more sesame seeds." The master's delicate touch is enjoyable to watch, and the aroma in the store is irresistible. For noodles, "medium spicy with extra sansho pepper" might be a good choice, while for grilled chicken, "very spicy with extra sansho pepper" is recommended. Trying different combinations with different dishes is also enjoyable. Another highlight here is the Kishu stone-milled sansho pepper. It is made from premium grapes sansho pepper from a specific farm at the foot of Mount Koya, ground carefully in a stone mill. This pepper has an exceptional aroma and numbing sensation, and it is only available during the winter, not from mid-May to late October. I ordered the "medium spicy with extra sansho pepper" and was amazed by the aroma and delicious taste of the sansho pepper. It goes well with soba, udon, grilled chicken, pork miso soup, miso soup, and ginger pork. It is so delicious that I put it on everything. The shichimi here not only adds spiciness but also enhances the flavor of the dishes, making them more satisfying. Since the aroma is crucial for shichimi, it is recommended to store it in the refrigerator when not in use or buy small packets frequently. It is also a great gift for gourmet friends.

Located near Kitano Shirakumemachi Station, Kitano Tenmangu Shrine is a shop where the staff will carefully explain the products as they are custom-made. It is recommended to check the navigation before driving there, as the shop is located on a narrow street. Tasting the products in-store and using them at home can result in different flavors and spiciness levels, so choosing can be difficult. It is possible to ask for more of your favorite ingredients, but I chose a product that was pre-mixed at the standard spiciness level. The flavor is best when purchased, so it is important to store it in the refrigerator after opening and use it quickly. The price is determined by the amount of sachets, and I paid around 300 yen for five sachets, the smallest amount available. If it were closer, I would definitely come back here for my shichimi needs!

"I have tried various shichimi blends in the past, but it's hard to find one that really suits me. Just when I find one I like, it seems to disappear from the market. I often end up going back to the classic shichimi blends like Nanamiya, Yagenbori, or Hachiman'ya Isogoro. While these blends are satisfying, sometimes they lack the spiciness or the aroma I'm looking for, or the sansho pepper is too overpowering. Recently, I found out that you can customize your own blend at Ochanoko Saisai, so I decided to give it a try. I ordered a blend that was spicy with a nice aroma, and the staff at the shop helped me create it. They started with a basic blend and then added spiciness and citrus flavor based on my preferences. The end result was quite good, but the downside was that when I bought a large bag for convenience, the flavor seemed to fade. So, I decided to visit Nagabun-ya, a shop nearby that blends shichimi on the spot. At Nagabun-ya, you can choose from three levels of spiciness - mild, medium, and hot - and then customize it further. The owner recommended the medium level over the hot one, and after tasting it, I could feel the spiciness and acidity without it being too overpowering. I learned that the acidity and spiciness in the medium blend come from yuzu and sansho pepper. Too much sansho pepper can overpower the blend, so finding the right balance is key. The owner also mentioned that shichimi is best used as a condiment to enhance dishes rather than overpower them. The shelf life of shichimi is short, so it's best to buy in smaller quantities that you can consume within a month or two. I ended up buying a small amount of the medium blend and a very spicy blend, which I tried in pickled cucumbers. The shichimi completely transformed the flavor, eliminating any unwanted taste and bringing out the best in the cucumbers. When I tried the very spicy blend on its own, it was initially hot but had a refreshing finish that made the cucumbers taste sweeter. Adding the very spicy blend to the shichimi, however, resulted in a loss of flavor and a lingering spiciness. It was a valuable lesson in the importance of balance in shichimi blends. Overall, the experience at Nagabun-ya was enlightening, and I look forward to exploring more blends and spices in the future."