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Sweet Art: Nara's Historic Wagashi Shops

Served before the tea at a tea ceremony to balance the bitterness of the tea, wagashi confectionaries can be intensely sweet. Made to reflect the seasons, each one is a work of art, almost too beautiful to eat .

Honkekikuya

This beautiful 400-year old store displays the original molds used for shaping sugar into a myriad of beautiful shapes. They also have newer creations inspired by the Yamato Koriyama area's goldfish. | Edible Gifts | Yamato Koriyama

Nakanishi Yosaburo

In the heart of Naramachi, this store has supplied Nara's top tea houses and hotels for 150 years. Look out for the sweets shaped like migawarisaru (scapegoat monkeys). | Edible Gifts | Naramachi

Mimuro Shiratamaya Eiju (Nara)

For around 160 years, this shop has specialized in monaka, a thin, crispy rice wafer filled with sweet bean paste. | Edible Gifts | Sakurai

Nakai Shunpudo

The specialty of Yoshino is kuzukiri, made from kudzu starch and fresh water. The chef will show you the magical process as the mixture transforms into a delcious sweet right before your eyes. | Edible Gifts | Yoshino

Nakatanido

You can't miss this store making yomogi mochi; they draw crowds every day as the mochi rice is pounded with frantic speed into a soft dumpling seasoned with mugwort, then stuffed with bean paste. | Edible Gifts | Nara Park

Kakigori Kashiya

With great attention to detail and only the finest ingredients, this quaint Naramachi wagashi shop and cafe crafts edible works of art. | Japanese Cafes | Naramachi

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