Kyoto Travel Guide

Japanese ice cream features a variety of flavors that are rarely seen elsewhere, including green tea, black sesame, and melon. It does not rely on cream and sugar for flavoring as much as its western counterpart does, rather relying on the natural sweetness of the ingredients for its flavoring.

Tea may have been introduced to Japan in the Heian period, but the masters of the tea ceremony and tea production still base themselves in Kyoto. The Uji district of Kyoto in particular is home to some of Japan's finest teas, and indicates Kyoto's enduring love of all things related to the drink.

A number of coffee houses dating from the turn of the century still stand in Kyoto. Their patrons and proprietors demand nothing but the best when it comes to coffee. Why not go share a cup with them?

Although most restaurants don't serve dessert (plates of sliced fruit are sometimes served at the end of a meal), there is no lack of sweets in Japan. Most sweets (known generally as wagashi) are sold in specialty stores for you to eat at home. Many of the more delicate-looking ones are made to balance the strong, bitter taste of the special matcha (powdered green tea) served during tea ceremonies. Even if you have the sweetest tooth in the world and have sampled every type of sweet that's come your way, you may find yourself pleasantly surprised by Japanese confectionery. Many sweets contain the unfamiliar red adzuki-bean paste called anko. This earthy, rich filling turns up in a variety of pastries, including those you pick up at local bakeries. With such a wide variety of sweets, it's impossible to list all the names. Sweet shops are easy to spot; they usually have open fronts with their wares laid out in wooden trays to entice passers-by.