Best Souvenirs to Buy in Kyoto: Snacks, Tea & Cosmetics
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What are typical Kyoto souvenirs?
Kyoto offers a wide range of unique local products, from food and sweets to fine crafts. Among the most popular items are green tea produced in Uji City and kyo-tsukemono, Kyoto-style pickled vegetables. Locally-grown vegetables and locally-produced sake also make ideal souvenirs. Some products from long-established stores have been around for centuries, while others are recent innovations developed to suit modern tastes.
Matcha and Japanese green tea
Japanese green tea is a popular souvenir from Japan. Kyoto is home to numerous long-established tea suppliers, with Uji matcha being a particularly famous product. Many tea shops offer not only green tea leaves but also unique confectioneries such as green tea-flavored baumkuchen, chocolates, and cookies. Some shops even feature cafe spaces, where you can sip on a cup of matcha or Japanese tea while enjoying green-tea sweetsâa simple yet luxurious experience.
Namafu and Kyoto pickles
Authentic Japanese food is a major draw in Kyoto. Since the city is located in a basin surrounded by mountains and far from the sea, residents had difficulty obtaining fresh seafood, and focused on traditional ingredients like local vegetables, tofu, miso, and namafu (steamed wheat gluten mixed with rice flour) to preserve everyday foods.
Kyoto pickles are particularly noteworthy, such as senmai-zuke (pickled sliced radishes,) and shiba-zuke (salted eggplant or cucumber with red shiso leaves.) These make excellent side dishes for rice meals, and are great to snack on while drinking green tea or beer.
Best Kyoto sweets
Kyoto offers a wealth of appealing souvenirs, and confectionery alone features hundreds of varieties. Below, youâll find a number of popular sweets, which make for perfect souvenirs for friends and family.
Kyo Baum by Otabe
Kyo Baum is a soft, moist and spongy baumkuchen cake made with Uji Cityâs green tea and local soymilk. The green-colored sponge layers feature a blend of matcha and sencha green tea, while the ivory-white layers incorporate soymilk. This Kyoto variety of the Germany confectionery is popular for its fragrant matcha scent.
The manufacturer, Otabe, has several stores in Kyoto, including branches at Kyoto Tower, Shijo-Shinmachi, and near Kiyomizudera Temple. At Otabeâs Gion-Kita branch near Yasaka Shrine, you can find the popular limited-edition Kyo Baum on Stick, perfect for enjoying while strolling the streets of Kyoto.
Kyo Baum Gion Kita Branch Store
Address: 248 Kitagawa, Gion-machi, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto Prefecture
Access: 1-min walk from Keihan Railway Gion Shijo Station
Official website: https://kyobaum.com/ (in Japanese only)
Cha no Ka Langue de Chat by Malebranche
Cha no Ka Langue de Chat by Malebranche is made with Uji matcha, carefully selected by expert tea roasters from the renowned Shirakawa tea district. This Langue de Chat cookie contains creamy white chocolate sandwiched between two layers of crisp cookies.
The dough contains dark-roasted green tea leaves to bring out the rich matcha flavor. If you visit Kyoto during the summer months, make sure to try their popular tea confections, available only during that season.
Malebranche Kyoto Kitayama Honten (Main Store)
Address: Shokubutsuen-Kitamonmae, Kitayama-dori, Kita-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto Prefecture
Access: 2-min walk from Kitayama Station (Kyoto City Subway Karasuma Line)
Official website: http://www.malebranche.co.jp/store/58/
Nama Yatsuhashi "Yuko" by Izutsu Yatsuhashi
Nama Yatsuhashi is a classic Kyoto souvenir, popular among locals and international visitors. This type of soft sweet contains a center of sweet bean paste, and comes in three different flavorsâthink cinnamon, Uji green tea, and strawberry.
Izutsu Yatsuhashiâs Nama Yatsuhashi assortment is named after Yuko, the main character in Tsutomu Mizukami's novel Gobancho Yugiriro (1962,) which is set in Kyoto.
