When walking towards Hamacho from Amazake Yokocho, you will find a quaint Japanese confectionery shop called Kyoto Kashishi Hikukuro, hidden behind the line at Yanagiya. This shop is a branch of Tamado, which stands proudly in the building at the entrance of Amazake Yokocho. The specialty of Kyoto Kashishi Hikukuro is the "tora-yaki," not to be confused with "dora-yaki." The name comes from the tiger-like stripes that appear when you peel off the thin paper wrapping the sweet. The thick waffle-like dough, made with wheat, exudes a fragrant and gentle flavor, while the sweet red bean paste melts in your mouth, leaving an elegant aroma and aftertaste. In addition to the tora-yaki, they also sell sakura mochi, offering both the "Chomeiji" and "Domyoji" varieties. Domyoji features a delicate pink hue and a mild sweetness, while Chomeiji has a chewy texture and a subtle flavor. The sakura blossom topping adds a touch of saltiness, blending Kyoto elegance with Edo sophistication. Another seasonal treat to try is the "kashiwa mochi," made with a mixture of joshinko and kuzuko. The soft grassy mochi carries the scent of mugwort and oak leaves, symbolizing prosperity. The grainy red bean paste complements the refreshing aroma of the oak leaves. The combination of flavors and scents is truly invigorating.

When I was feeling the heat, I remembered there was takeout shaved ice available. I had a crispy shaved ice topped with strawberry syrup and condensed milk. Thanks to that, I was able to recover! Thank you for the meal! Please check out my other posts as well! I also have an Instagram (@ranko_foodie). Thank you!

Visited around 17:50 on Saturday. After eating taiyaki at "Yanagiya," I originally planned to go to a different traditional Japanese sweets shop but ended up going to the one next to it that caught my attention. Warabimochi was sold out. What caught my eye instead was the "Torayaki." It's basically a dorayaki, but the name intrigued me. I also bought a large Hikokurou manju that looked interesting. - Torayaki: 260 yen x 4 = 1,040 yen - Hikokurou manju: 600 yen x 2 = 1,200 yen Total: 2,240 yen I shared them with my family after returning home. Torayaki: "Named after the tiger pattern that appears when you peel off the thin paper wrapping, 'Torayaki' is a specialty of our shop. The fluffy baked dough is soft and inside is plenty of sweet red bean paste. The red bean paste is made with a mild sweetness, so you can enjoy it lightly." (From the store's website) The origin of the name was found on the website. The sweet dough that is fluffy yet not dry, and the textured red bean paste. It was light and easy to eat. I think it's a taste that is hard to find in other shops. Hikokurou manju: "A beautiful manju with five layers when cut. In the center, there is a large chestnut, surrounded by red bean paste, smooth white bean paste, and a sticky texture upper-use manju made with yam. You can enjoy different flavors and textures in each layer. We also sell cute zodiac manju for New Year's." (From the store's website) I bought it because the sample at the store was beautiful and the size was large. The chestnut was moist and soft. The layers of bean paste were smooth and had a great melt-in-your-mouth texture. It was very delicious traditional Japanese sweets. Thank you for the meal.

I bought a dorayaki in Ningyocho. The level of sweetness is just right. It's small, but the shape of the bean paste and the half grain, the mashed bean paste, and the moist skin make it easy to eat in one bite. It has 199 calories and is low in calories. Ningyocho has many sweet shops, so it's a happy place to walk around and enjoy eating and buying souvenirs (laughs).

While purchasing a taiyaki from the neighboring famous taiyaki shop, my companion bought a cold amazake from this shop. We sat on the red bench in front of the shop and drank it. I actually don't like amazake, but since they bought it for me, I had to drink it. I sniffed it and it didn't have that unpleasant smell. The scent of sake lees was faint. I took a sip and surprisingly, it was easy to drink! There were a few grains in it. I learned that cold amazake is easier to drink.

