I visited the island of Shimabara in Kyoto to experience the culture of the geisha district. After finishing my sightseeing, I decided to stop by "Sanshodo Ogura" to buy some Kyoto traditional sweets. On that day, it was during the Gion Festival, so I purchased a special item called "Yomogi Namafu Mochi" with packaging resembling the festival's "chimaki". While the "chimaki" from the Gion Festival is not meant to be eaten and is used for offerings, this Kyoto Namafu Mochi can be enjoyed as a treat. It is a Kyoto-style namafu mochi made with domestic yomogi and filled with smooth sweet bean paste. Namafu mochi is originally a traditional confectionery from Kyoto.

I used to buy a lot of different sweets at this shop, but I never posted about them... This time it's "Yuba Mochi". Depending on the season, they sell various types of fresh yuba mochi. The scent of bamboo leaves is nice! It has the chewy texture typical of fresh yuba mochi, but I couldn't taste the yuba at all (^^;) I like yuba, so I thought "oh!" but maybe the regular one would have been fine too? + The filling inside is a bit watery?

There are many places that make wheat gluten, but when it comes to fresh wheat gluten, Kyoto and Kanazawa are representative. In Kyoto, I sought out the famous Japanese confection, wheat gluten steamed bun, on my way back from a short trip to Kyoto. The most famous wheat gluten steamed bun is "Fuuka," loved by Shibusawa Bunroku, and I have purchased and enjoyed it several times in Kyoto. This time, I found the corner where Kyoto's famous confectionery is gathered at Takashimaya, and my wife found it while I was wandering around wondering what to get. It didn't have to be the one from "Fuuka." It's not like the taste varies greatly, so I agreed and made a quick decision. When I got home, I had it with green tea at 3 o'clock the next day, and it was a very nostalgic experience. The chewy texture of the gluten is nice. It doesn't have a strong taste itself, but the sweetness of the strained bean paste inside quietly spreads. It was well done. It felt a little small and lacking, but it's impolite to eat a lot of Japanese sweets, so it's fine. It enhanced the lingering feeling of the trip.

Located in the heart of Tokyo, this food supermarket offers a delicious treat called Chestnut Anko Mochi made with fresh wheat gluten. Priced at 648 yen plus tax (700 yen), this mochi has a gentle sweetness and a soft texture. The main store of Sanshodo Kokura can be found near the Nishi Honganji Temple. Their Chestnut Gluten Mochi (limited to autumn season) is made with domestically grown chestnuts cooked in sweet syrup and then mixed into the anko filling. The wheat gluten is infused with the flavor of Kyoto's traditional tea, creating a unique taste. The store also offers a variety of other Kyoto-inspired treats such as Yomogi Gluten Mochi, Matcha Gluten Mochi, and Yuba Mochi, all made with different flavors and ingredients to enjoy throughout the year. Additionally, their expertise in creating these traditional sweets was recognized with the "Honorary President's Award" at the 25th Hyogo Himeji National Confectionery Exhibition.

I received this "warabimochi" as a souvenir from Kyoto. The box is filled with pieces of warabimochi, which you cut yourself and sprinkle with black sugar and soybean flour. It is sweeter than it is matcha-flavored. The jelly-like warabimochi makes for a nice snack.

After enjoying a satisfying meal at Ryotei Otofumi, we stopped by a nearby Fu shop called Sanshodo in Kyoto City. This shop also has a branch in a department store in the city. Their Fu mochi with a smooth red bean paste mixed with finely chopped cherry blossom petals has a delightful cherry blossom fragrance. Although it is a bit disappointing that it contains sweeteners and additives, the soft Fu paired with the delicious red bean paste is a tasty treat with a seasonal touch. In the vicinity of Shimabara, there are also longstanding establishments such as the Ryotei Otofumi, the former Tempura shop now transformed into a Taisho-era romantic café called Kinse Ryokan, and the traditional Japanese confectionery shop Itoken, named after a courtesan.

On my way back from a trip, I stopped by Kyoto and bought some souvenirs for home. They had matcha and black sugar warabi mochi, but this time I chose the classic white warabi mochi. It's not pre-cut, so you can cut it to your preferred size. It comes with kinako powder, which you can adjust to your liking. Made with real warabi powder, it has a chewy texture! Even with a small amount of kinako, it was delicious. I like the cheap warabi mochi from the supermarket near my house, but... these authentic ones are just so good! I enjoyed the classic warabi mochi so much that now I want to try the matcha and black sugar ones. If I have the chance to stop by Kyoto again, I would definitely buy more. Thank you for the meal. It was delicious!

I like the novel "Ryomaden" by Asada Jiro. So, although I have walked around Kyoto Shimabara, I had not seen the Omon Gate! So, this time, after visiting Nishi Hongan-ji Temple, I went to see the Shimabara Omon Gate. It is located in a normal shopping street and residential area. It seems that the suffering of women who were once sold from poor households is now like this. I feel the passage of time. And as I looked at the Omon Gate lit up by lanterns at dusk, I noticed a small Japanese confectionery shop that exuded a delicious atmosphere! Moreover, they were selling my favorite fresh fu-mochi. And they had just started the autumn limited chestnut flavor. How could I resist?! It's a very small shop. There are a few seats inside, but due to the consumption tax rate, I opted for takeout. Well, considering the size of the shop, it would mainly be a takeout shop. I was curious about the regular fresh fu-mochi, but since it was a special autumn chestnut flavor, I chose that! A pack of 3 pieces cost 648 yen including tax. They were neatly wrapped in bamboo leaves, very authentic♪ Let's try them at the inn! The fresh bamboo leaves have a nice fragrance. And the texture is very "fresh fu-mochi~!" It's chewy and shiny. It's so satisfying! The size is small, but the quality of the fresh fu-mochi is superb! However, the chestnut paste was a bit different from my taste, as the chestnut flavor was weak. It was too light, I would have preferred to try the regular one. That's why I rated it a bit lower, but I think the regular fresh fu-mochi might be tastier... I will try that next time and then give a revised evaluation. Thank you for the meal! by Sunao

