Kasagi-ya has occupied the same dark-timbered machiya halfway up Ninen-zaka since 1914 and is the best of the sweet cafes on this particular slope. The menu is limited -- ohagi rice cakes, zenzai sweet bean soup, and seasonal wagashi -- served with matcha tea in wooden bowls. The second-floor room, where a few tables overlook the stone lane below, books up quickly on weekends.
The ohagi here -- sticky rice coated in sweet azuki bean paste -- are made fresh twice daily and sell out by mid-afternoon. Arrive before noon or after 3 pm for the best selection.