The "Kyoto Rekidai Noren Market," featuring Kyoto sweets, tea, and crafts, is being held in the event hall on the 6th floor of the Isetan Shinjuku Main Building. The event runs until 6:00 PM on March 30th. Approximately 80 brands will exhibit their time-honored crafts and popular sweets, showcasing the charm of Kyoto through the unique "spirit of hospitality" that is unique to Kyoto.
This 47th exhibition will focus on the noren curtains of renowned restaurants with flagship stores in Kyoto. While noren curtains mark the boundary between the interior and exterior of the store, they are by no means obstructive. Rather, they are meant to offer a glimpse into the historical depth and exceptional craftsmanship that lie beyond, allowing visitors to enjoy the experience in a relaxed atmosphere.
A highlight will be the Kyoto-style restaurant "Sakon," which will be making its first appearance at the store. Renowned as the only restaurant in Kyoto that skillfully combines the traditions and techniques of Kyoto cuisine and French cuisine, Sakon will be demonstrating and selling their "Spring Conger Eel Meat Meat Set" (2,100 yen, limited to 30 per day) as an event-exclusive item. You can enjoy carefully deboned and fragrantly teriyaki conger eel.
Gion Manyoken, a long-established French restaurant founded in 1904 and beloved by the Imperial family and overseas VIPs, will be selling one of its signature products, the Crab Croquettes (179 yen / limited to 300 pieces per day), as well as the seasonal Sakura Roll Cake (1,260 yen / limited to 100 pieces per day). The roll cake, with cherry blossom-flavored cream wrapped in fluffy sponge cake, is a dish that will make you feel the arrival of spring.
In addition, Ieden Kyoame Gion Koishi, a Kyoto candy specialty store with a shop in the Gion entertainment district, will be setting up a teahouse within the venue. The parfait, titled "Maiko-han's Favorite Parfait: Slightly Sweet and Sour Matcha Milk" (1,260 yen, exclusive to this store), is a dessert that can be enjoyed with all five senses, skillfully combining ingredients with different flavors of sweetness, bitterness, sourness, aroma, and texture.
At the back of the venue, an eat-in corner called "Kyoraku Chaya" will be set up, offering event-exclusive menus such as "Kujo Negi Curry Soba" (1,050 yen, limited to 50 per day) from "Matsuba," the original maker of herring soba, and "Hana Ikada" (840 yen) from "Fuminosuke Chaya," a sweets teahouse.
In the crafts section, popular renowned shops include "Ichihara Heibei Shoten," which has been making chopsticks for 250 years, and "Jusoya," a shop specializing in boxwood combs, a traditional craft so old it has even been mentioned in the Manyoshu. Also making its debut is "Rakuchu Takaokaya," which offers ojami-shaped cushions. Founded in 1919 as a futon processing factory, the store has been innovative in its business practices, selling ready-made futons at a time when custom-made futons were the norm. This time, they've collaborated with the French fabric brand CASAMANCE to create the "Ojami Zabuton" cushion. Zabuton cushions are available in semi-custom order, with customers choosing the thread and fabric, and custom tassels are also available.
