1
Sakaeya "Aged Yuba Manju" (fried bean curd bun)

The crispy skin and moist bean paste are addictive!

Yuba (yuba), a typical Nikko specialty, is a popular souvenir.
While Kyoto's "yuba" is also famous, Nikko's "yuba" has flourished because it is offered to two shrines and one temple (Nikko Toshogu Shrine, Nikko Rinnoji Temple, and Nikko Futaarasan Shrine).

In fact, it is written differently in Kyoto as "yuba" and in Nikko as "yunami. The difference is the way the film that appears on the surface of the soymilk is pulled up after it is boiled down. Yuba in Kyoto is made by pulling up the membrane in a single layer, while yuba in Nikko is made by folding it in two and pulling it up in two layers.

In Nikko, yuba can be tasted at many restaurants, but the "deep-fried yuba manju" at "Sakaeya" is one of the most popular and has been introduced in the media. It is deep-fried in a thin batter, and the crispy texture of the batter, the sweetness of the manju, and the salt used as a finishing touch are exquisite.

[Product Name & Price] Fried Yuba Manju: 300 yen per piece
[Shelf Life] 3 days

Local Guide
Supporters

The salt around it enhances the sweetness of the bean paste, making it unstoppably delicious! You can enjoy them freshly fried at the store, but they are also available as souvenirs.

2
Ishidaya Honten "Nikko Jingoro Sempei

Long seller is the salted butter-flavored rice cracker

Nikko Jingoro Sembe," popular since its establishment in 1907, is said to have been named after the master craftsman "Saji Jingoro," who carved a "sleeping cat" on the shrine pavilion of Nikko Toshogu Shrine. The store offers a wide variety of rice crackers, but the best recommendation is the traditional salted butter flavor.
The light texture and slightly small size of the rice crackers make them popular with everyone from children to the elderly.

The Ishidaya main store is crowded in the afternoon with customers on their way home from sightseeing in Nikko, so if you visit in the morning, you can enjoy shopping at your leisure.

[Product Name & Price] Nikko Jingoro Senbei (16 pieces) 648 yen
[Best Before] 120 days

Local Guide
Supporters

It is also served as a welcome sweet at "Hoshino Resorts KAI Nikko," and is a popular souvenir that many people like and purchase.

3
Kibira no Yokan Honpo "Mizu-yokan" (mizu-yokan)

Nikko's specialty "mizu-yokan" (water jelly), which has been loved by the locals

As you can see from the many yokan shops lining the street on the way from Tobu Nikko Station to Toshogu Shrine, yokan is a standard souvenir of Nikko.
Among them, "Onihei no Yokan Honpo" is one of the most popular yokan shops, so popular that the name "Onihei" comes to mind when talking about mizu-yokan in the local area.
The store was founded in the early Showa period (1926-1989) as a specialty store for kneaded yokan, and later began selling mizu-yokan, which is now its signature product.

Onihei's mizu-yokan is characterized by its refreshing aftertaste, and its freshness combined with its elegant sweetness makes it a delicacy that keeps people's hands busy. Many people come from far away to buy this carefully made mizu-yokan.

In the past, mizu-yokan was only produced and sold during the winter because temperature control was important to maintain the quality of the product. However, with the development of refrigeration technology, mizu-yokan has been produced and sold all year round since about 30 years ago, and now you can enjoy the best mizu-yokan any time of the year.

[Product Name & Price] Mizu Yokan (70g × 5 sticks) 950 yen
[Best Before] 5 days

Local Guide
Supporters

I compared several mizu-yokan for gifts, but I found this one to be the most delicious!

4
Meiji no Yakata "Cheese cake Nirvana

Excellent cheesecake from a famous store representing Nikko

At “Meiji no Yakata,” a renowned Western-style restaurant in Nikko, you’ll find “Nirvana,” a cheesecake that has been beloved for 50 years.
The batter, made with generous amounts of premium Danish cream cheese, is slowly baked and coated with sour cream on the surface, resulting in a rich cheesecake with a moist, velvety texture.
Made without flour—using only cream cheese, eggs, and sugar—the batter has a subtle sweetness and deep richness. It pairs exquisitely with the sour cream, to which fresh lemons add a gentle tartness.
As a luxurious treat crafted with meticulous attention to ingredients and preparation, it’s perfect not only as a souvenir but also as a gift. With an attached café, you can also enjoy a leisurely tea time.

[Product Name & Price]
Cheesecake “Nirvana” Small (15 cm diameter) 2,700 yen, Large (21 cm diameter) 4,320 yen *Both come in a gift box
[Shelf Life] 7 days

In addition to cheesecake, the “Traditional Yogurt” is also popular.
Made with 100% fresh milk. This original yogurt, with its creamy and mellow flavor that’s hard to resist, is a traditional dessert at “Meiji no Yakata.”

[Product Name & Price]
Meiji no Yakata Traditional Yogurt (400 ml) 864 yen
[Best Before] 7 days

Local Guide
Supporters

The white sour cream has a very nice balance of sourness and just the right amount of sweetness.
I feel happy when I eat "Nirvana" after having omelette rice at "Restaurant Meiji no Yakata.

