Tabelog ratingThis small sweet-potato confectioner builds its reputation on one product, Kichiimo Hanabi. It is imokenpi, sweet-potato sticks, cut extremely thin, fried in rapeseed oil and coated in a house-made syrup. Supermarket imokenpi is hard. These are crisp outside and slightly soft inside, and reviewers describe them as one of a kind. A mountain of them fills the shop window.
Nearly every reviewer calls the Hanabi addictive. People report finishing a whole pack in one sitting, and one Korean visitor advised buying two. The restrained syrup gets steady praise because it lets the potato come through. The daigakuimo, candied fried sweet potato, has its own loyal following. Bekko-imo has a crackly shell, while hyoshigi is soft and fluffy. Tsuki, syrup-glazed slices with black sesame, and the salted Shio Hanabi also draw repeat buyers.
The criticisms are specific:
- Several reviewers were unhappy to learn afterwards that the bekko-imo uses Chinese-grown sweet potatoes. The other items use Japanese potatoes.
- One reviewer found a popup batch of daigakuimo oily.
- One described the service as polite but curt.
- A long-time customer felt the Shio Hanabi became drier after a change made to extend its shelf life.
- The Hanabi can turn sticky in summer heat.
Reviewers recently paid around ¥730 for Kichiimo Hanabi (170 g), and the latest reports quote ¥850. Other figures reviewers paid:
- Hyoshigi: ¥720–760 (250 g)
- Bekko-imo: ¥430–480 (150 g)
- Tsuki: ¥640
- Shio Hanabi: ¥430–500 (75 g)
- Haikara potato chips: ¥340
This is a takeaway shop, so there is no separate lunch or dinner service. A typical visit costs under ¥1,000 at any time of day. Reviewers consistently call it good value: it costs more than supermarket snacks, but the difference is obvious.
- Getting there: about 88 m, roughly a minute's walk, from Kakuozan Station on the Higashiyama Line. The shop moved here recently, so older reviews describing a long walk are out of date.
- Booking: not needed, just walk in. You can phone 052-763-2010 to hold items or arrange local delivery. There are no online sales.
- Payment: cash and QR code payments only. Credit cards and electronic money are not accepted.
- Seating: takeaway only from a small sales counter. There are no seats and no private rooms.
- Children: welcome, including babies.
- Parking: three spaces on the ground floor of the Kōbōya Honten building, reached by the passage beside the shop.
- Sell-outs: popular items can be gone by the afternoon or evening.
- Shelf life: Hanabi keeps 3 days, and daigakuimo should be eaten the same day. For gifts to take home, choose Shio Hanabi (about a month) or the chips.
- Elsewhere: the products are also sold at Matsuzakaya and JR Nagoya Takashimaya.
