[8 Authentic Japanese Sweets to Buy at Kyoto Station] Before Boarding the Shinkansen: A Guide to Traditional Souvenirs from Time-Honored Shops

Kyoto Station is a major souvenir hub where numerous long-established Kyoto wagashi shops are gathered—from inside the Shinkansen ticket gates to the area in front of the conventional-line ticket gates, and all the way to the department stores within the station building. In this article, we’ll introduce eight Japanese sweets that we can confidently recommend to those who appreciate authenticity—ranging from long-established shops with over a century of history to brands that blend tradition with a modern sensibility—along with their respective histories and characteristics.

Please note: The locations and hours of operation of stores within the station may change due to renovations or special events. Please check the official website or the station’s signage before visiting.

Table of Contents

■ Hyakumanben: Masaki Kagiya | “Tokiwa-ki,” “Oshimochi”

■ Tsuruya Yoshinobu IRODORI | “Amber Candy,” “IROMONAKA”

■Kameya Yoshinaga | “Sliced Yokan” and “Karasu-tama”

■Kyoto Confectionery Shop Heian-den | “Heian-den,” “Awata-yaki”

■Ajari Mochi Honpo Mangetsu | “Ajari Mochi,” “Honey-Glazed Kyoto Nagon”

■Sueyoshi | “Usubeni” and “Kyofusen”

■Iori Sasaya | Signature Confection: “Dorayaki”

■ Tawaraya Yoshitomi | “Unryu,” “Shibami-tou”

■ Shopping Tips: Summary

■ Hyakumanben: Masaki Kagiya | “Tokiwa-ki,” “Oshimochi”

A long-established Japanese confectionery shop with its main store located southwest of the Hyakumanben intersection in Kyoto. “Kagiya Masaaki” was established in 1920 as a branch of the original “Kagiya Enshu,” which was founded in 1696. Although the original shop closed after World War II, Kagiya Masaaki has continued to uphold the family tradition since resuming operations in 1950. The shop is known for using Tamba Dainagon adzuki beans, adzuki beans from Hokkaido, and carefully selected mochi flour.

Our signature confection, “Tokiwa-ki,” is made by carefully rolling out a refined, lightly sweetened grain-textured red bean paste and baking it to perfection. It has a relatively long shelf life and is highly recommended for red bean paste lovers. Additionally, “Kasane Mochi” features fluffy gyuhi mochi topped with kinako and black sugar syrup, offering a delightful marshmallow-like texture. It’s lavishly studded with Tamba Dainagon beans, and a limited-edition cherry blossom-flavored version is sometimes available in the spring.

Where to Buy
○ Kyoto Confectionery & Cuisine: Kyoto (in front of the West Exit ticket gate on the JR conventional line)
Address: 8-3 Higashishiokoji Takakura-cho, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture; 2nd Floor, in front of the West Exit ticket gates at JR Kyoto Station
Phone: 075-365-8602
HP:https://www.kyoto-kagiya.co.jp/

■Tsuruya Yoshinobu IRODORI | “Amber Candy” and “IROMONAKA”

"IRODORI" is a new brand launched by "Tsuruya Yoshinobu," a long-established confectionery shop with a history spanning over 220 years, dating back to 1803 (Kyōwa 3). Born from a desire to expand the appeal of Japanese confectionery with a rich “palette” of colors, the brand offers sweets that fuse tradition and innovation, using traditional Japanese colors as its conceptual palette.

"Amber Candy" is a stick-shaped dry confection made from agar-agar with added sugar and flavoring. It comes in five flavors—including jasmine, chamomile, lavender, and mint—and offers a two-textured experience: a crisp exterior and a soft, jelly-like interior. “IROMONAKA” are bite-sized, individually wrapped monaka wafers available in flavors such as Ogura, koshi-an, and matcha, and they are a popular choice for gifts. The store also features a sit-down area where you can enjoy seasonal treats like cream anmitsu.

