Crunch into one of these gently curved rectangular wafers, and your mouth will luxuriate in a cinnamon flavor and a refreshing sweetness. These thin, brown wafers are made out of steamed rice flour, sugar and cinnamon, and are baked and sold as yatsuhashi souvenirs representing the city of Kyoto, one of the world's best tourist destinations.

Several legends touch on the origins of yatsuhashi, but the most convincing one tells of a blind monk from the 1600s, called Yatsuhashi Kengyo. He composed music for the koto, an ancient string instrument, and played in the Sokyoku style. He is commemorated with this snack by the shape—it is like the curved surface of a koto.

Much later, in the early 1900s, yatsuhashi were the first sweets to be peddled on a railway platform in Japan. That was at Shichijo Station (today's Kyoto Station). They created quite a stir, and yatsuhashi quickly became a souvenir favorite.

The prestige of tradition inspires innovation

Among souvenir hunters yatsuhashi have long been a favorite baked confectionery, but another, softer variety, also has a respectable history, although in the past it was eaten only by locals, partly because it does not keep well. This variety is called nama (soft and unbaked) yatsuhashi. A suggestion made during a tea ceremony in 1960 prompted well-known yatsuhashi confectioners to come out with a new product: soft yatsuhashi wrapped around red bean paste. These treats, triangular in shape with sweet bean paste inside, quickly became popular and took on a major role in Kyoto's confectionery souvenir industry.

Later, the companies began offering an array of creative varieties, including soft yatsuhashi with different bean pastes and tastes, and baked yatsuhashi with a sprinkling of sugar or chocolate. The result was plenty of demand in shops and souvenir outlets throughout Kyoto.

Trying out recipes for sweet popularity
over the next 100 years

Meanwhile, the established yatsuhashi confectioner who had triggered the craze maintained its momentum with more innovations, while keeping the traditional taste. They pushed the evolution of their yatsuhashi brands to include soft yatsuhashi shaped like flowers (and brightly colored like them, too), and sweets featuring ingredients like caramel. The companies have begun reaching out to young people, especially Kyoto locals who grew up without eating much yatsuhashi, and are trying out recipes to find new products that will stand the test of taste over the next 100 years and longer.

Kyoto stands on a proud foundation of centuries of tradition, giving it confidence to be forward looking and adventurous in spirit. This is part of the Kyoto culture, and its sweet foods are no exception.

Left: Yatsuhashi Kengyo has a strong connection with yatsuhashi sweets. He was a master of a musical instrument called the koto (pictured at bottom right). Tradition has it that, after his death, confectioners began making this type of sweet in the shape of the koto, to honor his contribution to koto music.
Right: Facade of the main shop of a famous confectioner established more than 320 years ago.