Say you are on a business trip and do not have enough time to travel to Japan’s ancient capital, Kyoto. But let me suggest to you that you can still enjoy Kyoto’s prominent traditional sweets while you are in Tokyo.

Gion Tokuya – Harajuku

Its main shop is in Kyoto Gion, better known for one of the exclusive geisha districts in all of Japan. All the sweets at To-ku-ya may work on your appetite and my recommendation is Wa-ra-bi Mo-chi. Warabi Mochi is a Japanese jelly made of starch of plant root. Yes, I know. It does not sound very tempting, but trust me here. You are going to enjoy the soft and chewy texture of jelly with yummy black sugar sirup. Very crowded on weekends. Close to U-ki-yo-e Ohta Memorial Museum of Art. How about tea break after visiting a museum?

Menu
Warabi mochi 1200 JPY
Green tea and Japanese cake 900 JPY
Parfait 1300 JPY

Open
Weekdays 12:00 – 20:00
Weekends and holidays 11:00 – 20:00

Access
Address 2-31-12 Jingumae Shibuya-ku
TEL 03-5772-6860

Kyo Hayashi-ya – Roppongi

Kyo Ha-ya-shi-ya was found in 1753. One of the oldest tea plantation in Uji – Kyoto. Green tea of Uji (u-ji-cha) is the highest rank tea in Japan. A sweet using u-ji-cha is the most popular menu at Kyo Hayashi-ya, but my recommendation are sweets of Ho-ji-cha (roasted green tea). You can go to any supermarkets in Tokyo and will find green tea ice cream or chocolates, but not ho-ji-cha sweets. It is rare even in Tokyo.

Menu
An-mi-tsu 1050 JPY
Parfait 1100 JPY
*An-mi-tsu is a bowl of jelly, ice cream, sweet bean paste and other delicacies

Open
Everyday 11:00 – 21:00

Access
Hayashi-ya is in Tokyo Midtown
Address 9-7-3 Akasaka Minato-ku
TEL 03-5413-0396