Since trying the bracken rice cake, my partner seems to have really taken a liking to this shop. They have been going there occasionally, and this time they brought back some cherry blossom rice cakes. The smooth red bean paste inside was delicious as always, but what stood out was the smoothness of the outer rice cake, which was not typical of mochi made from mochiko flour. My partner, who is from the Kanto region, usually prefers cherry blossom rice cakes from Chomeiji and does not usually like mochi made from mochiko flour, but this one was a whole different level of deliciousness.

Kyoto, Nukata, "Houjiken" warabi mochi. The days continue to be hot every day. There is also a lot of rain. It's been a challenging time. Maybe eating delicious Japanese sweets will cheer me up. Come to think of it, I want to eat delicious warabi mochi after a long time. So, after studying seal engraving in Kyoto and on the way back, I decided to extend my journey to Nukata in Yamashina to visit "Houjiken" shop. About 10 minutes north from the station. It's extremely hot. The shop is a very ordinary Japanese sweets shop. It's a long-established shop, but it has a friendly and approachable atmosphere. The kind shop owner greeted me. The warabi mochi seems to be a very popular item, so I made a reservation just in case. Just need to pick it up. Everything went smoothly. Now, this time, of course, I got the warabi mochi. And since I came all this way, I also wanted to try other items, so I got the cherry blossom and matcha bean paste kuzu manju. There was a problem carrying them this time. I had other shopping to do, so it was difficult to keep them level. Unfortunately, some of the precious kinako powder for the warabi mochi was spilled in the container. Such a waste. Nevertheless, it was very delicious. The texture is unique and chewy. The sweetness of the bean paste and the kinako powder blend perfectly. The two types of kuzu mochi were also very good. The cherry blossom one had a faint cherry blossom scent, and the matcha one was delicious. It's a shame that the shop is not closer. Thank you for the meal. Shop Name: "Houjiken" Genre: Japanese Sweets Address: 9-1 Naka-zaika-cho, Nukata, Yamashina-ku, Kyoto City Phone: 075-594-5523 Business Hours: 9:00-19:00 Closed on Tuesdays Menu: Not specified Language: Japanese Thank you very much.

Local traditional Japanese confectionery shop. I love their Mizuki and Kuzumochi and visit often. The regular items are carefully made and delicious, impressing me every time. The staff is also polite and the atmosphere is very calming.

Kyoto, Yamashina, Nagino Tsuji, "Kyogashi-ya Yoshijiken" has an incredibly delicious warabi mochi. The scorching hot weather continues, making it unbearable. In times like this, finding a cool place to relax with delicious tea and snacks might help to recharge and feel better. Perhaps, you need to eat something really delicious for that to happen, right? That's when I remembered. A friend once brought me Kyoto's warabi mochi as a souvenir from their home in Kudoyama, and it was so delicious. Would eating something like that really lift my spirits? I couldn't resist the thought. I immediately texted my friend to ask for the name and location of the store. Luckily, I have plans to visit Kyoto anyway. It's quite far, towards Yamashina. However, it's not too inconvenient as it's along the Tozai Subway Line. So, I decided to go for it. I got off at "Nagino Tsuji" station. Walking north along the main street, I felt like I might faint from the heat. About a block ahead on the left, I saw the store. Upon entering, it looked like a typical Japanese sweets shop. Perhaps due to the location, the main attraction seemed to be the Oishi Kuranosuke Manju from the Chushingura story. The warabi mochi is extremely popular and sells out quickly, so I had reserved it in advance. The paintings displayed in the store looked like the work of Kamisaka Sekka or Kamisaka Matsukō. I couldn't help but ask, "Are these real?" If they were, it would be amazing. "They're not real, but numbered lithographs," they replied. Still, I imagine they must be quite expensive. Truly Kyoto. I then carried the warabi mochi all the way back to Kudoyama. The staff had advised, "It's best to eat it slightly chilled." I followed their advice. With just one bite, I was amazed. The texture was like popping in my mouth, and the flavor was light and sweet, spreading beautifully. It was incredibly delicious. Perhaps the secret of its popularity lies in its seemingly ordinary yet unique qualities? I may become addicted to this. In hot weather, this type of snack is the best. Thank you for the treat. Restaurant Name: Kyogashi-ya Yoshijiken Genre: Japanese Sweets Address: 9-1 Nakazaike-cho, Nagino Tsuji, Yamashina-ku, Kyoto City Phone: 075-594-5523 Business Hours: 9:00-20:00 Closed on Tuesdays Menu Language: Japanese Thank you very much. ===========

The restaurant looked high-class, so I had always just passed by until I saw someone had posted a review on Tabelog. When I visited the store in Yamaashi and parked my car next to it, a friendly hostess welcomed me, saying, "Today, everything is 20% off..." (there was also a sign in front of the store). I thought it was a lucky day to come across this place. The hostess kindly explained various items, and I ended up buying a total of 8 items including warabi mochi and manju for 932 yen with the 20% discount. The manju I tried was made with wasanbon sugar and had smooth red bean paste inside, while the warabi mochi had a layer of mochi on top of the usual mochi skin, both with elegant flavors. The warabi mochi had slightly thick skin, but the generous amount of red bean paste compensated for it. Even without the discount, it was surprisingly affordable and a nice store overall. However, I forgot to ask why there was a 20% discount that day.

The store is located just a short walk north from Nishijin Station on the Kyoto Subway Tozai Line. I was pleasantly surprised by the deliciousness of the Ueyo Manju I randomly chose, so I decided to write a review on Tabelog. The smooth "koshi-an" filling was incredibly delicious and I fell in love with it. The warabi mochi, also filled with "koshi-an", was the best I've ever had. Both sweets pair perfectly with tea or matcha. I can see why there are so many awards displayed in the store. I definitely want to go back again.