Hello there!
With my son snoring softly beside me,
this is Binako, your Sarukuma writer!

Today I’m excited to introduce you to
“Higo Wagashi Kyosakura”,
a traditional Japanese sweets shop located in Miyoshi, Koshi City, Kumamoto Prefecture.

The large traditional noren curtain at the entrance immediately catches your eye!

There’s also a colorful flag out front, making the shop super easy to spot!
Parking is conveniently located right next to the store.

Inside the shop, beautiful Japanese sweets (wagashi) line the display cases —
and quite a few items were already marked as sold out!

Here’s a look at their newly released items!

They have classic ohagi (sweet rice balls coated with red bean paste),
but the cheese ohagi caught my eye and wouldn’t let go!

They also offer roll cakes and daifuku (mochi filled with sweet bean paste)!
With so many varieties of daifuku, choosing just one is a delicious dilemma.

Here are the dorayaki (sweet pancakes filled with red bean paste).
You can choose between the classic version and a unique cheese dorayaki!

And here are the tarts and pies!
With such an incredible variety, this indecisive writer spent ages trying to choose.

You’ll even find the rare karukan (a traditional steamed cake made from yam and rice flour, originally from Kyushu)!
They come in multiple flavors, so you’re sure to find one that suits your taste.

And here are the pound cakes!
They also offer assorted gift sets — perfect for bringing as a souvenir or present.

And then there’s the shop’s No.1 bestseller:

Hazelnut and Cacao Pie

This was actually what I came for, but as expected of a top seller —
it was completely sold out!

If you’ve got your heart set on it, I highly recommend arriving early!

I didn’t manage to get a photo, but they also serve tapioca drinks,
and they looked absolutely delicious too!

Recommended Menu

This time, I picked up:

Mizu Manju with Dainagon Azuki Beans — 130 yen

Adult Rum Raisin Daifuku — 150 yen

Cheese Ohagi — 100 yen

First up, the Mizu Manju (a chilled, jelly-like Japanese sweet)!

It’s wonderfully bouncy and refreshingly cool to the touch.

Wow!

The dainagon azuki beans are incredible!
The jelly melts away on your tongue,
and those plump, premium azuki beans really make this mizu manju shine!

Next, the Adult Rum Raisin Daifuku.
As a huge fan of both rum and raisins, I couldn’t resist this one!

The raisins are large and incredibly satisfying to bite into!

The mochi is wonderfully soft, and the flavor is undeniably grown-up —
you can practically feel yourself climbing one step up the ladder of adulthood with each bite!

And of course, I had to try the

Cheese Ohagi.

My heart was racing.
What could it possibly taste like?

Oh,

I love this!

The salty cheese and sweet red bean paste
balance each other perfectly. I gently mashed them together
in my mouth to blend the flavors with every bite.

Yep, definitely worth the buy.

That said, this is one of those flavors that might divide opinions!
For me, it’s an absolute winning combination!

I’m still curious about the tapioca too,
so I’ll definitely come back for that when I return for round two on the cacao pie.

Bright and early next time!

Be sure to stop by and try them for yourself!

Frequently Asked Questions

※Information is current as of the time of reporting. Prices and hours are subject to change. Please confirm before your visit.