Izutsu Yatsuhashi Honpo

The flagship store of Izutsu Yatsuhashi Honpo, a long-established maker of traditional Kyoto confections, is located on the first floor of the Kitaza Building at the east end of Shijo Bridge. Since its founding in 1805, the shop has preserved the flavors of Kyoto in Gion. Its signature Izutsu Yatsuhashi is a crisp, koto-shaped rice cracker created in memory of Yatsuhashi Kengyo, regarded as the founder of koto music. With its distinctive cinnamon aroma, it is a classic Kyoto souvenir.

The store offers a variety of sweets, including Yugiri, a kabuki-inspired nama yatsuhashi filled with chunky sweet red bean paste, and Yuko, named after the heroine of Tsutomu Mizukami’s novel “The Temple of the Wild Geese.” Other products include Kotosugata nama yatsuhashi, available exclusively at the flagship store; Izutsu no Mikasa, filled with nama yatsuhashi; and seasonal varieties of Yuko.

The building stands on the former site of Kitaza, an Edo-period theater, and a stone monument outside the store commemorates its history. On the second floor, the Izutsu Saten dessert café serves Yaki-yaki, nama yatsuhashi toasted over a small charcoal grill, as well as parfaits available only at Kitaza. The building also houses a Kyoto cuisine restaurant and the Gion Omoide Museum, which displays items associated with the renowned courtesan Yugiri Tayu. About a 2-minute walk from Gion-shijo Station on the Keihan Line, the store is an easy stop while exploring Gion.