I have visited the main store of Itohkyu multiple times, but this Tower Sand store is my first time here! It was a super hot weekday afternoon, and there were only about 3 people in line at the register. I was surprised to see how smoothly I could enter as the main store is usually overflowing with people. I wasn't very hungry, so I ordered the single Momohata. It was delicious with the taste of peaches, and I enjoyed it until the end. I would like to stop by again when I come to Kyoto Station next time.

During the Bon festival, I went to Kyoto Tower for the first time in a while (^.^) It seems that in April 2023, a commercial facility called Kyoto Tower Sand, which gathers gourmet food, souvenirs, and experiences, will be reopened. I visited the popular fruit confectionery store Ito-ken, known for its parfaits and Japanese sweets! The store is lined with sweets, and they also offer cafe menus such as parfaits and shaved ice. The Momo Hat (¥1380) had a very impressive appearance with a double serving. Since there were no plates, it was a bit difficult to eat the whole peach. But the peach was sweet and very delicious♡ Inside the peach, there was jelly. I like the texture of the elastic jelly. It also came with whipped cream, white peach sherbet, custard, and bell-shaped castella cake. The castella cake had absorbed the moisture from the jelly and became a bit soggy. I was also intrigued by the visually striking melon and watermelon shaved ice!

The commercial facility from the basement 1st floor to the 2nd floor of Kyoto Tower Building, KYOTO TOWER SANDO, was renovated and reopened on April 22nd. Seven popular shops from Kyoto Prefecture, including a traditional Japanese confectionery store's café and sweets shop, have newly opened. The café area has expanded, and a space with public art installations has been created, offering a place where you can encounter the "now" of Kyoto. One of the places visited this time was a café run by Itohken, a traditional Kyoto confectionery store established in 1864. They offer visually impactful parfaits and sweets made with fruits delivered directly from the market, as well as various sandwiches and curries supervised by a vegetable sommelier, inspired by the name of Kyoto Tower Sand. You can also find a section for purchasing nostalgic and simple traditional Kyoto souvenirs in the store.

I visited a place I had been curious about for a while. I ordered the whole melon field. The melon was very sweet, and when I took a bite, pudding came out from the inside. It was the perfect parfait with lots of other things packed in that I like.

I purchased the "Moist Chocolate Sablé," which is said to be a popular item. It has surpassed sales of 100,000 units in the 2022 fiscal year. It is a baked confectionery consisting of sablé dough with matcha kneaded in and sandwiched with white chocolate. The slight bitterness of matcha and the sweetness of chocolate are perfectly balanced.

I wanted to visit this restaurant but the main branch is a bit far, so I was happy to hear that a branch had opened in Kyoto Tower. I went to check it out and ended up trying their parfait. They use fresh fruits, and the Sato Nishiki cherries were beautiful and delicious. The seeds had been removed perfectly, leaving a hole in the middle like a large bead. I couldn't help but peek inside. I would love to visit the main branch someday, but for tourists like me who find it a bit far, this branch is great news.

Kyoto Tower Sand, a commercial facility in front of Kyoto Station, underwent a renewal on April 22. The famous Fushimi shop "Itohken," known for its long lines, has opened a sister store called "Kaka Itohken," which boasts delicious fruit desserts. Founded in Kyoto in 1864, the long-established Japanese confectionery store "Itohken" has a stylish main store in Fushimi that is very popular for its vegetarian lunch and Instagram-worthy parfaits. However, it can be difficult for tourists to access, so the opening of the Kyoto Tower Sand store in front of Kyoto Station is great news! We tried the limited-time summer sweets. This season, there are plenty of melon sweets available. The "Melon Field" for 1,595 yen (tax included) looks like a whole melon, but it is filled with plenty of cream inside! When you cut it open, you'll find a hidden pudding inside! The harmony of fresh melon and sweet pudding is delightful. The sponge base absorbs the melon juice, making it juicy and delicious. And it's quite a generous portion. The "Shining Sun Melon Pancake" for 1,901 yen (tax included) is a Kyoto Tower Sand exclusive, featuring the popular avalanche pancake in a melon version starting from June 15. You peel off the film pancake yourself, and mascarpone cream flows like an avalanche. Inside, there is plenty of green melon! It's a luxurious pancake. The rice flour dough is chewy and somehow reminiscent of Japanese confectionery. Because it's made with rice flour, it's very filling! This is something you'll want to share. The smoothies for 715 yen (tax included) are rich smoothies that don't use ice. The mango and berry options both have lovely designs. The cross-section is adorable! You'll want clothes with a kiwi pattern like this. These unique and delicious sweets, made with seasonal fruits, are limited-time only. Each one is cute and generously portioned, making them highly recommended. The spacious cafe space has table and counter seating, making it easy to use for both groups and individuals. They are open until 9 p.m., so you can enjoy a dessert time after work.

