Since its establishment in 1922, Seki Seika Honpo (Tohei An) has been dedicated to making rice crackers. The confections are made with carefully selected ingredients and baked one by one by hand. The summer-only product of note this season is the Miyako Uchiwa (Gion Festival), an egg rice cracker baked in the shape of an Uchiwa and branded with the Gion Festival's Hoko (float) and Maiko (apprentice geisha). From August, a new Miyako Uchiwa with a Gozan Okuribi (Bonfire of the Five Mountain Fires) design will also be available.

This year, too, the long-established confectionary store Sasaya Iori, established more than 300 years ago, is offering a limited edition wagashi for the Gion Festival. This elegant confection is made with chewy dough wrapped in gyuhi and branded with the Yasaka Shrine's sacred crests of Tomoe and Kikuri. This product will be sold at all stores in Kyoto, so if you cannot enjoy the Gion Festival in person, be sure to check out a store near you.

［nikiniki" was created by Shogoin Yatsuhashi Sohonten as a brand that proposes a new way of eating yatsuhashi. The popular seasonal fresh confections are fresh yatsuhashi decorated with flowers and events of the four seasons and filled with either koshi-an (sweet red bean paste) or shiro-an (white bean paste). Every July, a design featuring the Gion Festival appears. They look lovely and make great gifts. Since they are fresh confections, they should be enjoyed on the same day.

Kogetsu, known for its senju senbei (rice crackers) made with cream sandwiched between wave-shaped cookie dough, will introduce a new premium senju senbei in October 2022. This year, for the first time ever, the Senju Senju Senbei version, with a Gion Matsuri design, is available only during this time of year. While admiring the illustrations of the lanterns and chimakis of the Yamaboko floats on the dough, it is also fun to reminisce about the Gion Matsuri Festival, which is associated with the designs on the crackers. The wrapping paper is also specially designed with Gion Festival motifs, and is recommended as a gift.

Sanjyo Wakasaya is located at the easternmost end of the Sanjokai shopping district. The Gion Chigo Mochi, their signature product, is introduced here. The story goes that the second-generation owner created the mochi in the Taisho period (1912-1926) based on a rice cake that was once served at the Gion Festival to bring good fortune and ward off disaster. The design of the package, which is decorated with strips of paper wrapped in the image of bamboo bark, is also reminiscent of the history that has been passed down through the generations. The rice cake is skewered on a bamboo skewer, which keeps your hands clean when eating. It is a famous confectionary of the Gion Festival that evokes a sense of nostalgia.

Founded in the Meiji era (1868-1912), Narumi Mochi Honten has a history of nearly 150 years. The shop offers a variety of products that are part of the Kyoto lifestyle, including its famous sekihan (red rice cake). The Hoko Dorayaki (float-shaped dorayaki) is a specialty of Narumi Mochi Honten during the Gion Matsuri (Gion Festival) season. The branding on the dorayaki is a symbolic representation of the Choto-boko (long sword), making it easy to tell at first glance that it is a confectionery associated with the Gion Matsuri. The key to the flavor is the moist and fluffy dough made by hand and the red bean paste made from Dainagon Azuki produced in Tanba. Buy one for the number of friends or family members you have.

Tawaraya Yoshitomi has been making traditional Kyoto sweets since its establishment in the Edo period. The Gion Hayashi, a limited edition product sold in July, is one of the creative dry confections in the series. The fuyaki decorated with the floats and the colorful dried amber are so gorgeous that it would be a shame to eat them. You can almost hear the music of the Gion Festival from the box of dried confections. These sweets are not only to be tasted, but also to be enjoyed as a work of art.

［Kameya Ryoucho is a Kyoto confectionary store that is known for its products with a modern flair. The sliced Yokan (sweet bean curd), which was created by a revolutionary idea, is one of the company's most popular Japanese sweets. Yoiyama Dango (dumplings for the Gion Festival) heralds the arrival of the Gion Festival. These dumplings are filled with white miso paste and wrapped in gyuhi, giving them an irresistible chewy texture. The dumplings are about the size of a bite, so you may find yourself reaching for another one as you eat them. Inside the box, the dumplings are lined up like the lanterns of the Yamahoko floats, which conveys the atmosphere of the Gion Festival. The sales period is a little short, so be sure to check the information before buying.

Kyo-Ame Crochet is well known for its candy that combines the skills of Kyoto craftsmen with the beauty of European techniques. Their colorful candies with Japanese designs are beautiful to look at and have many female fans. The Gion Yamaboko, featured in this issue, is a limited edition product that is only available at this time of the year and remains in stores until around the end of July. The bright red and black color of this blackcurrant-flavored candy is eye-catching. The candy has a long shelf life of one year and is available in large quantities, so it is recommended to enjoy it a little at a time rather than eating it in a short period of time. If you enjoy it from time to time, it may remind you of the Gion Festival.

［Kyo-Agetsu is a long-established confectionery shop founded in the Edo period (1603-1868). They offer confections that incorporate the four seasons, and Choto Chimaki is one of them. When you open the package, which is designed in the image of the Naginataboko float of the Gion Festival, you will find six freshly made bite-sized chimaki with the aroma of bamboo grass. There are three each of the green tea and azuki bean paste flavors, so you can enjoy the different flavors. Chimaki is indispensable for the Gion Festival to ward off bad luck. It would be a good idea to buy these chimakis as "edible chimakis.