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10 Tasty Kyoto Sweets to Snack On While in Town!

10 Tasty Kyoto Sweets to Snack On While in Town!

Last updated: 10 February 2021

You'll encounter a variety of Kyoto sweets when exploring Japan's popular city. Particularly in the area around Kiyomizu Temple, which is home to the charming old Kyoto streets of Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka, you'll find tasty foods that will make walking through the town even more fun.

From mitarashi dumplings with their fragrant scent to cute Kyoto sweets that you’ll just have to take a photo of, here's a guide to 10 must-try treats.

Table of Contents
  1. 1. Jeremy & Jemimah: Fluffy cotton candy arranged to your liking
  2. 2. Kyo Kanmi Bunnosuke Chaya Kiyomizu: Famous warabi mochi combined with soft-serve ice cream
  3. 3. Kirakuan Okamoto Sannenzakaten: Cute and popular Maiko Hanyaki
  4. 4. Souhonke Yudofu Okutan Kiyomizu: Homemade soy milk paired with black honey
  5. 5. Kiyomizu Kyoami: Famous Kyoto Yatsuhashi confection, in cream puff form
  6. 6. Umezono Kiyomizuten: Specialty bale-shaped Mitarashi dumplings
  7. 7. Kyodango Fujinami Kodaijiten: Excellent handmade dango with the taste of Kyoto
  8. 8. Kiyomizu Ninenzaka Ishidatami: Exquisite soft serve and delicious ingredients
  9. 9. Saryo Tsujiri Kodaijiten: Casually drink specialty matcha!
  10. 10. % Arabica Kyoto Higashiyama: Fresh coffee and beautiful latte art
  11. Enjoy Kyoto sweets on your next trip!

1. Jeremy & Jemimah: Fluffy cotton candy arranged to your liking

Stick watagashi (cotton candy)
Stick watagashi (cotton candy)

Colorful cotton candy from Jeremy & Jemimah is bound to attract attention as you walk around. The shop is a short walk north of Kiyomizuzaka on Higashioji Dori.

Using sugar developed in-house, the popular “Stick Watagashi” (648 yen, tax included) comes in plain flavor as well as traditional Kyoto flavors like hojicha and black honey kinako.

  • JEREMY & JEMIMAH
    JEREMY & JEMIMAH
    • Address 51-4 Shimobenten-cho, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto 605-0823
    • Phone Number 070-4169-4008
    • Hours: 11:00 - 17:00

2. Kyo Kanmi Bunnosuke Chaya Kiyomizu: Famous warabi mochi combined with soft-serve ice cream

Warabi Mochi Soft Serve Ice Cream
Warabi Mochi Soft Serve Ice Cream

Along Sannenzaka, right next to the Kiyomizu Sannenzaka Museum, is Bunnosuke Chaya which is famous for its soft, chewy warabimochi, a Kyoto sweet that melts in your mouth.

Combining warabimochi and soft-serve ice cream, “warabi mochi soft” is the most popular menu item, including “Matcha soft cream + matcha warabimochi” (500 yen, excluding tax) and “Kinako soft cream + warabi mochi” (500 yen, excluding tax) varieties.

  • Kyo Kanmi Bunnosuke Chaya Kiyomizu
    京甘味 文の助茶屋 清水店
    • Address 3-333-3 Kiyomizu, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto 605-0862
    • Phone Number 075-561-3172
    • Hours: 10:30 - 16:00 (Usually open every day; currently Saturday and Sunday only)

3. Kirakuan Okamoto Sannenzakaten: Cute and popular Maiko Hanyaki

Maiko Hanyaki
Maiko Hanyaki

When you go to Kyoto, you may or may not see a maiko walking through the city’s ancient streets, but you can certainly eat maiko-shaped Kyoto sweets at Kirakuan Okamoto, which has a shop on Sannenzaka.

There are four types of cute Maiko Hanyaki (250 yen each, tax included): Anko, Custard, Matcha, and Ham & Cheese, all with excellently moist dough. The “Kirakuan croquette” (200 yen, tax included) is also popular and nearly 1,000 are sold each day.

  • Kirakuan Okamoto Sannenzakaten
    喜楽庵 岡本 産寧坂店
    • Address 3-340-3 Kiyomizu, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto 605-0862
    • Phone Number 075-708-5338
    • Hours: 10:00 - 18:00

4. Souhonke Yudofu Okutan Kiyomizu: Homemade soy milk paired with black honey

Soy milk black honey shaved ice
Soy milk black honey shaved ice

At Souhonke Yudofu Okutan Kiyomizu, located near the intersection of Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka, carefully hand-made tofu has been popular since the shop’s founding about 385 years ago. There are also take-out menu items like the recommended “Soy milk black honey shaved ice” (500 yen, tax included).

The rich taste of homemade soy milk and the refreshing sweetness of black honey is outstanding. In addition to shaved ice, there are other Kyoto sweets that use soy milk, so be sure to try a few.

  • Souhonke Yudofu Okutdan Kiyomizu
    総本家 ゆどうふ 奥丹清水
    • Address 3-340 Kiyomizu, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto 605-0862
    • Phone Number 075-525-2051
    • Hours: 11:00 - 16:30 (last order 16:00), Saturdays, Sundays and holidays 11:00 - 17:30 (last order 17:00); closed Thursdays

5. Kiyomizu Kyoami: Famous Kyoto Yatsuhashi confection, in cream puff form

Yatsuhashi Shu
Yatsuhashi Shu

Located right in front of Kiyomizu Temple on Kiyomizuzaka, Kiyomizu Kyoami sells a variation on Kyoto’s famous “Yatsuhashi” confection in the form of its “Yatsuhashi Shu” (300 yen, tax included) cream puffs. Many customers buy more than one of the puffs, filled with matcha or vanilla cream.

