The tea flavor is strong and the children love it. We often eat it on our way back from visiting the grave.

Located in the Kyoto Sanjo Kai Shotengai on Sanjo Street in Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto City, this shop is situated on the south side between Chieko-in Dori and Teppo-zu Dori. The exterior blends in with the surroundings and has a quaint, rustic charm, with various types of Japanese tea displayed at the storefront. Inside, there is a soft-serve ice cream machine, creating a relaxed atmosphere where time seems to pass slowly. The shop offers a wide variety of tea, available in packs or for purchase by weight. The soft-serve ice cream comes in three flavors: green tea, vanilla, and a mix of both, each priced at 180 yen. The green tea soft-serve has a rich matcha flavor, smooth texture, and refreshing finish. The matcha is finely ground to bring out its aroma, resulting in a mellow sweetness. The ice cream has a hint of matcha bitterness and a flavorful, crispy cone. This shop is known as the birthplace of matcha soft-serve ice cream in Kyoto and continues to use the same traditional method. For takeout, the ice cream is served in a container similar to an ice cream sandwich, making it popular among a wide range of customers.

I had bookmarked a shop in the Sanjo shopping street because they used to have cheap soft serve ice cream. It used to be 165 yen, but now it's gone up to 180 yen. Still, it's a good price. I chose the green soft serve out of the three options available - vanilla soft serve, vanilla mix, and green soft serve (180 yen). It was slightly on the thin side but long and slender. Since it's a tea shop, the green soft serve was delicious. The quality was good and tasty, and for 180 yen, it's a good deal in this day and age. Highly recommended for a quick snack while exploring the area.

After leaving the Chifaja Nijo store, we arrived at Yano Jisaku-en in Kyoto, located in the Naka-ku district of Kyoto City. This shop is said to be the first or second in Japan to sell matcha soft serve ice cream. The shop has a historic charm as it is a tea leaf specialty store that has been around for a long time in Kyoto. The soft serve ice cream is made fresh and has a rich matcha flavor with a hint of bitterness followed by a smooth sweetness. It is a pure and delicious treat without many additives, perfect for those who enjoy matcha or hojicha flavors. The price is reasonable at 165 yen, making it a great option for a tasty and satisfying treat.

JR Sanin Main Line, Nijo Station or Hankyu Kyoto Line, Omiya Station ☆ Located in the middle of Sanjo Kaishoten-gai shopping street, Yano Jisakuen is a tea shop that started selling in 1955 and is known as the original creator of matcha soft serve ice cream. It is about a 10-minute walk north of Omiya Station. Walk east and then north on Gotenmae Street, and as you continue west on Gotenmae Street, you will come across moderate alleyways. At the west entrance of the shopping street, there is a meat shop called Hiro (not visited). In the hot summer and early autumn when you want to avoid oily food, you might not feel like eating fried food like croquettes or minced cutlets. If you have the chance, you might suddenly and forcefully say, "I want it fried!" because if it's not piping hot, it's not worth it (^^)v Yano Jisakuen is just a normal tea shop. There are no prominent flags or signs for the soft serve ice cream. I actually passed by it once (laughs) and ended up reaching the park where I was supposed to eat. It was strange, so I retraced my steps and found it on the second corner east of Gotenmae Street. The green soft serve ice cream costs 160 yen. When I visited at the end of September, it seemed like the off-season already. It's the classic rolled soft serve ice cream. They didn't roll it in front of me, but instead served it in a cup, which was frozen. "Is that okay?" (・-・)!? A cup? I thought it would be in a plastic container, but it turned out to be a soft serve ice cream with a hat on top. It was totally fine with me (laughs). It's still hot during the day at the end of September. I hurried to the park to eat it before it melted. Oh, a nostalgic Jizo statue. When I was a child, I used to go around visiting Jizo statues to get sweets during the Jizo Bon festival (at Koshien). I unwrapped the package, and there was a hat underneath, a cone cup. The taste was simple, and I wasn't very interested in the moist texture. Yes, the main attraction is the cream. It's green matcha cream! When I opened the cup and saw the glossy color, I took a bite, and it was rich and had no unnecessary bitterness or sweetness. You can slightly taste the astringency, and enjoy the true flavor of matcha. It's delicious with a simple and straightforward taste. Is this really a sweet treat? I usually don't like sweet things, but I can enjoy the sweetness of this. The sweetness is subtle, almost non-existent. The delicious taste of matcha and the simplicity of the taste are amazing. And all of this for 160 yen! Next time, I definitely want to try the normal rolled soft serve ice cream. I want to enjoy the smooth cream as well. I would love to revisit. But then again, the summer heat in Kyoto is no joke. What should I do? (laughs)

The taste has not changed since I was a child. The staff is also the same, which is nostalgic and makes me happy. When I first bought it, it was 120 yen, but now it's 160 yen. Still, I think it's cheap. I've tried matcha soft serve ice cream from various places, but this is the best. The matcha flavor is not bitter. It has the gentle aroma of real matcha tea, which is amazing! The sweetness is moderate, so the aftertaste is good too.

