At Kamigamo Shrine, you can enjoy freshly grilled mochi at Aoiya Yakimochi Sōhonpo. On a scorching hot day, the hot mochi served on a sizzling iron plate provided a much-needed energy boost in the cool air-conditioned space. Thanks to the sugary treat, I was able to recharge and continue exploring Mt. Hiei in the afternoon. A must-try in Kyoto for those looking for delicious sweets and snacks while sightseeing.

Takeout☆ Yakimochi 135 yen on August 3, 2023 Hello♪ When it comes to souvenirs from Kamigamo Shrine, of course, it's "yakimochi"! Today, I will introduce you to Aoiya Yakimochi Sohonpo. The establishment dates back to Showa 25 (1950). The method of making yakimochi has been refined since the establishment, resulting in the current delicious grilled rice cake. The outer layer of the rice cake is made from Haneju glutinous rice from Echizen, Shiga Prefecture, which creates a soft and chewy texture. The red bean paste is made from large beans from Tokachi, Hokkaido, providing a satisfying texture of bean grains. Another unique feature of this shop is the use of mugwort in their grilled rice cakes. Initially, they used locally grown mugwort, but now they carefully select mugwort from Zao to ensure it can be enjoyed all year round. Although it is commonly referred to as Aoiya, the formal name is "Aoiya Yakimochi Sohonpo". Despite its long history, the store has recently been renovated and has a fresh new look.

I went to Kitayama and bought some famous yakimochi near Kitayama. This time, I bought yakimochi from Aoiya Yakimochi Sohonpo. It is a delicious yakimochi with a fragrant aroma. It has sweet red bean paste inside a thin, flat rice cake. It is a delicious yakimochi that can be eaten in one bite. It seems like a traditional Japanese confectionery that could also be a great souvenir, similar to Ajari mochi.

The Aoiya Yakimochi introduced by Matsushita Nao on TV is very similar to Shinbado, with almost the same price. The location is also close, reminding me of the two very similar grilled rice cake shops. The thickness of the rice cake is thin and small, but the bean paste is firmly inside and soft.

This shop, which has been featured on TV, also offers ohagi and sekihan. They have always been particular about the ingredients and manufacturing methods. They use large beans from Tokachi, Hokkaido, and high-quality Kizara sugar to make their homemade sweet bean paste. The refined sweetness is charming. The mochi is made from Hikone, Shiga prefecture's Hikone Mochi rice: can be shipped at room temperature or frozen.

I visited around 10 am on a weekday and was able to enter easily as there were no other customers. They are famous for their grilled rice cakes in Kamigamo. There are two flavors available, white and mugwort. They grill them on the spot and serve them hot. The rice cakes are made with carefully selected red beans and glutinous rice, and you can taste the deliciousness of the sweet bean paste. The soft rice cakes paired perfectly with the filling.

In front of Kamigamo Shrine, there are two shops selling grilled mochi. One is Kamadou, which has been around for a long time and makes handmade mochi that doesn't last long. It's best to eat it right away as it hardens quickly. The other shop is Aoike, which offers mochi that can last for a few days. Both shops offer soft and sweet mochi, perfect for enjoying while looking at the shrine. If you want to eat it right away, go for Kamadou. If you want to bring some home, choose Aoike. Personal preference, but that's the general idea.

When visiting Kamigamo Shrine, I learned about the significance of the Aoi plant. I remembered seeing a shop before my visit, so I headed to Aoiya Yakimochi Sohonpo in front of the torii gate. I bought 10 pieces of yakimochi, which included ohagi, red rice, and yakimochi. They offered to include a deoxidizer if I planned to keep them for more than 3 days. I bought them thinking I would eat them the next day, but I wish I had bought more. The sweetness and soft, chewy texture were so delicious that I couldn't stop eating them and finished them quickly.

Visit time: 14:10 on Sunday Wait time: 10 minutes Menu: Yaki Mochi for 125 yen I visited the shop next to the torii gate at Kamigamo Shrine and purchased Yaki Mochi. When we entered the shop, the takeaway orders were sold out just before us. We were able to barely purchase the Shiratama mochi as the Kusa mochi was sold out for the day. We enjoyed the hot Yaki Mochi outside the shop. It was filled with plenty of sweet red bean paste, providing a good dose of sugar. Thank you for the meal.

[Purchase location] Shinjuku Keio, Kyoto Exhibition event pop-up store [Date/time/situation/crowdedness/payment method, etc.] Weekday Monday around 19:30 [What was eaten] ★★ Tsubuan + Kinako two-piece set A big ohagi packed tightly in a paper box. Ohagi is best when it's made in a rural style. The volume and taste are top-notch. You can choose sesame or your favorite combination. Smooth tsubuan, just the right amount of moisture. The rice is the best part. Plenty of rice. It's chewy and probably has a bit more salt, which is why it's my favorite. I wanted to buy more. [Revisit/want to buy next time?] ◎

Today, I had the opportunity to purchase ohagi from this shop, and I bought the anko (sweet red bean paste) and sesame ohagi. It was just before lunchtime, so I had it for lunch this time. The ohagi had a good amount of volume and was delicious. The sesame ohagi had a slightly salty taste which paired well with the anko inside.

