I came to "Kokurayamaso Ujijojo Branch" to buy a souvenir for someone I am indebted to! I also ended up buying some for home as well! The item I purchased this time is "Wagurayama Shunju (10 bags) for 1,080 yen (tax included). This snack is one of my top 10 favorite gifts to receive. It contains 8 different flavors of rice crackers, each representing a different aspect of the "Ogura Hyakunin Isshu" poetry collection. Each cracker is individually wrapped, making it a perfect snack to enjoy during a break. The flavors include shrimp, black sesame, black soybean, seaweed, salt, sugar, soy sauce, and nori. I didn't realize the depth of meaning behind each cracker until I read about it on their website. The main store of "Kokurayamaso" is located in Nagaokakyo, and I discovered that they have several shops on the premises, including a farm dining cafe, a sweets shop, and a chocolate shop. I must visit these places as a fan of "Kokurayamaso"! The rice crackers were delicious. Thank you for the meal!

In late October 2015, I received a souvenir from Kyoto. I have tried the rice crackers from this shop before, but this is my first time trying their senbei. Saganoyaki - a senbei with a secret soy sauce blend, bonito flakes, and bonito extract, topped with nori for a stylish look! This senbei has been around since the early days of Kokurayamaso, with a strong flavor that is somehow nostalgic and never gets boring. Each pack contains 2 pieces (20g) with 89kcal of energy.

I received a chocolate called "Koi Iro Omohimeshishi (Sweet)". When I opened the box, there were several long chocolates in triangular packaging. Based on the colors, I imagine there are three types: milk chocolate, white chocolate, and strawberry chocolate. Let's try it. "Crunch"... "Crunch"? Oh, there were persimmon seeds inside. It was a snack with persimmon seeds coated in chocolate. Oh, I see, it was in the shape of persimmon seeds! I didn't notice, my apologies! It turns out it's from "Nagaokakyo Ogurayamaso", a specialty shop for Kyoto rice crackers and snacks. It's cute, surprising, and I think it would make a good souvenir.

I moved to Kansai about twenty years ago, and ever since then, I have had many opportunities to eat this local rice cracker. When it comes to Kansai rice crackers, this place is the first one that comes to mind. Over the past twenty years, the number of stores has increased significantly. They offer a wide variety of flavors and the packaging has a Kyoto-like feel to it. What's great is that there are no disappointments here. The regular rice crackers have a perfect balance of texture, saltiness, and sweetness, setting the standard for me. Recently, they have introduced some unique variations like rice crackers coated in chocolate, which are also quite tasty. I still use this place for gifts, and of course, I enjoy eating them myself as well.

I often use this store for souvenirs, summer gifts, and year-end gifts. The store has a calm atmosphere and there are usually other customers as well. It seems to be popular for various occasions. I have received gifts from this store before and this time I purchased the "Ogura Mountain Shunju" in a small can. Although I haven't tried it yet, I have heard that it is a delicious and elegant snack. There are various flavors available in small packets, so there is no risk of getting a flavor you don't like. The store used to have a separate garage when it was closer to Okubo Station, but now the parking is right in front of the store which is convenient. I remember when I bought a large quantity for a memorial service, a female staff member helped me carry the products to my car. I often use this store for gifts for various occasions because it's easy and I don't have to worry about expiration dates. I will continue to use this store in the future.

The rice crackers from Ogurayama-so are often given to me by my parents during memorial services. Since I got married, my friends here also line up early in the morning on special days at Ogurayama-so in Seibu to buy rice crackers. I have a sweet tooth, so if I eat sweets, I always go for something sweet. But the rice crackers here are different! Each one has a unique flavor, and when you bite into them, it's just so delightful~╰(✿´⌣`✿)╯ I often eat these two: - Ogurayama Shunshu: A bag of eight small rice crackers representing the four seasons in Japan. Each one has a different taste and texture, using both polished rice and glutinous rice. The flavors include Zaramesenbei, Tamarishoyu Senbei, Norisenbei, Aonori Senbei, Tanba Black Bean Rice Cracker, Black Sesame Senbei, Ebi Okaki, and Salad Senbei. - Sagano-yaki: A secret soy sauce flavor with a simple seasoning. Finished with seaweed from Ariake for a fragrant touch. Ogurayama-so started with just this one kind of rice cracker in a small shop in the countryside of Kyoto without any advertising. It's like a deluxe version of rice cracker onigiri. Both are meticulously crafted in terms of taste and texture, making them irresistible. The shop has been around for a while, but I heard they recently relocated to this new place.