The shop that the wife found is actually a tea shop. When I searched online, it was introduced as the first shop in Japan to start serving matcha soft serve ice cream. Further research revealed that there are three shops claiming to be the original creators of matcha soft serve: Tamurin-en in Wakayama, and two shops in Kyoto - Yanojisakuen in Sanjo and Shinhachiyaya in Arashiyama. While the latter shop has only been serving matcha soft serve for about 20 years, the former two have been doing so since the 1950s, making one of them likely the true original. Interestingly, the last shop in Arashiyama has the highest number of search results, possibly due to its location increasing its popularity. With matcha soft serve becoming more common nowadays, the idea of being the original creator holds importance. I decided to visit Yanojisakuen in Sanjo, which was within a day trip distance. The shop is located in the Sanjo shopping arcade, with no parking available. The exterior looks like a typical tea shop, and inside, there were two ladies creating a relaxed atmosphere. The idea of adding matcha to soft serve ice cream came from a desire to make tea more accessible to the public during a time when it wasn't popular. The matcha soft serve, known as Green Soft, is made with plenty of Uji matcha, resulting in a rich and aromatic cream that transports you to a tea field with just one bite. Surprisingly, the price is only 160 yen, although it was 140 yen before a recent increase. It seems that the focus was more on promoting tea rather than profitability, which was truly admirable.

Located in the Sanjo shopping street, this tea shop is known for its original matcha soft serve ice cream, similar to the Tamurin-en in Wakayama. With a large matcha soft serve ice cream sculpture at the storefront, it's easy to spot. The matcha flavor is slightly bitter, not overly sweet, making it light and easy to eat. Priced at a reasonable 160 yen, it's a good deal compared to the 170 yen matcha soft serve in Wakayama. Both are equally delicious and worth a try. Address: 10 Minamiaburakake-cho, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto City.

Kyoto Ramen Tour Day 2 13th Stop Oh man, my stomach is about to burst from all the ramen I've eaten. I haven't had anything to eat for a while, but I can't resist some sweets (laughs). I want something sticky and sweet like daifuku or dango, not traditional Japanese sweets. I looked up some places on my phone and found a shop that caught my eye in the shopping street. It's a tea shop that also offers soft-serve ice cream to go. They have vanilla and matcha flavors. What caught my eye about this place is that it's said to be the first shop in Kyoto to sell matcha soft-serve ice cream. The first shop in Japan to do so was a place called Tamaryoen in Wakayama. Interestingly, both the Wakayama shop and this Kyoto shop belong to the same parent company, Futaba Group, which has been selling matcha soft-serve ice cream for about 60 years. There's another shop in Arashiyama called Shin Hachicha-ya that claims to be the original, but they've only been selling it for about 25 years, so they're just fibbing. It's like claiming to be the original when you're only a couple of years older—it's a bit cheeky. Anyway, I'll have a matcha soft-serve ice cream, please. It costs 160 yen, and I took a photo with it next to the black king (my camera). The black king seemed a bit shy and turned to the side. Huh!? And there's a generous amount in the cone. Nowadays, even convenience store ice creams have gone up to 120-150 yen, but this soft-serve ice cream is still 160 yen. Well, well, if it's not delicious, there's no point. Alright, let's taste it—wow, it's delicious! Rich, tasty, and with a nice aroma. It's not overly sweet, so it disappears in a moment when you lick it. I loved it so much that I almost went for another one (laughs). To be continued...

When my relatives from Kyoto couldn't visit, I had to order the tea I always enjoyed as a souvenir from them. After running out, I decided to visit the shop in Kyoto myself. I went to Furukawa Shopping Street and found matcha ice cream! I immediately ordered it and found the matcha flavor and aroma to be delicious. I used to not like matcha, but I trusted Yano-san and tried it. It was the right choice. Now whenever I visit Kyoto, I always make sure to buy tea leaves. The nearby river is also beautiful, making me feel like I'm really in Kyoto.

I love matcha soft serve and have tried it at various shops, but the taste at the original shop is truly unique. First of all, you can smell the good matcha aroma even before entering the store. At times, the smell reminds me of roasting nuts, but I think it must be the aroma of roasted leaves. The matcha soft serve here is definitely bitter and the way the matcha flavor spreads in your mouth is elegant! I have been here many times, but I already want to go again tomorrow for this exquisite treat!

I have been eating this since I was a child. I used to buy it after school. It is sold at tea shops in any shopping street. When you get close to the shop, you can smell the nice aroma of tea. I love matcha, and I have eaten matcha soft serve ice cream in many places, but Yano's matcha soft serve ice cream was the best. The matcha flavor is strong, and it gives you a feeling of satisfaction like "Ah, I've eaten it!" There is soft serve ice cream to eat in front of the shop and frozen ice cream cones to take home. It's a little cheaper at the annual Sanjo-kai festival.

Matcha soft serve is here.