Izutsu Yatsuhashi Gion Honten (Main Store)
Address: 4-jo Agaru, Kawabata-dori, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto Prefecture
Access: 1-min walk from Gion-Shijo Station (Keihan Main Line)
Official website: https://www.yatsuhashi.co.jp/shop/shop01.html (in Japanese only)
Gion no Sato by Gion Tsujiri
Produced by Gion Tsujiri, a long-established Uji tea manufacturer founded in 1860, Gion no Sato is a confection with a white cream filling encased in crispy Uji matcha-flavored rolled senbei (rice cracker.)
Its sister product, Tsujiri no Sato, has a matcha cream filling instead. Both are popular souvenirs from Kyoto. Gion Tsujiriâs main store, located on the bustling Shijo-dori street, offers a variety of Uji teas and confectionery on the first floor, while the second and third floors are home to a cafe.
Gion Tsujiri Gion Honten (Main Store)
Address: 573-3 Gionmachi Minamigawa, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto Prefecture
Access: 3-min walk from Gion-Shijo Station (Keihan Main Line)
Official website: https://www.giontsujiri.co.jp/en/store/giontsujiri-honten/
An de Cookie by Toshoan
An de Cookie is the signature product of Toshoan, a traditional Kyoto-based anko (sweet bean paste) manufacturer. These cookies are made from rice flour dough mixed with raw anko from white beans. This gives them a melt-in-your-mouth texture, similar to wagashi (Japanese confections.) The assortment includes flavors like plain (raw anko & butter,) matcha, framboise, and earl grey. The colorful packaging also makes them a delightful gift.
Toshoan Honten (Main Store)
Address: Miyakoichibankan Sanjo-Horikawa 1F, 709 Shimohachimonji-cho, Horikawa Sanjo-sagaru, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto Prefecture
Access: 5-min walk from Nijojo-mae Station (Kyoto City Subway Tozai Line)
Official website: http://www.toshoan.com/ (in Japanese only)
Sakura Momiji by Shikibunosato
The Sakura Momiji assortment features a delightful variety of rice crackers, including flavors like shrimp, coarse sugar, aosa (sea lettuce), and kelp, with a total of eight types in one bag. The packaging beautifully captures the essence of "Uji Jujo" from the Tale of Genji, depicting the timeless flow of the Uji River, the elegance of the princess, and the fleeting beauty of flowers and the fall foliage. It's a perfect gift for a special occasion or a charming souvenir for any season.
Uji Shikibunosate Honten (Main Store)
Address: 38-6 Todo Aramaki, Uji-shi, Kyoto Prefecture
Access: 5-min walk from Keihan Uji Station (Keihan Uji Line;) or 12-min walk from JR Uji Station (Nara Line)
Official website: https://www.shikibunosato.com/f/shoplist (in Japanese only)
Gengetsu by Zenkashoin
Zenkashoin is a traditional confectionery shop located inside a 300-year-old Edo-era (1603-1868) wooden townhouse facing Muromachi Street in Kyoto. In addition to handmade treats, you can also find a tearoom, workshop, and a gallery space.
One of their best-selling products is Gengetsu, two crispy baked waffles with a vanilla cream filling. Thereâs also a green tea version with a rich green tea cream made with matcha from Kyoto. Another favorite is Jyoujyou, baked chocolate with a rich and fragrant matcha flavor. Each piece is individually wrapped, making it a perfect souvenir.
Green tea, matcha pudding, and jelly by Fukujuen
Green tea producer Fukujuen, in the business since 1790, does not only cultivate but also sell its carefully-grown green tea leaves, including matcha, gyokuro (high-quality green tea,) sencha (medium-grade green tea,) genmaicha (tea with roasted rice,) and hojicha (roasted green tea.)
Over the centuries, as customer lifestyles and tea preferences have evolved, Fukujuen adapted to meet new demands. In addition to tea, you can also try their rich matcha pudding, or matcha warabimochi(bracken starch jelly,) both available in packs of four items.
Best Kyoto cosmetics and boutique shops
Kyoto has long been celebrated as a city of beauty, known for its geisha culture. Here, youâll find a few stores offering cosmetics and fashionable items favored by the locals.
Sou-Sou Isemomen: Traditional Japanese fashion with a modern twist
Sou-Sou Isemomen is a brand known for its unique blend of traditional Japanese fashion with a modern twist. Here, you can find jika-tabi (split-toe socks with rubber soles,) samue (monkâs working clothes), and other traditional items.