Where to Buy
〇IRODORI Kyoto Station Hachijo Exit Store
Address: 8-3 Higashishiokoji-cho, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture; 1st Floor, Kyoto Station Hachijo Exit, inside Asti Road (immediately outside the Shinkansen Hachijo Exit ticket gates)
Phone: 075-574-7627
Store Hours: Weekdays 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Saturdays, Sundays, and Holidays 9:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Café Hours: Weekdays 10:00 a.m.–7:30 p.m. (last order at 7:00 p.m.); Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays 9:30 a.m.–8:00 p.m. (last order at 7:30 p.m.)
HP:https://www.tsuruyayoshinobu.jp/

It reopened in 2024 with a completely new interior. It is also available at locations such as the Toranomon Hills store in Tokyo and the Shibuya Hikarie ShinQs store.

■Kameya Yoshinaga | “Sliced Yokan” and “Karasu-tama”

A Kyoto confectionery shop founded in 1803 in the Shijo Samegai area of Kyoto after branching off from Kameya Ryōan.
In addition to hosting traditional Japanese confectionery-making workshops at its flagship store, the shop has launched the collaborative brand “Satomi Fujita by KAMEYA YOSHINAGA” with a pastry chef who has experience working in Paris, making it a confectionery shop that blends tradition with creative innovation.

“Sliced Yokan ” is a sheet-style yokan made with a Tamba Dainagon adzuki bean paste base, topped with a butter yokan infused with Okinawan salt. Simply place it on a slice of bread and toast it to easily enjoy “Ogura Butter Toast.” The signature product, “Ubatama,” is a classic confection featuring a smooth red bean paste made with brown sugar, encased in agar. It uses brown sugar from Hateruma Island, and its appeal lies in the perfect harmony between the jiggly agar and the smooth red bean paste. Exclusively at the JR Kyoto Isetan store, “Seasonal Ubatama” with a different flavor each month is also available.

Where to Buy
〇Kameya Yoshinaga at JR Kyoto Isetan
Address: Higashi-Shiokoji-cho, down Shiokoji Street from Karasuma Street, Shimogyo Ward, Kyoto City; JR Kyoto Isetan, B1F
Phone: 075-344-4419
Hours: 10:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m. (Same as JR Kyoto Isetan's hours)
HP:https://kameya-yoshinaga.com/

■Kyoto Confectionery Shop Heian-den | “Heian-den,” “Awata-yaki”

A long-established Japanese confectionery shop founded in Showa 26, with its main store located in front of the Great Torii Gate at Heian Jingu Shrine. Recognized as one of Kyoto’s “Top 100 Selections,” this highly regarded shop features a tea room attached to its main store, where you can enjoy dishes such as “Kuzu Zenzai” (a dish featuring premium Tamba Dainagon red bean paste served with shiratama dumplings and Yoshino kuzu starch).

"Heian-den" is a signature confection modeled after the green-glazed, curved-eave roof tiles of Heian Palace. It is characterized by its fragrant, toasted crust and white bean paste with a rich yuzu aroma. “Awata-yaki” is a confection named after the “Awata-yaki” pottery that was produced in the Okazaki area during the early Edo period. It consists of a chewy, soy sauce-flavored dough wrapped around a filling of whole Tamba Dainagon adzuki beans, and its sweet-and-salty flavor has made it a popular favorite.

Where to Buy
○ Kyoto Confectionery & Cuisine: Kyoto (in front of the West Exit ticket gate on the JR conventional line)
Address: 8-3 Higashishiokoji Takakura-cho, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture; 2nd Floor, in front of the West Exit ticket gates at JR Kyoto Station
Phone: 075-365-8602
HP:https://www.kyoto-heianden.com/

■Ajari Mochi Honpo Mangetsu | “Ajari Mochi” and “Honey-Glazed Kyoto Nagon”

"Kyogashi-tsukasa Mangetsu," founded in Ansei 3 (1856), is the maker of "Ajari Mochi," a famous classic souvenir from Kyoto. Conceived by the second-generation proprietor during the Taisho era, this famous confection is inspired by the ajiro-style straw hats worn by Ajari monks training on Mount Hiei. It is a semi-moist confection made by baking a dough based on glutinous rice and eggs, generously filled with whole-bean red bean paste made from Tanba Dainagon adzuki beans. If you warm it in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds, you can enjoy a chewy texture just like it’s fresh out of the oven.

