The combination of Gokyo Mochi, Black Sugar Kudzu An, and Yomogi Mochi is shockingly delicious. The chewy texture of the kudzu mochi and the softness of the Gokyo mochi are amazing. The Yomogi mochi is also very soft. The Yomogi mochi has sweet red bean paste, while the others have smooth red bean paste. The taste of the red bean paste is elegant yet sweet. I couldn't resist eating all three at once. It may be too luxurious for everyday use, but it's affordable and perfect for daily enjoyment. Among them, I recommend the Gokyo mochi. The combination of elegant red bean paste and the texture of the mochi brings a sense of bliss, while the saltiness and the crunchy texture of the red beans add a comforting touch. It seems like the kudzu mochi is best enjoyed when properly chilled.

After checking out of the hotel, I explored the area around Takao on an electric bicycle. I took a narrow path out of the resort area of Takao and ended up on Takao Kaido, which is known for its famous shops. If the locals hadn't pointed me in the right direction, I might have had to climb the terrifying Hikarizaka! They were my saviors! The saltiness of the Odoi Mochi was just right, and the Hikarigaki, despite its humble appearance, was delicious with its sweet red bean paste filling. The prices were reasonable, and it's amazing how even such understated traditional sweets from a place like Kyoto can be so delicious. Thank you for the meal! I'll definitely be back for more next time!

It had been a while since I visited Koetsudo, and I was surprised to see they had grapefruit daifuku with Shine Muscat grapes. They usually have strawberry, orange, and Shine Muscat, but not often grapefruit. Feeling a bit empty-handed, I also bought Kogetsukai, only to be surprised later that it was actually Shine Muscat instead of grapefruit. Probably got mixed up and couldn't tell the difference. Well, grapefruit and Shine Muscat aren't that different anyway. The combination of white bean paste, mochi, and the refreshing juice of Shine Muscat was a perfect match! It was delicious, but I really wanted to try the grapefruit one. Kogetsukai had a strong sweetness from black sugar that didn't lose to the sweet bean paste. It was a delicious treat with a good mouthfeel. I'll definitely go back to try the grapefruit daifuku.

Hideyoshi built the "Gotoi" around the city center of Kyoto, and the remains of it can be seen in front of this traditional Japanese sweets shop. Their specialty is the "Gotoi Mochi", which is a soft and delicious mochi covered in sweet soybean flour. If you ask the shop owner, they will lend you the key to the fence of the Gotoi located across the street. This shop is a must-visit for Gotoi enthusiasts.

A shop that serves delicious Odoi Mochi, a specialty of Takamine. Odoi Mochi is a traditional sweet with a long history, said to have been created during the construction of Odoi, a fortification surrounding Kyoto by Toyotomi Hideyoshi. It is a luxurious rice cake with a perfect combination of red beans and sweet bean paste, topped with kinako powder. The strawberry daifuku and orange daifuku were also exquisite.

In the northwestern part of Kyoto's Kita Ward, there is an area called Takamine. It is a hilly area with winding slopes. There is a traditional Japanese sweets shop there that offers unique products named after Takamine, such as Koetsu Mochi and Odoi Mochi. Koetsu Mochi is named after Honami Koetsu, a cultural figure who lived in this area during the Edo period. Odoi Mochi, on the other hand, is named after the remains of the Odoi (earth wall) that surrounded Kyoto during the Edo period, located in front of the shop. Koetsu Mochi resembles a manju more than mochi, with a filling wrapped in dough that has a hint of saltiness and mild sweetness without being too overwhelming. It also has a unique and interesting flavor profile with a hint of spice, possibly cinnamon. Odoi Mochi is a type of daifuku, similar to "Futaba no Mame Mochi," with salted red beans wrapped in mochi along with sweet red bean paste, dusted with a bit of kinako (soybean flour). This unique touch may be a representation of the earth from Odoi. The sweetness of the filling is balanced with the saltiness of the beans, creating a well-rounded flavor. The sakura mochi is exceptionally soft compared to others, with a more delicate texture. The shop exudes a vintage atmosphere, likely operating since the Showa era or even earlier. The taste, not relying solely on sugar, is delicious and intriguing.

It was located in a residential area. They had a wide variety of mochi. The mochi had a soft texture and was filled with plenty of sweet red bean paste. Both the yomogi mochi and the bean mochi were sprinkled with kinako powder and were very delicious. Also, the prices were reasonable.

We enjoyed the autumn leaves and the atmosphere at Kitano Tenmangu Shrine, then took a bus north to visit the Odoi at Takagamine after seeing the scars of the Onin War at Senbon Shakado. You can enter the Odoi here, but the key is kept at the nearby traditional Japanese sweets shop. While borrowing the key, we also bought the famous Odoi mochi. It's a mochi with sweet red bean paste and kinako powder, resembling the Odoi structure. The mochi itself is very soft, with a good balance of flavors. I prefer the mochi from Demachi Futaba, but this one was quite satisfying. The Odoi itself is located at the northwest corner and is quite impressive, with a unique terrain that slopes sharply to the east from this shop. It was interesting to see that Tamori-san from the TV show "Buratamori" also visited here, with his photo displayed at the shop.