Their design concept, "Innovate a new Japanese culture," brings a fresh pop aesthetic to their original textiles while utilizing Kyotoâs traditional materials and techniques. For souvenirs, pick up one of their handkerchiefs and compact towels.
Sou-Sou Isemomen
Address: P-91 Bldg 1F, 565-72 Nakano-cho, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto Prefecture
Access: 6-min walk from Gion-Shijo Station (Keihan Main Line)
Official website: http://www.sousou.co.jp/ (in Japanese only)
Yojiya: Oil-blotting paper
Yojiya, founded in 1904 as a shop selling make-up supplies for stage actors, has been a trusted name in Kyoto. Their signature product, oil-blotting papers, has been around for nearly a century and is still loved by the locals. Today, itâs also a popular Kyoto souvenir, popular among both domestic and international travelers.
Yojiya Gion Honten (Main Store)
Address: Shinkyogoku Hanayukoji, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto Prefecture
Access: 2-min walk from Kawaramachi Station Exit No. 9 (Hankyu Railway Kyoto Line)
Official website: https://www.yojiya.co.jp/archives/shop/197 (in Japanese only)
Inobun: Kyotoâs long-established boutique store
Inobun, a well-known boutique store chain, has its main store in the bustling Shijo Kawaramachi area, the heart of Kyoto. Each of the five floors is packed with stylish fashion accessories, kitchen supplies, furniture, stationery, and more. Every product features a natural design intended to bring a touch of joy to everyday life.
Inobun Shijo Honten (Main Store)
Address: 26 Otabi-cho, Shijo-dori, Kawaramachi-nishi-iru, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto Prefecture
Access: Adjacent to Kawaramachi Stationâs Exit No. 6 (Hankyu Railway Kyoto Line;) or a 5-min walk from Gion-Shijo Station (Keihan Main Line)
Official website: https://www.inobun.co.jp/shop/shijo/ (in Japanese only)
Kami-ya: Cosmetics and oil-blotting paper
Kami-ya, established around 1910 by a group of paper craftsmen, has become a beloved Kyoto cosmetics brand known for its adorable mascot, a white fox with a leaf on its head.
The company offers a range of cosmetics, including their popular oil-blotting papers, all featuring charming designs that appeal to international travelers as well. If youâre looking for affordable Kyoto souvenirs, consider their oil-blotting papers, which come with various package covers mimicking famous Kyoto specialties like Nama Yatsuhashi and Senmai-zuke.
Kami-ya Gion Branch Store
Address: Yamaoka Bldg B1F, 270 Giommachi Kitagawa, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto Prefecture
Access: 5-min walk from Gion-Shijo Station (Keihan Main Line)
Official website: https://www.kami-ya.jp
Ayanokoji: Handmade bags and purses
Ayanokoji is a specialized manufacturer and retailer of clasp-closure bags, purses, and wallets, with its headquarters in Kyoto and 13 stores across Japan. Each product is hand-crafted by artisans, offering a range of sizes and styles for everyday use.
Whether youâre shopping for yourself or looking for the perfect souvenir, Ayanokoji has something unique to offer. Their Kyoto Station branch is a convenient stop, and if you visit their Kotochika location, you can find limited-edition items in a distinctive Camellia sasanqua color.
Ayanokoji Kotochika Kyoto Branch Store
Address: Subway Kyoto Station B1F, Kotochika Kyoto, Higashishiokoji-cho, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto Prefecture
Access: Adjacent to Kyoto City Subway Kyoto Station Chuo Exit
Official website: https://ayanokoji.jp/shop-list/kotochika-kyoto/ (in Japanese only)
Enjoy souvenir shopping in Kyoto
Kyoto is a city steeped in history and tradition, where ancient craftsmanship still thrives, inspiring new innovations. Kyoto's specialties and souvenirs will surely give you a deeper appreciation of its rich heritage and make your visit even more enjoyable.
*The information in this article, such as prices and business hours, was accurate at the time of publication but is subject to change. Please refer to the official website(s) for the latest information.