You can tell the difference between Tamakyo-do and Dorayaki from the packaging, whether it says "Hikokurou" above the Tamakyo-do or not. If it just says Hikokurou, then it's the Dorayaki from here. They have been using the same wrapping paper since the time of the owner's grandfather. They mentioned that Tamakyo-do and Dorayaki are like siblings, but I didn't know how deep to delve into it. The taste is completely different from Tamakyo-do. Unlike Tamakyo-do, the red bean paste in this Dorayaki is chunky and the outer skin is refreshing. It is definitely delicious. There were many delicious Japanese sweets lined up. There are plenty of delicious things in Ningyocho. I will come back again.

Despite being located on the same street as Amazake Yokocho, I had never been to this shop before! It is a very well-established and elegant shop. As I always say, enjoying a piece of traditional Japanese sweets at home with a cup of coffee is truly a blissful moment. And when it comes to Japanese sweets, it has to be anko (sweet red bean paste), right? So, I bought a classic dorayaki. To cut to the chase, both the dough and the anko were exceptional! I definitely want to go back for some snacks, and I'm also interested in trying their warabi mochi!

I visited in the early afternoon at the end of the year. I was hoping to try the grilled mochi and warabi mochi, but unfortunately the warabi mochi was sold out. I tried the grilled mochi for 260 yen. It had a fluffy pancake-like skin with a sweet bean paste filling. The bean paste had a strong bean flavor, but overall it was light. It felt quite heavy at first, but surprisingly, I finished it quickly! I also bought some as a gift, and it was very well-received. I am satisfied!!

Located in Tsunaji, this place is often mistaken for Tamagindo Hikukuro. There is no background music inside. I tried the "Tora-yaki" for takeout. The skin is soft and distinctive. It is filled with plenty of sweet red bean paste, but not too sweet, allowing the flavor of the skin to come through well.

When it comes to dorayaki, I usually buy it at Tamayado, but this time I bought it for the first time at Hikokuro! It's a small shop where you can quickly buy it on the go. The price is 240 yen each, which is cheaper than Tamayado. The red bean paste has a texture that lingers and is satisfying to eat! It's my favorite type, but it wasn't as sweet as I thought. The skin part is a bit dry and harder than Tamayado. *I think it's a matter of preference. The appearance of Hikokuro's dorayaki is the same as Tamayado's, but comparing the delicate taste differences is also a fun part of exploring Ningyocho.

Soft and fluffy with a slightly airy texture, this dorayaki costs ¥240. It has a generous amount of sweet red bean paste filling that's not too sweet, giving it a refreshing taste that's not heavy. The thick and satisfying texture of the cake makes it enjoyable to eat. This would make a great gift that anyone would appreciate! You could easily eat several of these.

In early April, I planned to have a cherry blossom mochi tasting while enjoying the cherry blossoms. Originally, I was going to travel around by bicycle, but the weather suddenly changed to rain, so I switched to using the Tokyo Metro and Toei Subway with a one-day pass. I walked from Kayabacho to Suitengu Shrine and Ningyocho. I found out that Tamagindo also sells cherry blossom mochi, so I stopped by. I was surprised to see that they have the same lineup of sweets as Hikokuro, which I didn't know had the same name behind Tamagindo. Later, I found out that they are both shops from Kyoto, so they share the same roots. I bought two types of cherry blossom mochi here for 500 yen. After tasting all six cherry blossom mochi, the Kanto-style cherry blossom mochi ranked fourth. My husband thought the Daifuku here was the best. Personally, I felt that the cherry flavor was a bit weak, and the fact that the Daifuku had red bean paste inside was a minus point. The Kanto-style mochi also felt a bit too light for my taste. Just my preference...

In this area, there are several traditional Japanese sweet shops with the name Hikokurou, but I wonder if they are all the same shop. I saw a picture of delicious strawberry daifuku displayed at the storefront, so I decided to stop by. Strawberry Daifuku - ¥350 Juicy strawberries. The sweet red bean paste and soft mochi are delicious. It's a classic, but very tasty.

