After visiting Byodoin Temple, I stopped by this place. I had an elegant soft serve ice cream for 500 yen. The slightly bitter hojicha flavor added a nice touch and made it satisfying to eat. The Uji no Midori souvenir was also elegant, with a soft and moist rice cake wrapping around sweet bean paste and matcha filling. I devoured it all! It was delicious. Definitely worth a visit!

Along the road from Uji Station to Byodoin Temple, there is a famous store called "Fukujuen Uji Wagashi Factory" which is operated by the well-known Fukujuen. Since I had the opportunity, I decided to stop by and check it out. There were many traditional Japanese sweets displayed, but this time I purchased the matcha karinto. The sweets here are said to be made in their own factory, so I had high expectations. The price was 350 yen plus tax. Now, the bitterness of matcha was hardly noticeable. It was just a delicious, sweet karinto. The only thing that seemed matcha about it was the color (laughs).

On the way back from Byodoin Temple, I was craving something sweet so I looked for a cafe that serves green tea. I found a cafe on the second floor and decided to go in. It turned out to be a cafe owned by the famous Fukujuen, known for their Iri-en tea. I ordered the Zenzai set for 840 yen, which came with Zenzai, a mini matcha, and a traditional sweet called "Uji no Midori". The matcha was delicious when added to the Zenzai. The "Uji no Midori" sweet was freshly made, with a soft mochi skin and just the right amount of sweetness, which I really enjoyed. The staff at the cafe were friendly and kept refilling our tea. Even though we entered around lunchtime, we ended up staying until the cafe closed at 5 pm.

As a matcha lover, I saw the pamphlet for "Uji Tea Specialty Sweets Uji no Midori" and thought I had to try it at least once! So, I bought a total of two for myself and my family. I've passed by this shop many times, but I've never seen many customers inside. I was worried about buying a lot and it not being delicious. When I got home and tried it, it was just average. I wish they emphasized the matcha flavor more.