I went to Itohken because they have Tower Parfaits. Itohken is known for their fruit-filled parfaits. I chose the strawberry parfait, which cost around 1500 yen. It was a weekday, so the restaurant was not crowded. The parfait that was brought to me was impressive. It was filled with plenty of strawberries, making it luxurious. Every strawberry was sweet and delicious, and I especially enjoyed the ice cream inside. I was very satisfied being able to eat lots of fresh strawberries.

The observation deck at Kyoto Tower was so crowded with foreigners and school trip students that I quickly walked around and came to this newly opened shop. There were many strawberries displayed in the showcase, so I thought it was a strawberry-themed shop and decided to come here. The water is self-serve. I ordered the "Strawberry Field" for 1,408 yen. The strawberries were fresh but not very sweet, lacking in flavor. However, they paired well with the whipped cream. The bell-shaped castella cake inside was too sweet. I wonder why it's included? It looks cute, but the taste was just average.

It seems that it just opened on April 22nd, so it's still a hidden gem cafe! It is located on the first floor of Kyoto Tower, where souvenir shops and Starbucks are lined up. The disposable hand towel was cute, so I couldn't help but take a picture. The water is self-service. The strawberry field parfait is filled with plenty of strawberries, as you can tell from its appearance, and inside there are bell-shaped castella cake, whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, and jelly. The heart-shaped sugar piece on top of the strawberries is a type of dried confectionery called "kizato"! The rose tiramisu also has plenty of strawberries inside. The rose on top is made of apple and was frozen. This rose is cute, but a bit difficult to eat, so I asked for a fork (since only a spoon was provided with the tiramisu). The restaurant only has large forks that are not suitable for desserts, so I thought it would be helpful if they had dessert forks available.

This is a shop that was renovated in April on the first floor of Kyoto Tower Sand. Although there is another Itohken store, there are limited edition items only available at Kyoto Tower Sand, so I decided to stop by. It was Saturday afternoon, but there weren't many customers, maybe because it wasn't well known yet or because customers went to the expanded Starbucks. I was able to place my order quickly. This time, I ordered the limited edition rose tiramisu. I was able to use Rakuten Pay, which was linked to a limited-time Rakuten Super Point, for payment before receiving the order. The dish arrived after a short wait. As the name suggests, there was a rose motif on top, with tiramisu and strawberries underneath. I tried it right away. The tiramisu was deliciously sweet. I was able to eat the rose as well, which was made from apples and was quite tasty. Since Itohken is available elsewhere, I wonder what will happen in the future.

Itohken Kyoto Tower Sand by Itohken has opened. I went with my friends in early May. Surprisingly, it's not crowded! In the past, my friends and I walked from Keihan Fushimi Station to arrive in time for the opening, but back then, there was already a line forming before opening. This time, it's been easy to get in so far. Plus, if you search Itohken on Instagram, you'll see the parfait that is served at this cafe. This time, I tried the seasonal strawberry parfait while my friend went for the chocolate one. It's a mix of black and white with a good amount of strawberries! In the middle, there's a bell-shaped castella cake, and at the bottom, there's lemon jelly for different textures to enjoy. Next time, I want to try the sandwich that is exclusive to the Kyoto Tower Sand store. #KyotoTowerSand #kyoto #KyotoStation #Itohken #parfait #parfaitlover #KyotoParfait #CafeHopping #KyotoStationCafe #strawberrysweets #strawberryparfait #KyotoTrip #KyotoSweets #KyotoCafe #KyotoSightseeing #KyotoCafe

