Located halfway up the Gion district's Ninen-zaka slope, this place may be a bit hard to find, but just look for the sign! I ordered the Warabi-chaa and Mitarashi dango for dine-in, and the Hatsukoi Warabi for takeout. The Warabi-chaa with black honey, soybean flour, and tofu was incredibly delicious. The plain Warabi mochi inside was also tasty, making me want to come back again. The takeout Warabi mochi was also delicious. Next time, I'll try the melt-in-your-mouth premium Warabi mochi with a 1-hour shelf life.

Today, I visited a new Japanese confectionery shop near Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto. Located in the middle of Gojozaka, I went to a shop called "Shikemawashi Kotokyo." Their concept is "We want young people to enjoy Japanese confectionery." They value the traditional culture and techniques of Japanese confectionery while evolving the appearance into what they call "Neo Japanese confectionery." The shop has a stylish interior and mainly focuses on take-out, but you can also sit outside and enjoy your treats. I checked out their drink menu and found drinks inspired by tapioca drinks, but instead of tapioca, they use ingredients like warabi mochi, shiratama, and yatsuhashi. I decided to try the "Yatsuhashiccha" drink, which has tiny pieces of yatsuhashi, a Kyoto specialty, in it. The drink base options were matcha, hojicha, and black honey kinako soy milk. I ordered the hojicha as it pairs well with fresh yatsuhashi. I also had a mitarashi dango, which was reasonably priced at 180 yen per stick. It was served on a boat-shaped plate and had a slightly cool temperature, perfect for the warming weather. The dango had a wonderfully chewy texture and was quite satisfying to eat. Overall, "Shikemawashi Kotokyo" is a fun and innovative Japanese confectionery shop targeting young people. Their drink with yatsuhashi was particularly unique and captured the essence of Kyoto.