I stopped by this shop on my way to Kamigamo Shrine and the staff was very friendly and provided good service. The yakimochi had a nice balance of sweetness and I found one piece wasn't enough. It was priced at around 120 yen each, making it affordable and easy to eat. Despite being a specialty, I thought there would be a line, but it wasn't too crowded when I arrived shortly after opening.

There is space near the shop. The coin parking is quite far by car. The subway is far, so it seems safe to take a short trip on the city bus. I have hardly seen any wait inside the shop. The shop offers a variety of options including the famous grilled rice cakes, ohagi, sekihan, and senbei. ⭕Grilled Rice Cakes (¥125) The website mentions various details. You can choose from yomogi (mugwort) or regular flavor. It seems they can also grill it for you at the storefront. The shape is flat, and compared to another one, there is less sweet bean paste. This well-balanced aspect is a feature. It also has a long shelf life, making it a perfect souvenir. However, like Ebisu-ya in Shimogamo, it might have a slightly weak punch to leave a lasting impression. If you receive it as a souvenir, it might just end with a simple "thank you". ⭕Combo Plan How about combining a visit to Kamigamo Shrine with their events, and comparing the grilled rice cakes with Imai Shokudo?

Actually, I visited Kamigamo Shrine last week as well, so this is my second week in a row visiting. The Saio cherry blossoms that were in full bloom last week are now falling. I had some time before my appointment, so I stopped by "Aoike Yakimochi Souhonpo" near the shrine. I made it just in time before they closed at 5:30 PM. Their specialty yakimochi comes in two flavors: shiromochi and yomogi. They can last for about 4 days, making them a great souvenir. I bought 10 pieces for myself and as gifts, which came to exactly 1,000 yen. They had various other traditional Japanese sweets as well. When I got back to the hotel, I enjoyed them with some tea. I usually find traditional Japanese sweets too sweet, but these had a good balance of sweet bean paste and mochi, and I finished them all in no time. I especially liked the yomogi flavor for its aromatic taste. They are affordable and have a good shelf life, so I decided that I will buy them again when I visit Kamigamo Shrine in the future. Thank you for the meal.

When I visit Kamigamo Shrine, I always go to eat there. The shop had moved to a different location when I went there. It seems they relocated last autumn. However, the atmosphere inside the shop was the same. Most people were buying takeout, but you can also eat freshly warmed rice cakes inside the shop. It's recommended for a light snack or as a souvenir.

Next to the Torii gate, there is a new and beautiful building housing a jealous-mochi shop. It seems to be competing with the popular Kamado-san shop just a stone's throw away. While Kamado-san specializes in jealous-mochi, this shop offers a wide variety of items including jealous-mochi, red rice, ohagi (with sweet bean paste or soybean flour), senbei, and more. The jealous-mochi here has a lighter rice cake texture and a stronger sweetness from the bean paste compared to Kamado-san. It was easy to eat and enjoyable. For takeout orders, they provide a service of adding oxygen absorbers to make the mochi last an extra two days when you buy five or more pieces. Thank you for the delicious meal.

It is said to be an old Japanese confectionery shop, and we bought some "yakimochi" there. We enjoyed it with my wife during tea time after dinner. The small and soft mochi with a gentle sweetness of anko was delicious. We could easily eat as many as we wanted.

Kyoto Tour. After visiting the Shugakuin Imperial Villa, I had some time before my evening ramen, so I decided to visit Kamigamo Shrine. It was the season of Shichi-Go-San, and colorful banners were displayed. I saw that there were offerings from Aoiya and Kimochi Sōhonpo inside, so I went to the shop near the entrance. The shop was sparkling clean, and I was told that it had been newly relocated and rebuilt in October 2022. The mochi with mugwort was sold out, so I got the regular white one for 125 yen (tax included) and had it grilled at the shop. When I tried it, I felt like I had tasted it somewhere before. It was exactly like Nagamochi, a specialty of Yokkaichi City. Yokkaichi locals, if you visit Kamigamo Shrine, you should try it out and see for yourself! It was quite interesting. It would have been nice if they offered tea as well. Thank you for the meal.

I received a souvenir from Kyoto, which is yaki mochi from "Aoike Yakimochi Souhonpo". This shop is located in front of Kamigamo Shrine and is a popular yaki mochi shop along with "Shinbado". The yaki mochi is made with rice from Shiga Prefecture and homemade azuki bean paste made from beans from Hokkaido. It is a traditional confectionery used at Kamigamo Shrine. There are two flavors, white mochi and yomogi (mugwort). The yaki mochi is lightly grilled before eating. The white mochi has a subtle rice flavor, allowing the sweetness of the azuki bean paste to stand out. The yomogi has a nice fragrance of mugwort. Overall, it is an excellent choice for a souvenir. Thank you for the meal.

On Saturday afternoon, after having lunch at a pot restaurant, I went to Kamigamo Shrine. The shrine's horse stable was closed, so I went to this newly renovated shop and bought two yakimochi. I then entered Kamigamo Shrine and parked my bike at the bicycle parking near the west parking lot. I took a break on a bench in the woods inside the shrine, enjoying the delicious yakimochi. The rotary in front of Kamigamo Shrine was well-maintained and the sidewalks were widened, making it safer.