Wagashi: Autumn Theme Namagashi
Bells, flowers and leaves. While expressed in subtle terms, the simple beauty, the inventiveness in theme, the attention to season and the variety of the color palette of namagashi never ceases to amaze.
Gion Oharameya Shinise 大原女家
The other day while passing through Gion, I dropped into one of my favorite wagashi shinise stores, Oharameya 大原女家 thinking that they ought to have some clever and attractive autumn namagashi, and I was definitely not disappointed.
Ohayameya, founded in 1897, is actually better known for some of it’s other wagashi rather than namagashi. I especially adore their yuzu flavored kamaburo かま風呂 wagashi. I find that their namagashi is particularly beautiful and always very colorful. Traditionalists may object to the perhaps excessive use of color used in some of their namagashi but Ohayameya’s namagashi always strike me as modern and free of that tea ceremony ‘attitude’ that is occasionally encountered.
I bought a delightful three-piece set of autumn themed Kyoto namagashi. The motifs are; Gion bell, tsubaki 椿 (camellia) flower and autumn maples leaves.
Autumn Theme Namagashi Set
Namagashi: Gion Bell
Namagashi: Tsubaki (Camellia)
I think that this tsubaki piece is a real masterpiece.
Namagashi: Autumn Maple Leaves
Autumn Theme Namagashi Set – detail
Ohayameya Previously on KyotoFoodie
By the way, one of our most popular articles here on KyotoFoodie, Father’s Day Wagashi also came from Ohayameya.
Oharameya website (no English, but nice photos)
Goshhhhh… your picts made me salivating ne! I agreed with you the tsubaki is really gorgeous and beautiful…in fact too beautiful to eat!!! Thank you for sharing. I’m a big fan of wagashi.
Hello pixen,
Thanks for stopping by KyotoFoodie! Your blog is GREAT. I love South-east Asian spicy!
Yes, wagashi is very beautiful and this tsubaki looks almost too good to eat.
Wow the detail in that tsubaki piece is amazing. Is there anything inside them?
Hi Marc,
It is just bean paste. Same old, same old. (I want to change this!)
Beautiful photos! I really like your site.
looks beautiful!
Awww, these look so pretty! Lovely colour contrast and photography. Love the close up! And I agree, the Tsubaki one looks amazing.
These are so, so , so beautiful!! Thanks for sharing all your finds and your photography! I learn so much everytime I come here!