Freshman is said to refer to a university first-year student in English. Due to my diligent study habits, I ended up being a "refreshman" by repeating my freshman year twice. Speaking of "fresh," it reminds me of coffee shops, where coffee creamer, known as coffee fresh, is actually made from vegetable oil instead of milk. On the other hand, Morinaga's Creap is a powdered substance added to coffee, and it's the only one in Japan made with milk as an ingredient, making it tastier than coffee creamer. When it comes to Creep, it was the title of a song released by the UK band "Radiohead" in 1992. Today's snack is from Nakamura Tokichi Honkan, located in Uji, and the Nakamura Tokichi Honkan Ginza store. I discovered this wonderful store at GINZA SIX and decided to visit. I ordered the Ginza store's exclusive green tea jelly, along with a Maruto parfait with matcha. First, I was served a welcome tea of sencha in a teapot, a refreshing taste of tea after a meal. After chatting for about 10 minutes, the parfait and jelly arrived. Both looked beautiful, with the parfait having layers like strata when viewed from the side. I started with the jelly, enjoying the firm texture and rich bitterness of matcha. Having this first enhances the sweetness when eating the ice cream. The chewy texture of the shiratama with the rich jelly is a delightful contrast. The sweetened chestnuts and black beans, as well as the sweet paste-like matcha anko, are also delicious. With travel being difficult, indulging in a bit of luxury in Ginza to experience the Kyoto atmosphere feels like a small price compared to the Shinkansen fare. I am interested in trying the parfait and limited edition plates, so I look forward to returning to taste the Kyoto vibe again.

I tried a dessert covered with matcha mousse for the first time! It was more bitter than sweet, but it was delicious with red bean paste at the bottom. The anmitsu was also delicious as usual. It was very crowded on this weekend!

It was crowded, probably because it was Saturday. After waiting for a while, we were seated in what seemed like a prime spot inside the restaurant. The Green Tea Float and Soft Serve Matcha and Cream were as delicious as always.

Arrived before 12 o'clock on a weekday. No one was waiting, and the seats were not full. Many of the customers were solo female diners. This time, I chose the hojicha jelly. It was nice to receive complimentary tea and hot water. The service was polite. By the time the order arrived, the seats were full. The hojicha was delicious, but I still prefer matcha. When I finished eating and left the restaurant, there was a line of waiting customers! I guess I was lucky with the timing. Even on weekdays, it seems like there is a line forming now. GINZA SIX itself also seems to be getting more crowded.

In the evening, three groups lined up to enter the restaurant. Since cold-brewed tea was served as a service, we didn't order any drinks and instead ordered hojicha jelly and ice cream. Hmm. It does taste like hojicha. For those who love sweet things like jelly and shiratama, it might be good, but when asked if we wanted three scoops of ice cream, it felt a bit too much.

I happened to enter GINZA SIX right when it opened because I was having breakfast nearby. There was already a line forming, so it must be a popular place! Many people were ordering shaved ice. I got the soft serve (matcha and milk) in a wafer cone with red beans and mochi. The matcha and milk flavors were rich, and it was even better with the wafer cone. It also came with matcha jelly, but I didn't really like that. They also served chilled tea as a complimentary drink, which was delicious.

After finishing lunch, I used the cafe. As soon as I entered, they offered me cold-brewed green tea for free, explaining that the second tea is with hot water. Although there was a bit of a line to get in, the service inside was excellent, and I didn't regret waiting. The two-color kakigori with hojicha and matcha had soft serve ice cream on top like a bonus, allowing you to enjoy the rich taste of each tea. It was also great that it came with extra powder. I enjoyed about six things in one shot. By the time I left, the line had grown to about four times the size, but I think it's worth waiting for. The staff were all warm and friendly, and it was a tea shop where you could feel a different kind of refined friendliness than in Tokyo.

Since visiting the Uji Honten in Kyoto, this was my third visit. Located inside Ginza Six, I arrived around 3pm and, as expected, there was a long line. I waited for about 40 minutes before getting in. I love matcha, and I have tried various matcha sweets, but I think the Bessho-sei Maru and parfait here are the most delicious. The price is 2500 yen, which is definitely a high-end product, but there is no doubt that the quality matches the price. The parfait has several layers, including chiffon cake, jelly, ice cream, and various other ways to enjoy matcha.