5
Kashiwazaki Shoten "Sansho comparison set

Refreshing aroma and flavor whet your appetite

With a history of more than 70 years since its establishment, Kashiwazaki Shoten is a connoisseur of sansho (Japanese pepper) and a stickler for old-fashioned craftsmanship. Its specialty is "Ki no Mei Sansho," which is made by picking the tender leaves that have just sprouted and seasoning them with soy sauce and other seasonings. It is a traditional food that has taken root in Nikko households, so much so that locals say it is "the taste of my grandmother's and mother's cooking," and is a perfect accompaniment to freshly cooked rice or as an ingredient in rice balls.
Hana sansho, made from flowers that are only harvested in small quantities during a very short season, is also popular among gourmets. Its delicate flavor goes well with white fish sashimi and boiled tofu. The refreshing flavor of "jitsu sansho" can be added to simmered dishes to enhance the flavor of ordinary dishes. We recommend the "Leaf, Fruit, and Flower" set, which allows you to enjoy a comparison of the rich flavors of sansho.

[Product Name & Price] Sansho Tasting Set (3 bottles) 6,534 yen
[Best Before] Approximately 1 year when unopened

Kashiwazaki Shoten

• 797-1 Shimobachiishi-cho, Nikko-shi, Tochigi MAP
• A 15-minute walk from Tobu Nikko Station on the Tobu Railway Line
• 9:00-17:00
• No holidays
• 0288-54-0086
• Free of charge

6
Kekko-zuke Honpo “Nikko’s Kekko-zuke”

Famous pickles accented with wine and honey

“Nikko no Kekko-zuke” is made by desalting salt-cured ingredients and marinating them in a unique sauce made with tamari soy sauce, white wine,clover honey. Wine has been used in this “Tamari-zuke” preparation since the company’s founding in 1961 (Showa 36), back when wine was not yet widely available. This was made possible because Kekko-zuke Honpo also operated a liquor store at the time.

The selection is rich and varied, including cucumbers, ginger, daikon radish, and burdock root, but the most popular item is the rakkyo (pickled shallots). The sweetly seasoned rakkyo has a wonderful aroma and is a highly recommended specialty.

We also sell deep-fried rolled yuba, sashimi-style yuba, and freshly ground soba noodles made from high-quality buckwheat grains grown in Nikko and Kanuma that we mill in-house.

There are three stores in Nikko City; the Imaichi Interchange Store and the Moritomo Bypass Store feature a “Kekko-zuke” direct sales shop alongside a Dining Area serving handmade soba, so you can not only choose them as souvenirs but also enjoy delicious soba. You can also purchase these products at many other souvenir shops in Nikko.

[Product Name & Price]
Nikko’s “Kekko-zuke” “Kekko-zukume” (160g) 648 yen
[Shelf Life] 180 days

Local Guide
Supporters

The tamari-pickled cucumbers are so delicious—they’re my favorite!

7
Uezawa Umetaro Shoten “Nikko Miso Tamari-zuke”

“Nikko Tamari-zuke,” made using techniques from a 400-year-old traditional shop

“Tamari” is an amber-colored liquid that seeps out gradually as miso matures. It is characterized by a rich aroma and deep umami flavor derived from the “Nikko Miso” brewed by this shop.Founded approximately 400 years ago, the shop traces its origins to the same period as the construction of Tōshō-gū Shrine. It later began brewing miso and soy sauce.

Umetaro Kamizawa, the owner two generations ago, looked ahead to a future of peace during the turbulent period immediately following the end of the war and resolved to create a local specialty by leveraging the miso and soy sauce brewing techniques the company had cultivated over the years.He set his sights on the miso and soy sauce-marinated pickles that had been made as meals for the brewery workers. Based on this idea, “Nikko Miso Tamari-zuke” was created using “tamari.”

To preserve the texture and aroma of the ingredients, the production method remains virtually unchanged to this day, with all products finished without heat treatment. Many people travel from far and wide to savor this unique flavor.

Among our many products, “Rakkyo Tamari-zuke” is by far the most popular. We carefully select ingredients—primarily from Tochigi Prefecture—and pickle them with great care. It is characterized by its umami, sweetness, and refreshing flavor with a crisp bite.

Nikko Miso Tamarizuke goes well with dishes because of its aroma, texture, and rich flavor. Various cooking methods are introduced on the website for your reference.

Product name and price】Rakkyo pickled radish (150g) 680 yen
Shelf life] One month in refrigeration

We also recommend the "Seven Kinds of Kizami-Awase (Danran). You can enjoy a different taste by mixing it with omusubi (rice balls), ochazuke (rice with green tea), or salad dressing.

Local Guide
Supporters

There are various kinds of tamari-zuke, from the standard to the innovative, and I recommend the rakkyo tamari-zuke because the fruits are so large that I have never seen them anywhere else, and they are very tasty!

8
Noshu Ginjo Miso “Koji Zanmai”

The finest rice miso covered with luxurious sweetness and elegant aroma

Noshu Ginjo Miso," made at the brewery founded in 1902, is a master craftsman's miso. Starting with the making of koji, everything from the miso preparation to the release from the brewery is done by hand, and the miso does not lose its flavor when simmered, allowing you to make delicious miso soup without the need to make soup stock.
Among them, "Koji Zammai" is a top-quality rice miso with luxurious sweetness and elegant aroma, made with twice as much koji as ordinary miso.

Product name and price: Kouji Zammai, 850 yen (tax not included)
Shelf life] About 6 months in refrigeration

In addition, the store always sells about five kinds of miso in 100-gram quantities.
If you are unsure of what to buy, ask a Staff/staff member for advice, and they will recommend the miso that best suits your needs. I look forward to buying different kinds of miso.

Local Guide
Supporters

It is a long-established miso shop that offers amazake (sweet sake) to Nikko Toshogu Shrine during the New Year's holidays, but it is so stylish that it does not look like a miso shop at first glance. It also sells sweets and other items made from miso. When I went back to my hometown, I brought some miso from here as a souvenir and it was much appreciated.