Yatsuhashi (JDT Recommends)

Recommended during a Highlights of Japan Tours or guided Japan Cherry Blossom Tours.

Yatsuhashi is a popular souvenir and confectionery from Kyoto, Japan. There are two kinds of yatsuhashi, baked and raw (nama-yatsuhashi). The baked yatsuhashi is a cookie made from glutinous rice flour. The original yatsuhashi is made from rice flour, sugar, and nikki (cinnamon). Today other variations in flavor such as green tea have become popular, producing green yatsuhashi rather than the original dark tan colored cookies. With more than 70 different types and flavors, be sure to sample a few before buying a box to take home to your friends and family.

Perhaps the more popular of the two is the nama-yatsuhashi variant. The nama yatsuhashi is the unbaked version of the yatsuhashi cookie. Nama yatsuhashi is a mochi with a red bean paste filling, and just like the yatsuhashi cookie, the original yatsuhashi were nikki (cinnamon) flavor. Today, more variations of the nama yatsuhashi have also become popular including green tea, strawberry, chestnut, cherry blossoms, and many more including seasonal fruits during the time of production. If you're in Kyoto, we recommend visiting Niki Niki for Yatsuhashi. Not only do they carry a wide range of flavors, but the yatsuhashi are designed in cute shapes like hearts, flowers, and even holiday treats (like Reindeer for Christmas). These mochi yatsuhashi snacks are great souvenirs of Kyoto. Come try yatsuhashi yourself while we walk through the Gion-Geisha District and the rest of Kyoto's highlights during any of our Cherry Blossom Japan Tours or Highlights Japan tour packages available spring or year-round!