Aburi mochi at Imamiya Shrine
Small pieces of rice cake on bamboo skewers, grilled over charcoal and covered in a sweet white miso sauce. Aburi mochi is one of Kyoto’s oldest snacks, and the place to eat it is the approach to Imamiya Shrine — about 5–7 minutes by bicycle from the hostel and our cottages.
- Where
- The east gate approach of Imamiya Shrine, Kita-ku — two shops facing each other
- Hours
- 10:00–17:00 at both shops
- Closed
- Wednesdays (Thursday instead when Wednesday is the 1st, the 15th or a holiday); 16–31 December, open again from 1 January
- Eat in or take away
- Both — a plate comes with hot tea; takeaway from 3 servings, best eaten the same day
- From our rooms
- About 5–7 minutes by bicycle
- Bicycle parking
- Yes
- Best time
- Just after opening, 10:00–11:00
As of October 2026. Hours and closing days can change, so please check before you go.
Two old shops, face to face
On the stone-paved approach to the shrine’s east gate, two shops sit directly across from each other, and both have served aburi mochi for centuries.
- Ichiwa (Ichimonjiya Wasuke) — said to have opened in the year 1000, which would make it one of the oldest shops in Japan. The charcoal comes through strongly, with a lighter white miso sauce.
- Kazariya (Honke Kongen Kazariya) — around four hundred years old, with a slightly sweeter, richer sauce, and rooms where you can sit and look out at the garden.
There is no wrong choice. The two shops keep the same hours and days off, so when one is open, so is the other — many people try a plate at each and decide for themselves.
Eat in, or take some home
Sit down and the mochi arrives hot from the grill with a pot of tea — the best way to have it.
Both shops also pack aburi mochi to take away, from three servings, wrapped with plenty of the white miso sauce. When it is busy there is often a separate line for takeaway, so tell the staff before you queue. It is fresh mochi with no preservatives, so eat it the same day; if it has firmed up, a few seconds in a microwave brings it back. With our rooms only a few minutes away, taking some home to enjoy slowly is a good way to end the morning.
When to go
Go just after opening, between 10:00 and 11:00, when it is quiet and you can usually sit straight down. Late afternoon, before closing, is calm too. Around midday and on weekends there can be a queue.
Getting there from the Hostel or Cottage
It is about a 5–7 minute ride from the hostel and our cottages, and there is bicycle parking.
While you are there, step into the shrine itself, then make a morning of it at Daitokuji, the large Zen temple just to the south.
On the way back: Sarasa Nishijin
Sarasa Nishijin is a café in a former bathhouse, its walls still covered in old majolica tiles. It is a 2–3 minute walk from Funaoka Onsen, and an easy stop on the ride home.
Questions about aburi mochi
When are the aburi mochi shops open?
Both shops open 10:00–17:00 and keep the same days off: closed on Wednesdays, or on Thursday instead when a Wednesday falls on the 1st, the 15th or a national holiday. They also close from 16 to 31 December and open again on 1 January. Hours can change, so check before you go.
Can I eat in or take some home?
Both. Eat in and a plate comes with hot tea. Takeaway starts from three servings — tell the staff before you queue, and eat it the same day.
Which shop should I choose?
Both serve the same dish with their own white miso sauce: Kazariya’s is a little sweeter and richer, Ichiwa’s lighter, with more of the charcoal. They keep the same hours, so you can try one plate at each and compare.
How far is it from Expo Hostel & Cottage?
About 5–7 minutes by bicycle, and there is bicycle parking.