Guided by the motto “We make only one type of confectionery per type of filling,” Mangetsu offers just four varieties: “Ajari Mochi,” “Mangetsu,” “Kyō-Nagon,” and “Monaka.” “Mitsu-zuke Kyō-nagon” is a bar-shaped confection made by combining large, syrup-soaked Tamba Daigon beans and Wasanbon sugar with smooth red bean paste and thread-like agar; it is characterized by a soft texture that lies somewhere between yōkan and mizu-yōkan.

Where to Buy: There are several sales locations inside Kyoto Station.
JR Kyoto Isetan Store (B1): Hours: 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Inside the Shinkansen ticket gates: “Kyoto Souvenirs,” “Koto Miyabi,” “Maiko,” and others (Sales begin around 9:00 a.m.)
"Omiyage Koji Kyoko-machi," located near the Central Exit ticket gates of the local line
HP:http://www.ajyarimochi.com/

Since the best-by date is only about five days, we recommend finishing it on the day of purchase or within a few days. It sometimes sells out by the evening, so it’s best to buy it early to be on the safe side.

■Sueyoshi | “Usubeni” and “Kyofusen”

Founded in Meiji 26 (1893), “Sueyoshi” is a long-established Kyoto confectionery shop that serves as the official supplier to the various headmasters of the tea ceremony schools and the head temples of each sect. The “Sueyoshi Blue” wrapping paper, featuring a distinctive sky-blue background adorned with seasonal flowers, is known as a design created through repeated consultations between the second-generation owner, Takejiro Yamaguchi, and the Japanese-style painter Haruson Ikeda after World War II.

"Usubeni" is a dry confectionery available year-round, consisting of thin, baked wheat gluten crackers sandwiched around ume paste. It is characterized by its light texture and the moderate sweetness of the ume paste.
"Kyofusen" are dry sweets that use sugar in five basic colors—red, white, blue, green, and yellow—to represent the "kasane no irome" color scheme, a tradition dating back to the Heian period; seasonal motifs are also available. In 2022, the new brand “SUETOMI AoQ (Ao-Hisashi)” was launched, offering contemporary confections (such as anko financiers) that blend tradition with red bean paste.

Where to Buy
○ Kyogashi-tsukasa Suetomi, JR Kyoto Isetan Store
Address: Higashi-Shiokoji-cho, down Shiokoji Street from Karasuma Street, Shimogyo Ward, Kyoto City; JR Kyoto Isetan, B1F, Japanese Sweets Section
Phone: 075-352-1111 (main)
HP:https://www.kyoto-suetomi.com/

■Iori Sasaya | Signature Confection: "Dorayaki"

Founded in 1716, “Sasaya Iori” is a long-established shop now in its tenth generation. Since its founding, it has served the Imperial Palace in Kyoto, as well as shrines, temples, and the head families of the tea ceremony schools. It is one of the few direct-line, long-established shops among the 248 traditional Japanese confectionery shops said to exist in Kyoto.

The signature confection, “Dorayaki,” is a cylindrical fresh sweet said to have been created by the fifth-generation master at the request of a monk from Tōji Temple in the late Edo period. It is characterized by its cylindrical shape, which differs from typical dorayaki, and is also known as the “Phantom Dorayaki” due to its rarity—it is sold exclusively on the 20th, 21st, and 22nd of each month. Because it is cylindrical, you can cut it to your preferred length to enjoy, and we recommend lightly toasting it in a toaster oven.

