Mar. 08, 2019 UPDATE

Hogyokudo

- 宝玉堂 -

Traveler Friendly

The shopkeeper will use gestures to serve you politely.

Information

Only Japanese.

Languages spoken

Simple English.

Fushimi Inari Food Souvenirs

1858 20 7.0 1 reviews

Basic information of Hogyokudo

Story & Recommendation

Talking of Fushimi Inari souvenirs, the most famous are of course the fox cookies of the venerable Hogyokudo, made by hand, fresh every day

As a Fushimi Inari souvenir, the one that is above the rest has to be the Inari senbei cookies in the shape of a fox’s face. The shop that first sold these cookies was Hogyokudo, located right in front of Keihan Fushimi Inari Station. These Inari cookies are also known as fox’s face cookies, for obvious reasons. Even to this day they bake every cookie by hand, and on busy days they have to bake one thousand cookies. The perfectly baked fox cookies smell delicious, and many people are lured in by them. There are also many other cookies besides the fox’s face cookies sold at Hogyokudo, and if you order them the shopkeeper will pack them carefully for you. One reason for why so many people keep on going to Hogyokudo year after year is their great, friendly service. Hogyokudo is not only loved by foreign visitors, but also by locals. Going to have some fox face cookies when going to Fushimi Inari Shrine would be a great travel plan.

1Recommend!

Hogyokudo’s most famous product: Inari cookie (Kogitsune) / 3 cookies for ￥350 / 5 cookies for ￥550

This Inari cookie is something almost everyone going to see Fushimi Inari shrine buys. This cookie baked into the shape of a fox’s face is not something you can find everywhere: in fact, you can only buy it here at Hogyokudo. These cookies that contain white miso and sesame in the dough are baked at a high temperature making them very crunchy, and also fragrant. The smell of miso is also present, making these cookies something you could get addicted to. The natural sweetness and Japaneseness of the miso make these cookies uniquely tasty.

2Recommend!

Bell-shaped fortune cookies / 5 for ￥450

These bell-shaped fortune cookies that the shop has sold since its foundation also make for a nice souvenir. These cookies also use the same white miso dough as the fox cookies, but there is a fortune slip inside the cookie. There is a poem-like fortune written on the slip that is rather funny. The price is quite cheap so I recommend getting these with the fox face cookies.

3Check it out!

Sweet cookies with peanuts / ￥390

These thin peanuts cookies are in a big bag, so they make for a great souvenir for a group of people, or a nice snack for yourself. The crunchy cookies have just the right amount of sweetness and you can’t stop eating them once you start. These cookies don’t use white miso like the Inari and the fortune cookies, but egg, so the taste is somewhat like pound cake.

How to buy

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Inside the shop the shopkeeper is always baking fresh fox cookies, so there is always the sweet smell of cookies in the air. If you got some fox cookies, take this chance to also see how they are made. The way the skillful shopkeeper makes the cookies is a highlight of the Hogyokudo visit. Be sure to see it!

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The cookies you buy are wrapped in cute wrapping paper like this. The package that is closest to the camera contains fox cookies, and look at the white string on it: you can pick the package up with the string! How convenient. These nostalgic Hogyokudo souvenirs are a great thing to take back home with you. (The fox cookies are good for 3-4 months from the day they are bought.)

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Here I am demonstrating the correct way of taking pictures with the fox cookies.

- Shopping Tips -

The shopkeeper who stands outside servicing the customers and selling the cookies is a bit of a celebrity. The way she politely and warmly serves each and every customer is heartwarming. Many people even take pictures with her, and I’m sure that taking a picture with her would become a great memento of your trip to Kyoto (we also took a picture with her!).

Basic information of Hogyokudo