The interior of the shop features a modern Japanese style with matcha color décor (for the time being, in-shop service is canceled). Another popular item is the soft-textured, egg-free “Hororo” (600 yen, tax included) cookie.

  • Kiyomizu Kyoami
    清水京あみ
    • Address 1-262 Kiyomizu, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto 605-0862
    • Phone Number 075-531-6956
    • Hours: 10:00 - 18:00

6. Umezono Kiyomizuten: Specialty bale-shaped Mitarashi dumplings

Mitarashi dumpling
Mitarashi dumpling

Mitarashi dango dumplings are said to have originated in Kyoto, but are now loved all over the country and are representative of Japanese sweets.

In general, skewered dango are round, but Sannenzaka’s Umezono’s Mitarashi dumplings (420 yen, 460 yen for eat-in, tax included) are bale-shaped. These savory dumplings are delicious with their secret sweet, spicy sauce and are bite-sized so they’re easy to eat.

  • Umezono Kiyomizuten
    梅園 清水店
    • Address 339-1 Kiyomizu Sanneizaka, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto 605-0862
    • Phone Number 075-531-8538
    • Hours: 11:00 - 18:00 (last order 17:30)

7. Kyodango Fujinami Kodaijiten: Excellent handmade dango with the taste of Kyoto

7. Kyodango Fujinami Kodaijiten: Excellent handmade dango with the taste of Kyoto

At Fujinami, you can enjoy standard Kyoto sweets including Mitarashi Dango, Matcha Dango, and Warabimochi. The Kodaiji store opened in June 2019 at the entrance of the stone-paved alley called Ishibei Koji near Kodaiji Temple.

In spring the row of cherry trees in front of the store is in full bloom. While you can dine in, many items are take-out favorites like the “Kyo Dango Assortment” (1,050 yen, tax included) that contains five Mitarashi Dango and five Matcha Dango.

  • Kyodango Fujinami Kodaijiten
    京だんご 藤菜美 高台寺店
    • Address 463-24 Shimogawara-cho, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto 605-0825
    • Hours: 10:30 - 17:30 (*Varies depending on weather)

8. Kiyomizu Ninenzaka Ishidatami: Exquisite soft serve and delicious ingredients

Ishidatami 2 - Chestnut and pumpkin soft serve & Ishidatami 3 Matcha soft serve
Ishidatami 2 - Chestnut and pumpkin soft serve & Ishidatami 3 Matcha soft serve

Named for Ninenzaka’s stone pavement (ishidatami), Kiyomizu Ninenzaka Ishidatami is well known for soft-serve ice cream.

The unique “chestnut and pumpkin soft serve ice cream” was discontinued in July 2020, but patrons can still enjoy “Matcha soft serve ice cream” (500 yen, tax included), which uses a generous amount of handmade matcha paste for a matcha aroma that really stands out. In May, drinks made of green plums harvested near Kiyomizu Temple are also on sale.

  • Kiyomizu Ninenzaka Ishidatami
    清水二年坂 石畳
    • Address 352 Masuya-cho, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto 605-0826
    • Phone Number 075-551-3031
    • Hours: 10:00 - 17:30; closed Tuesdays (*There may be temporary closures during stormy weather)

9. Saryo Tsujiri Kodaijiten: Casually drink specialty matcha!

Green tea
Green tea

Gion Tsujiri, famous for its selection of Uji tea, has a store in Rakuichi Nene, in front of Kodaiji Temple, downhill from Kiyomizu Temple via Ninenzaka.

There are many attractive in-store menu choices such as special “Tsujiri parfaits,” and plenty of take-out options like “Green Tea (310 yen, tax included) and “Matcha Au Lait” (420 yen, tax included). Here you can drink authentic teas made from selected tea leaves and luxuriously quench your thirst as you walk.

  • Saryo Tsujiri Kodaijiten
    茶寮都路里 高台寺店
    • Address Kyou-rakuichi “Nene” 1F, 530 Shimogawara-cho, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto 605-0825
    • Phone Number 075-541-1228
    • Hours: 11:00 - 17:00 (last order 16:00); closed Thursdays (unless a public holiday)

10. % Arabica Kyoto Higashiyama: Fresh coffee and beautiful latte art

10. % Arabica Kyoto Higashiyama: Fresh coffee and beautiful latte art

If you're tired of walking and want to take a break, we recommend % Arabica Kyoto Higashiyama. Roasting just enough coffee beans for daily use in their own local roastery, you’ll always enjoy fresh coffee.

When you order the hot “Latte Blend” (500 yen, tax included) or “Single Origin” (500 yen, tax included), you can look forward to watching the baristas create delicate latte art.

  • % Arabica Kyoto Higashiyama
    アラビカ京都 東山
    • Address 87-5 Hoshino-cho, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto 605-0853
    • Phone Number 075-746-3669
    • Hours: 8:00 -18:00

Enjoy Kyoto sweets on your next trip!

In addition to the souvenir shops, there are many small eateries on the approach to Kiyomizu Temple along Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka. The variety of ice cream, fragrant dumplings, and cute Kyoto sweets will give you plenty of great photos to share!

Text by: Efeel

*This information is from the time of this article's publication.
*Prices and options mentioned are subject to change.
*Unless stated otherwise, all prices include tax.

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