This is a traditional Japanese confectionery shop near JR Tamba-guchi Station. The area around here feels like a quiet residential neighborhood, not attracting many tourists. However, there is the former red-light district "Shimabara" nearby, with preserved buildings like the "Kadoya" brothel. It is definitely a part of Kyoto's historic streets. Right in front of the shop is the entrance gate to "Shimabara", where historical figures like Saigo Takamori visited during the end of the Edo period. The shop itself is in a modern building with a traditional tiled roof. Inside, the showcase is refrigerated, displaying fresh mochi wrapped in bamboo leaves. Their main product is the fresh mochi, available in various flavors like mugwort, yuzu, matcha, and brown sugar, all sold in packs of three for 648 yen. Other refrigerated items include kuzukiri (410 yen), fresh mochi with red bean paste (410 yen), and bamboo water yokan (1,080 yen for three pieces). They also offer non-refrigerated items like tea dango (540 yen for 24 pieces). I tried the Matcha Fresh Mochi, a refrigerated item priced at 648 yen for three pieces. When purchased, they provide a cooling pack. The mochi has a thin green color even after unwrapping the bamboo leaf. The texture of the mochi is soft and delightful. The green color is unclear if it's from matcha or the bamboo leaf. The taste is also hard to distinguish. The red bean paste inside has a subtle matcha flavor. It's a simple yet delicious treat with an intriguing texture, worth trying. Although not a typical tourist spot, I recommend visiting this shop for their tasty fresh mochi. When exploring the historical sites like Kadoya, make sure to grab some fresh mochi here.

My second daughter and I went on a bus tour to Kyoto and bought Kyoto warabi mochi. It contained a large matcha-flavored warabi mochi. We cut it and arranged it on a plate, then sprinkled plenty of kinako powder on top. It was light and delicious.

Nama-fu anmitsu. The raw wheat gluten is fluffy. The black syrup is light, giving a refreshing feeling. The sweet red bean paste is glossy and smooth. It would be nice if there were more raw wheat gluten. I should have also bought the wheat gluten steamed bun.

I received a set of moon-viewing dango ^ ^ They were sold in a set of 4. The mochi had a chewy texture, with a layer resembling cowhide on top, topped with matcha and red bean paste. There were also ones shaped like rabbits. There is a shop at Kyoto Station near the 2nd floor exit. It's in a great location right in front of the ticket gates. I didn't notice the main store here...

The fluffy texture of the bun with incredibly smooth red bean paste inside makes for a snack that is sure to become addictive. Great for adults.

There were various reasons, so I suddenly went on a day trip to Kyoto. This time, a friend accompanied me for the day, so we had a field trip-like experience as we toured around. Our first stop was at Hishioya, where I wanted to get the "usubane" that I couldn't buy before due to it being sold out. However, there was a sign saying "Closed until the 12th" which was disappointing. So, we decided to visit the shop across the street instead. Even though it was just a day trip and still early in the morning, we couldn't get the refrigerated items, so we opted for some non-perishable items. We chose three types of madeleines shaped like the jewel-like ornaments on the bridge railing (140 yen each excluding tax). We tried the matcha, plain, and red bean flavors. They had a Japanese touch but still had the buttery flavor of madeleines, making them a good option for souvenirs as they have a good shelf life. Thank you for the meal.

Personally, I absolutely love fresh fu-mochi. And when it comes to fresh fu-mochi, it has to be from Kyoto! I couldn't leave without buying some as a souvenir from Kyoto! So I bought a pack of 6 on my way home and put them in the fridge. The soft and chewy texture, like a baby's skin, is not just a privilege for parents of newborns! I love it so much! This smooth sweet red bean paste might be a bit thin, but the main attraction for me is the texture of the fresh fu on the outside. It's not exactly perfect for my taste, but I'm addicted to the chewy texture of fresh fu!

I found and bought the freshly made Fu-mochi from Sanshodo Ogura at Shimabara Omon-mae station. The shop seems to be relatively new in Kyoto, with a history of less than 80 years. There are many traditional Japanese sweets inspired by the Gion Festival this month. The seasonal Fu-mochi with the Gion Festival tag caught my eye. When I opened it, I was greeted by the refreshing scent of bamboo leaves. The bamboo leaves were fresh and vibrant, and when I spread it out, the Fu-mochi was soft and cool. The sweet bean paste was not too sweet. It's a perfect summer Japanese sweet treat. They also had amulet rice cakes for warding off evil spirits, but personally, I prefer the lightness of the Fu-mochi. It tastes even better when chilled in the refrigerator.

This is a review of the long-established Japanese confectionery shop "Sanshodo Ogura" which has been in business for 76 years. I visited during their Hina-san Appreciation Festival from February 28th to March 3rd. The shop is located on Hanaya-cho Street, just before Shimabara Omon gate. Even though it was a Saturday before noon, the shop was quite busy due to the big sale event. I bought Yuba Mochi (3 pieces for 450 yen, normally 630 yen) and Strawberry Daifuku (1 piece for 150 yen, normally 210 yen). The Yuba Mochi had a sweet red bean filling wrapped in fresh yuba, with a great yuba flavor. The Strawberry Daifuku used high-quality strawberries and was delicious. While the regular prices are a bit high, both were very tasty, especially the Yuba Mochi which was unique and interesting.