After visiting the Kitano Tenmangu Shrine and the Senbon Shakado to see the scars from the Onin War, I headed to another spot, the Odoi. The Odoi is a traditional earthen wall that surrounded Kyoto from the Momoyama period to the Edo period. At the northwest corner of the Odoi, you can see a well-preserved section of the wall. There used to be seven gates in the Odoi, one of which was the Nagasaka Gate where there were guardhouses for monitoring traffic. Today, a Japanese sweets shop stands in the place of the former gate, holding the key to the historical site of the Odoi. I bought a special sweet called Odoi Mochi from the shop and borrowed the key to explore the Odoi. Climbing the artificial earthen wall felt like climbing a huge pound cake. When I got back home, I tried the Odoi Mochi. It was the best sweet bean rice cake I've ever had, with whole boiled red beans inside. It was incredibly soft and made me feel happy. In my opinion, it even surpassed a certain shop in Demachiyanagi. Without the intention to see the Odoi, people wouldn't come all the way here as it's far from the hustle and bustle, but I envy the locals who can easily buy everyday Japanese sweets here. After exploring the Odoi in the Takagamine area, I walked east to see the western and eastern ends of the Odoi in Omiya Doi-cho before taking a bus to Demachiyanagi.

Next to Matsuno Shoyu, there is a shop called Odoi no Gozen. I heard that their Minazuki is delicious, so I decided to visit. It's an old-fashioned traditional Japanese confectionery shop in the town. In a flat showcase, a wide variety of traditional Japanese sweets are displayed. Unfortunately, the Minazuki was sold out... The owner mentioned that today, customers from Osaka bought a lot of Minazuki. So, I was wondering what to buy, and the owner recommended some salted sweets. - Odoi Mochi (140 yen): A salted Daifuku shaped like the Odoi in front of the shop. The red kidney bean saltiness blends nicely with the gentle sweet bean paste, and it goes well with green tea or coffee. - Sankirai Mochi (140 yen): The leaf of the Sankirai plant is used instead of the oak leaf for this Kashiwa Mochi. The smooth white mochi with a subtle sweetness of koshi-an is delicious. The unique leaf scent is faintly present and quite addictive. - Scatto Sawayaka Coffee Warabi (260 yen): Intrigued by the catchphrase "Scatto Sawayaka," I couldn't resist buying it. It comes with coffee fresh, which is quite enjoyable. It has a firmer texture than coffee jelly, with a slight coffee aroma and an adult taste. I also bought An Warabi (2 pieces for 300 yen) and Wakayu (170 yen), but my family ate them before I could taste them, so I can't comment on the taste... I only intended to buy a few sweets to try that day, but the cheerful and pleasant conversation with the owner made me want to buy more, and I ended up buying a lot. In the current tense situation due to the pandemic, where you have to hesitate to talk to store staff, receiving pleasant communication is truly delightful. All the sweets, like the owner's warm-heartedness, were generous and delicious. Thank you for the meal. I will visit again.

In September 2020, after having lunch at "Taka-an" in Aman Kyoto, I had about an hour to spare before afternoon tea, so I decided to take a stroll around the Takaosan area near the hotel. First, I visited "Matsuno Shoyu" to buy some moromi, and then I went to "Tokumoto-honpo Koeido" where I was intrigued by the sign advertising "Gotodoi Mochi," so I bought a pack of 3 pieces. Gotodoi Mochi is made by steaming glutinous rice twice, mixing it with sugar, salt, red beans, wrapping it in sweet bean paste, and sprinkling it with soybean flour. The name comes from the Gotodoi that Toyotomi Hideyoshi built around Kyoto. I brought it home and tried it right away. The mochi is soft and stretches well. The texture of the beans inside adds a nice accent. The bean paste is elegantly sweet and very delicious. I'm not a big fan of soybean flour, but the amount was just right and added a pleasant nutty flavor. Overall, I really enjoyed this mochi. Thank you for the meal!

I went to this place because it was right near the hotel. It has an old-fashioned Japanese confectionery store atmosphere. I bought one of their famous Gotodo mochi for 140 yen. The white mochi is soft, chewy, and stretchy. The texture of the beans is nice, and the sweet bean paste inside is not too sweet. It's delicious! I was surprised that even after some time, it stayed soft and chewy. If this place was located near the station, I think it would be even more popular.

The specialty here is Gotodo Mochi. It's a moist and soft mochi with plenty of sweet red bean paste inside. It's topped with black beans and soybean flour. Not too sweet, it's easy to eat smoothly. Personally, I prefer this mochi over the one from Demachi Futaba. However, the location is far from Gokouan... It might be a good idea to buy it when attacking Kyomigadake.

Mochi, sweet red bean paste-filled black sugar bracken rice cakes, and other items are quite delicious. The cost performance is good, truly living up to the reputation of a Kyoto traditional Japanese sweets shop.

This is a famous shop known for its Gotodoi mochi. It's a small shop, so you might drive past it. Gotodoi mochi is a specialty of Takagamine, made with a layer of sweet bean paste inside a double-layered mochi, dusted with soybean flour. It costs 140 yen per piece. It's simple and very delicious.

"Delicious Doi Mochi!"

A small shop located on a narrow two-lane road. An elderly man who has been making sweets for decades sells them here. The specialty is Mitarashi mochi (140 yen). It's a common combination of smooth red bean paste and mochi with soybean flour, but the softness of the red bean paste and mochi is exquisite. Perhaps it's the perfect balance between the thickness of the mochi and the amount of red bean paste. Among the red bean paste sweets I've tried, this one ranks high.

On Friday, it is encouraged to take paid leave, so I had a 4-day weekend starting from Labor Thanksgiving Day. On one of the days off, I went to Kyoto Takagamine for autumn leaf viewing. In the morning, I visited major temples and walked south along Senbon-dori. Along the way, I bought the famous Mitarashi mochi at a traditional Japanese sweets shop called Koyetsudo. The shop located right in front of the Mitarashi ruins has a charming atmosphere. I enjoyed the mochi on a bench in front of the shop. The mochi had red beans and was dusted with soybean flour on the outside. The sweet red bean paste inside had a subtle hint of salt which made it delicious. It was a good deal at 140 yen each. After eating, I borrowed the key from the shop owner to visit the Mitarashi ruins. From the ruins, I could see Mt. Hiei clearly through the shop's window.