On April 22, 2023, Kyoto Tower Sand reopened with new stores. On April 25, I visited for the first time. There is an Itohken shop on the north side of the first floor, and you can purchase souvenirs until 9:00 PM, but the last order for the cafe is at 8:00 PM. For cafe use, first secure a seat, then go to the counter to place your order. After paying, take a number tag and place it visibly on your table. Water is self-service and located behind the counter. As part of the grand opening promotion until May 7, if you show a post from the official Instagram of Kyoto Tower Itohken or Cafe Tamon in Kanazawa, you can get a free drink when ordering the collaborative dessert "Spring Snow Melting Pancakes." This is a recommended offer for those who want to try the pancakes. Collaborative Menu with Cafe Tamon in Kanazawa: Spring Snow Melting Pancakes - 1900 yen I ordered a hot jasmine tea using the Instagram campaign... It came in a pot, so I was able to have multiple cups. Review: The pancakes made with rice flour from Cafe Tamon were delightful. The film was filled with plenty of cream, and when you lift the film off, the rich mascarpone cream flows down generously, evoking the feeling of spring snow melting. It was visually appealing, and of course, the taste was delicious. With strawberry sauce for flavor variation, I enjoyed every bite until the last. There was a lot of cream, so I wished there was a spoon in addition to the knife and fork provided. Nonetheless, I used the spoon that came with my drink to scoop up the cream and enjoyed it. I look forward to trying other desserts at the cafe.

I visited a cafe that opened on the first floor of Kyoto Tower on April 22nd. ■ Fruit Confectionery Itohken It seems to be a cafe and confectionery store run by the long-established Japanese confectionery shop "Itohken" in Fukakusa, Kyoto. When using the cafe, it seems that you need to reserve a seat first and then place an order. The cafe area has large tables, and the shop itself gives a spacious impression. The interior is based on wood, with modern wooden walls lined with triangles being impressive. The interior design was said to be inspired by "origami." Itohken's cafe is known for its parfaits and sweets made with plenty of fresh fruits delivered directly from the market. I was surprised to see a lot of strawberries lined up in the refrigerated case next to the register. When I opened the menu book, I found parfaits, sweets, and sandwiches. The parfaits made with seasonal fruits that can only be enjoyed at that time are a must-try menu! This time, I ordered a sweet with plenty of strawberries. When you order a sweet, you receive a number tag and place it on the table where it can be seen. It seems to take a little time to make the parfait. While waiting, I explored the retail space. The shelves were filled with rice crackers and snacks. There is also a wide variety of candies and jellies. After a while, the strawberry parfait arrived. ● Strawberry Field A parfait made with plenty of popular fruits at Itohken's main store. This time's strawberry field uses about 19 strawberries. At the top, there is a heart-shaped white dried confectionery that looks cute (^-^) The strawberries are packed all the way to the bottom. From the bottom up, there are layers of jelly, vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, bell-shaped castella cake, and strawberries. I immediately started enjoying the strawberries. The slightly acidic, sweet and sour strawberries are delicious. When eaten together with strawberries and whipped cream, it's just right, and the sugar sprinkled like snow adds more sweetness. The mint is also a nice accent. After enjoying the strawberries for a while, I reached the cool and sweet layer of vanilla. It was a perfect encounter when I was starting to get a little tired of strawberries! The bottom layer is filled with jelly, and I enjoyed the strawberries along with the jelly's bouncy texture. I finished it all in one go. It was a luxurious dessert where you can enjoy strawberries in multiple layers! Until now, you had to go to the outskirts of Fushimi to enjoy fruit parfaits, but thanks to the opening of a new store at Kyoto Tower Sand, I'm glad that you can now enjoy it near Kyoto Station (^-^)

It was very delicious. I was able to relax.

Kyoto Tower Sand has been renewed, and this is a newly opened shop. I had the strawberry parfait. It was so photogenic! Although the season is different, it had a visual like snow falling with powdered sugar, and it was deliciously sweet and sour.

There was a cafe bustling with women, and various Kyoto sweets were being sold. I bought some as souvenirs. I thought it was a strawberry tart, but it turned out to be a pie filled with lots of apples and cranberry dried fruits. It was delicious and well received.