When I tried to visit the famous dorayaki shop in Ningyocho, it was already sold out by 1:00 pm. What a disappointment! But I really wanted to eat dorayaki! So I walked around and stumbled upon this place. They really make it at home - that's the impression I got. I like this kind of dorayaki too. I bought enough for my family and enjoyed it at home with some coffee. By the way, in my family, we have always been fans of having coffee with dorayaki. This dorayaki goes really well with coffee. The red bean paste tastes homemade and delicious, and the skin is moist, or rather, sticky. But this slight stickiness is what makes it delicious. My dad even said, "This is the best dorayaki I've ever had." We will definitely visit again!

I visited a small shop in Ningyocho, the mecca of Dorayaki. The Dorayaki had a fluffy texture with a mildly sweet red bean paste filling. It had a subtle sweetness and was not too moist. However, both the pancake and the red bean paste lacked moisture, making me want some tea to go along with it. I wish the red bean paste had a bit more moisture.

The other day when I went to Ibaraki Prefecture, my friend told me about a delicious warabi mochi from Hikokuro in Ningyocho. I remembered hearing about Hikokuro before, but couldn't recall where it was. When we were driving after having dinner at a udon restaurant, my friend pointed out that it was next to Yagura. I realized I must have seen it before. So, I decided to come and try it out. I bought a box of warabi mochi and took it home to eat. When I opened the box, I found large pieces of warabi mochi covered in kinako powder. It didn't have any syrup on it and was meant to be eaten as is. I popped a piece into my mouth. Unlike the one from Naganote, which was smooth and melted in your mouth, Hikokuro's warabi mochi was more bouncy and had a satisfying texture. The sweetness was natural and not overpowering. It didn't have that dry and bothersome texture that some warabi mochi have. It naturally coated my mouth without being intrusive. I finished it in no time. Next time, I'll buy a few more and share them with the friend who recommended it to me. I'm sure they'll be delighted!

A traditional Japanese confectionery shop located in Ningyocho Amazake Yokocho. There used to be another shop with the same name nearby, run by siblings, but it became a completely different shop after the owner passed away. The name Amazake Yokocho originates from the sweet sake served at the Owariya shop in Ningyocho in the past. The shop originally operated in Kyoto and expanded to Tokyo, where only the Tokyo shop remained and became its main base. While the neighboring taiyaki shop always has a long line, this shop is quiet with occasional customers peeking in. I tried the amazake at the storefront and bought warabimochi and torayaki. The warabimochi is a Kyoto-style with only kinako powder, no black honey. It has a soft and elegant taste, very delicious. The torayaki is slightly small with a soft castella dough skin and a moist texture filled with sweet red bean paste. It's a cozy traditional Japanese confectionery shop and I think it's a great place.

I felt like eating dorayaki, so I bought one from a nearby store. It was called "Torayaki" and had a tiger-like pattern instead of the usual dorayaki design. The cake was on the smaller side with a thick dough, and overall it was quite sweet. I prefer less sweetness, so I found it a bit too sweet. The red bean paste was chunky with whole beans still visible. The dough was chewy and more cake-like than fluffy.

The sweet sake here is incredibly delicious! And it's only 150 yen! I'm amazed! They make it using only rice malt without using sake lees. It's the best! The owner is a kind-hearted lady with a warm personality, like a typical lady from the old town. However, being a long-established Kyoto confectionery, she has grace and conducts herself beautifully, which is lovely. I'm sure she can make tea skillfully too. If you bring a water bottle or a thermos, she will pour however many cups you want. I don't come here often, but I'll definitely tell my friends in the area about this place.

On the way back from visiting Suitengu Shrine in Ningyocho, I stopped by this shop in Amazake Yokocho and had a cup of sweet sake for 150 yen to warm up. Intrigued by the freshly made sign out front, I also tried their freshly made rice cakes. Both the soybean flour rice cake and sweet bean paste rice cake had a different texture from store-bought rice cakes and were delicious. Thank you for the meal.

While waiting in line to purchase taiyaki at Yuyake, I noticed that the store next door was selling amazake. After buying the taiyaki, I also purchased a bottle of amazake to drink. I found it to be less sweet compared to store-bought ones. It's nice to enjoy it together with the taiyaki. It makes me feel like I can welcome the new year with this.