On Saturday, I lined up in a long line from 4:00 pm before the Kabuki-za theater opened at 6:00 pm. It only took 30 minutes to be seated, and I enjoyed a large shaved ice before leaving at 5:30 pm. Even though I left at 5:30 pm, the line remained long, but it moved quite fast due to the large number of seats available. The complimentary tea on the table was delicious. Considering that it was included in the price and the unique taste that couldn't be found elsewhere, I was satisfied with the price after the meal. The first serving was a summer water-brewed tea, and from the second serving, you could enjoy hot tea in a thermos with the store's logo on it. That was a nice touch. The Uji Kin Ice Matcha & Hojicha for ¥1600 was fluffy shaved ice with two types of honey, two types of tea powder, shiratama (rice flour dumplings), red bean paste, and two types of soft serve ice cream on top. You could also drink plenty of tea! Isn't it great for this season? The soft serve ice cream was delicious! First, I tried the honey alone with each of the two types, and I was impressed by the rich taste of the shaved ice. When you sprinkle matcha powder or hojicha powder, the tea aroma intensifies, making it a sophisticated shaved ice for adults. It was truly amazing, a delicious, fun, and refreshing experience at this tea shop's shaved ice!

I went straight to get shaved ice in the morning. I arrived at 11 am to avoid the lines and was able to enter without waiting. I ordered the Maruto shaved ice that I was looking for. It is covered in a creamy matcha flavor, so is it a Mont Blanc cream flavor? After eating it, it is clear that it has a rich matcha cream flavor with a taste of chestnuts! As a chestnut lover, I am happy with the taste. The matcha ice cream and matcha jelly inside are doing a great job. Highly recommended for the hot weather!

It's a dream come true after a year - the round ice dessert! When I asked if it would be available from the 29th as mentioned, I was told it would start from August 1st, so I went home feeling disappointed. But finally, I got to try it! The chestnut and matcha sauce on top is really delicious, and the matcha ice cream inside along with the hidden jelly at the bottom are also tasty. It was a blissful moment. The tea was served cold at first, and then we could refill it with hot water from the pot, so I enjoyed the taste of gyokuro.

A friend wanted to research in advance and we met up at around 11:10. The tea aroma outside the shop was really nice. There was a group of Chinese tourists waiting in front. We entered the shop in less than 10 minutes. The shop opens at 10:30, so we didn't have to wait long at all. I ordered the Ginza shop exclusive parfait for 2,500 yen. We were welcomed with a summer limited cold-brewed tea, which had a mysterious sweetness and was delicious. The parfait was amazing, with a rich matcha flavor and refreshing raspberries. There was also a delicious chestnut inside. I wanted to savor it slowly, but it was so delicious that I couldn't stop eating. It was a luxurious parfait, but worth the price of 2,500 yen. We left after spending about 2 hours. When we came out, there was a line forming. The best time to go is right after it opens. It was delicious and made me happy. Thank you for the meal!

Visited with 3 people around 14:00 on a regular day. There were about 10 people waiting in line, but we only had to wait for about 15 minutes to get in! The welcome drink, cold brewed gyokuro, had a rich aroma and was delicious!! The shaved ice was incredibly rich and surprising! It even had matcha ice cream in the center, which was very satisfying. The matcha jelly and hojicha jelly felt larger in size than in the menu photos, and had an elegant sweetness, which was also very satisfying! The restaurant is mostly frequented by groups of women, but there were also some men dining alone. I would like to try the parfait next time!

I lined up, but the store opened early. It was hot, so I went because I wanted to eat shaved ice. It's huge! And it even has soft serve ice cream on top. It's a lot. It comes with roasted green tea sauce, matcha sauce, and powdered matcha and roasted green tea. The roasted green tea sauce is too sweet, so I don't really taste the roasted green tea flavor.

Enjoying a summer tradition, I arrived just in time before the last order for shaved ice. You can choose between matcha, hojicha, or half and half. The shaved ice comes with soft serve on top of a pure white ice block, and you also get rich matcha and hojicha syrup on the side. It's really delicious. It's recommended to pour the syrup in thirds to avoid regretting pouring too much.

