I visited the Imperial Palace and took a break to look for souvenirs. This time, I tried Chijyu Senbei Ice Cream, Imperial Palace Senbei, Karasuhama Kyoto Senbei, and Chijyu Senbei Ice Cream. Chijyu Senbei Ice Cream is always delicious as a souvenir, but with ice cream sandwiched in between, it's definitely even better. Of course, it was delicious. The combination of Karasuhama red bean paste and black sugar was amazing. Just a red bean paste confectionery alone is incredible. I bought the others as souvenirs and they were well received.

I was strolling around the Imperial Palace and stopped by a rest area. It's a beautiful building with a restaurant, souvenir shop, and eat-in space. I didn't have time to dine in, so I bought a bento box to take away. I got the Kyoto Imperial Garden Sushi Assortment with Chirashi Sushi and Temari Sushi. It's a refined bento box that's typical of Kyoto. The Chirashi Sushi had lots of ingredients hidden under the omelette. On a sunny day, it might be nice to eat the bento box on a bench inside the Kyoto Imperial Garden.

This is a rest area located on the north side of the Kyōto Imperial Palace Chūritsu-umemikado Gate (parking lot for buses and cars). The parking fee for private cars is 800 yen for 3 hours, then 100 yen for every additional 30 minutes. They have a shop selling light meals, sweets, and souvenirs, with indoor seating, terrace seating, and tables on the lawn available for use, both free and paid. There are also restrooms and a smoking area here. I visited this place to explore the Sento Imperial Palace and get a Goshuin stamp at Byakunin Shrine. It has been about 20 years since my last visit. Although I live in Kyōto, I don't come here often, but recently I have been rediscovering the charm of Kyōto through collecting Goshuin stamps. Unfortunately, the indoor seating (for light meals and sweets) was closed when I arrived (until 4:30 pm), but the shop was still open. Even though it was past 4:30 pm, there were many people relaxing here. The shop sells exclusive Kyoto-themed sweets from famous stores like "Reiwa" and "Kyōto Imperial Palace," as well as individual traditional sweets for souvenirs or snacks. They also offer limited local products. Unlike the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, there were no items with the chrysanthemum crest. Oh, and although you can't get a Goshuin stamp at the Imperial Palace, they sell a "Limited Edition Goshuin Stamp Book." It only contains pictures of the collection, so it's a bit disappointing that it doesn't have "Kyōto Imperial Palace" written on it. My husband, who loves beans, bought a bag for 540 yen. We leisurely explored the Sento Imperial Palace, marveling at how vast the gardens were. Before heading home, we spent a short but relaxing time at the Chūritsu-umemikado Rest Area.

I took a walk around the Kyoto Imperial Palace. It was hot and I was sweating a lot, so I stopped at a rest area in the palace and had shaved ice. The rest area was a lifesaver.

I received a souvenir of matcha pudding from Kyoto Gyoen in Kyoto. The pudding itself is matcha flavored, and the accompanying matcha sauce is also rich in matcha flavor. It's matcha on matcha, but it was delicious with a perfect balance of sweetness and matcha flavor. It was really tasty. (Note: Although it is made in Kobe, I enjoyed it without worrying about it.)