The new brand “10th Generation Ibe Confectionery” (which opened in December 2018 at JR Kyoto Isetan) offers products such as “Marumochi,” a revival of a long-time favorite. Individually wrapped and with a shelf life of about two weeks—longer than that of standard dorayaki—these treats are ideal as souvenirs.

Where to Buy
*Iori Sasaya, JR Kyoto Isetan Store*
Address: Higashi-Shiokoji-cho, down Shiokoji Street from Karasuma Street, Shimogyo Ward, Kyoto City; JR Kyoto Isetan, B1 Floor
Phone: 075-371-3333
HP:https://www.sasayaiori.com/

*Please note that our signature confection, "Dorayaki," is sold only on the 20th, 21st, and 22nd of each month, so we recommend checking in advance to see if your visit date coincides with those days.

■Tawaraya Yoshitomi | “Unryu” and “Shibami-to”

"Tawaraya Yoshitomi" is a long-established store founded in 1745, with roots as a merchant dealing in adzuki beans and other grains.
The trademark rice-bale emblem tells the story of its history. The main store is located on Ogawa-dori, home to the head family of the tea ceremony tradition, and the company also operates the “Kyoto Confectionery Museum” next door, where visitors can view exhibits—including confectionery molds and design books—that offer a glimpse into the history of Japanese sweets, free of charge.

Our signature confection, “Unryu,” was created by the seventh-generation master, inspired by the “Unryu-zu” (Painting of the Cloud Dragon) by Kano Tohshun, which has been passed down at Shokoku-ji Temple in Kyoto. It features Ogura-an, a sweet red bean paste made from large, domestically grown adzuki beans simmered to perfection, which is carefully hand-rolled around each piece. There is also a “Shirokunryu” variety made with white adzuki beans. “Shibami-tou” is an assortment of gyuhi sweets made with shiso leaves from Ohara, Kyoto, and nikki-flavored rakugan.

Where to Buy
*Harves Kyoto Meikan, located inside the Kintetsu "Miyakomichi" Shopping Arcade*
Address: 31-1 Higashishiokoji Kamado-cho, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto City, inside “Kintetsu Miyakomichi Shopping Arcade”
Phone: 075-691-8384
HP:https://kyogasi.co.jp/

■ Shopping Tips: Summary

• The station is divided into several areas
  The souvenir shops at Kyoto Station are located in several different areas, including in front of the West Exit ticket gates for JR conventional lines (Kyoto Confectionery & Cuisine Shop "Kyo"), on the B1 level of JR Kyoto Isetan, inside the Shinkansen ticket gates, and in the Kintetsu shopping arcade "Miyakomichi." It’s best to check in advance where the shop you’re looking for is located to ensure a smooth visit.
• Check the expiration date
  Ajari mochi (lasts about 5 days) and other fresh sweets have a relatively short shelf life. If you don’t plan to give them right away, it’s safer to choose items with a longer shelf life, such as “Tokiwa-ki,” “Sliced Yokan,” or “Shibami-tou.”
• Check the dates for limited-time offers
  Sasaya Iori's signature confection, "Dorayaki," is sold only on the 20th, 21st, and 22nd of each month. Be sure to check in advance to see if your visit coincides with those dates.
• Payment Methods
  Many stores accept credit cards and electronic money, but since acceptance varies by store, it’s a good idea to bring cash just in case.
• Tax-Free Services
  Some stores and areas may offer tax-free shopping. Please check with the cashier when making a bulk purchase.

Every shop offers authentic Japanese sweets that you can purchase inside Kyoto Station or in the area directly connected to the station. Even if you only have a few moments before boarding a Shinkansen or plane, we invite you to choose one of these treats—whether as a gift for a loved one or as a treat for yourself to savor the afterglow of your trip—and experience the flavors that Kyoto’s long-established shops have continued to preserve.

*Please note that the store information, business hours, and sales locations mentioned in this article are subject to change. Be sure to check the official website of each store for the latest information before visiting.

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