The other day when I ate anmitsu, I suddenly remembered this matcha jelly. It was my favorite that I used to buy at Hankyu Umeda store. When I looked it up, I found out it was available at Ginza SIX! I hardly ever go beyond B2F and 6F at Ginza SIX, so I didn't know and was shocked. I immediately asked my husband to buy it on his way home from work. Even on a weekday evening, there were a few groups waiting to eat in. The matcha jelly comes in two flavors, matcha and hojicha. Depending on the store and season, there may be limited editions like gyokuro, etc. On this day, only hojicha was left, but I like hojicha so it was not a problem. The fragrant hojicha jelly was refreshing and had a bouncy texture, with a perfect coolness and soft, chewy shiratama. The anko had just the right amount of sweetness, creating a perfect harmony. It was cool, refreshing, and had a clean sweetness. It blew away the exhaustion from the intense heat!

Nakamura Tokichi at Ginza Six. I thought it was just tea jelly, but it came with ice too, which made me happy ☺️ (make sure to confirm before ordering). The jelly is full of tea aroma and not too sweet. The ice has a strong matcha flavor and is delicious. I had the Chagoromo last time, but this is recommended when you want to try different things! If you're going for Instagrammable, go for the parfait. And the sencha on the table is really delicious! One cup is cold-brewed, but it's rich in aroma - as expected. It's always crowded, but surprisingly the turnover is fast.

Tokyo's summer is too hot. I thought that if I depart from equally hot Kyoto, I could eat something refreshing, right?! I tried cold soba noodles with a light but rich dashi broth. I also had matcha jelly to make it even cooler. Delicious! It's recommended because it's not crowded on weekdays. ✨

This was my first visit. I arrived on a Sunday after 7 pm. There was a line of about 20 people at this time, showing how popular this place is. I didn't want to wait in line, so I opted for some takeout baked goods. I got the Maruto Bake, which is a baked treat with almond, butter, and Japanese tea flavors. The matcha and hojicha flavors blended well together, and the moist texture of the pastry had just the right amount of sweetness. The Chafille was also delicious, with a rich matcha cream and a light, crispy mille-feuille pastry. It was a luxurious treat. Here's what I bought (including tax): - Maruto Bake (matcha) x3 @ 280 yen each - Maruto Bake (hojicha) x2 @ 280 yen each - Small pastry box 220 yen - Chafille, 3 pieces 648 yen Paid with electronic money.

【Arrival Time】12:40【Entry Time】13:15【Crowdedness】There was a line in front of the store【Impression】Upon being seated, we received a detailed explanation of the welcome drink from the staff. The summer limited cold-brewed tea had a wonderful aroma and delicious taste. Next, we ordered Uji shaved ice. It seems that you can choose from three types of honey sauce: matcha, hojicha, and mixed, and we chose the recommended mixed sauce from the staff. The pure white shaved ice came with red beans, two pieces of shiratama (mochi), soft serve ice cream on top, and a separate plate with plenty of honey sauce and powdered toppings (see second photo). It seems that scooping up the honey sauce and adding your preferred amount is recommended. The appearance becomes vivid and interesting when adding the honey sauce. As soon as I took a bite, the sweetness of the honey sauce spread throughout my mouth. Both matcha and hojicha honey sauces had a good flavor, but personally, I found the hojicha honey sauce to be more flavorful and delicious. Furthermore, adding the powdered topping to the hojicha honey sauce enhanced the taste and flavor, making the sweetness stand out even more. This was so delicious that I highly recommend those planning to go to try it. Enjoying the soft serve ice cream on top, the red beans and shiratama on the side, and the warm tea, I was able to enjoy it until the end without getting tired of it. Although I had to wait in line for quite some time this visit, I was very satisfied with the taste and the service of the staff. I would love to go back again.

I was able to take a day off on a weekday, so I took a break at this place where there is always a long line on weekends. Luckily, I was able to get in without waiting this time. When I was shown to my seat, they had prepared a welcome tea for me. Today, they explained that I should brew the second serving with hot water after the cold brew. This alone made me happy. We ordered for two people and got the following: ・Bessei Maru and Parfait ・Chagoromo (hot) Bessei is made from a special tea, resulting in a high-quality matcha flavor, sweetness, and aroma in each parfait. Chagoromo comes in hot and cold versions, with the cold one having kudzu on shaved ice. I chose the hot one. It has a matcha paste with a bavarois-like texture topped with a soft kudzu mochi, and a rich matcha sauce. The deep matcha color is hard to escape from once it touches your lips. Most of the people around were foreign tourists. Perhaps it's too bitter for them?