It's June, so I bought Minazuki at a new store for the first time. The orange one is kinkan. It was new to me, but that's about it. The brown sugar had a few large red beans. I think the regular kind would be better. The young ayu was a bit small.

I went to buy minazuki. There were 5 types available: white, matcha, brown sugar, chestnut, and kumquat, and I had a hard time choosing. They were all priced at 180 yen each. I bought the white and matcha flavors, but I preferred the matcha one. Both had plenty of sweet red beans, which provided a satisfying texture.

The opening of a new traditional Japanese confectionery shop in my hometown was such a big event that I can't remember. I was curious about what kind of shop it was, so I decided to visit. I went there on a weekday afternoon, parked in the garage next to the shop, and opened the door. The shop had a cashier in front of the door, a display case towards the back, and table seating on the left side. Since there were no other customers, I sat down and looked at the menu. I ordered the "Japanese Confectionery & Coffee Set" for ¥500. I listened to the soothing piano (healing) background music as I looked around the shop. There were 5 tables with a total of 12 seats, and tea utensils were displayed here and there. I noticed a staircase in a slightly odd place, with orchids placed from bottom to top. The Japanese confectionery grass mochi was elegantly sized with a refined sweetness. I wish they used higher quality ingredients, but considering the price, it may not be feasible. The grass mochi was said to be freshly made, but as I feared, it was difficult to separate and ended up in a pitiful state. Since there was no one around, I picked up the paper underneath and ate it by scraping it off. Later, I visited a famous shop in the city to try their Japanese confectionery for comparison. The beauty, deliciousness, and texture of their Japanese confectionery were terrifyingly exquisite, as well as the price. Japanese confectionery may be the gateway to the demon world.

There is a rare Japanese confectionery shop with a cafe corner in the area around Uji Station. I was worried because I couldn't find a nice place to have tea when my friend visited, but now I feel relieved. The shop just opened last month and the interior is beautiful and elegant. I ordered a set of Monaka and my friend ordered a set of Dango. The Monaka was served with separate skin and filling, so it was crispy and delicious. The Dango came with three different sauces to enjoy. The atmosphere was calm and we ended up staying longer chatting. The staff even gave us a cute Taiyaki as a service. The two sets we ordered came with tea and cost only 500 yen, so it's a great value. I will definitely come back here for souvenirs next time I go elsewhere.

This used to be a shop inside Oremaruyama. I heard that it has moved. A cute café has opened, where you can eat traditional Japanese sweets. Today, I bought taiyaki (small), dried sweets, red rice, etc., totaling 1160 yen. When I want something a little sweet, I can't resist the temptation and end up buying something. Oh no, I might buy more again... The previous shop was bustling with customers at the end of the year with rice cakes. Chocolate and roll cakes are nice, but I still prefer traditional Japanese sweets. The prices are reasonable too!