This 160-Year-Old Kyoto Confectionery House Makes Eevee and Sinistcha Out of Traditional Japan Wagashi

Summary

• Kyoto confectionery house Shichijo Kanshundo, founded in 1865, expands its Pokémon jyogashi lineup with two new characters: Eevee rendered in nerikiri and Sinistcha in yomogi manju, joining existing pieces Shaymin Land Forme and Oricorio Baile Style in a four-piece set 
• Online sales began in May, with in-store availability at the Kyoto Higashiyama flagship launching June 7 and continuing on the 7th of each month
• The collaboration sits within Pokémon’s broader 30th anniversary year, during which the franchise has pursued an unusually wide range of cultural partnerships spanning food, architecture, fashion, and craft

Shichijo Kanshundo, the Kyoto wagashi house that has been making jyogashi on the banks of the Kamo River since 1865, has expanded its Pokémon collaboration with two new characters: Eevee, rendered in nerikiri, and Sinistcha, constructed as a yomogi manju. The four-piece set represents one of the more considered intersections of licensed IP and traditional Japanese craft in recent memory.

To understand why this particular collaboration carries weight, it helps to understand what Shichijo Kanshundo actually is and what jyogashi actually requires. The house has operated near the Sanjusangendo temple in Kyoto’s Higashiyama district since the first year of the Keio era, in 1865, making it one of the older continuously operating wagashi producers in a city defined by its confectionery tradition. Jyogashi, the premium wagashi format at the center of this collaboration, is not a simple product. It is the form that demands the most from a wagashi artisan: each piece is handmade using techniques developed over centuries to express seasonal imagery, waka poetry, and cultural reference through edible sculpture. The craft is evaluated on its ability to translate abstract themes into precise, delicate physical form using materials like nerikiri, a pliable white bean paste, and manju doughs made with ingredients like yomogi, the Japanese mugwort that gives the Sinistcha piece its characteristic green tone.

That Shichijo Kanshundo chose to apply jyogashi to Pokémon characters, rather than producing a lower-stakes licensed product like a printed biscuit or a flavored candy, is itself a statement. The house first launched Pokémon wagashi in October of last year, beginning with Shaymin Land Forme and Oricorio Baile Style, two characters whose floral and avian qualities translate naturally into the organic, nature-inspired visual language of Kyoto confectionery. The addition of Eevee and Sinistcha for the 30th anniversary expansion continues that logic. Eevee, with its soft fur texture and rounded form, is a natural fit for nerikiri’s sculptural precision. Sinistcha, the Ghost-type Pokémon rendered as a teacup filled with matcha, sits in conversation with Japan’s tea ceremony tradition in a way that feels genuinely considered rather than coincidental.

The production process grounds the collaboration further. Each piece is handmade by artisans using Kyoto Higashiyama water and premium ingredients, the same process applied to every jyogashi the house produces regardless of subject matter. The Pokémon pieces are not manufactured differently or at a lower standard than the house’s seasonal wagashi. They are made the same way, by the same craftspeople, to the same specification. That consistency is what separates the Shichijo Kanshundo collaboration from the broader category of Pokémon licensed food products, of which 2026 has produced a significant volume. The Goldfish crackers shaped like Pikachu and the Wakura footbath are interesting objects. These are something else entirely.

The retail structure reflects the nature of the product. Online orders are fulfilled by frozen delivery, allowing nationwide access to a craft item that would otherwise require a trip to Kyoto. In-store availability at the Higashiyama flagship runs on the 7th of each month beginning June 7, a schedule that creates a recurring ritual around the purchase rather than a standard retail moment. No reservations are accepted, and quantities are limited. The monthly cadence recalls the structure of traditional Japanese seasonal wagashi, where certain confections are available only at specific times and in specific places, and the effort required to obtain them is understood as part of their value.

The Shichijo Kanshundo Pokémon Jyogashi 4-piece set is available now via the Shichijo Kanshundo online store, delivered frozen nationwide. In-store sales at the Kyoto Higashiyama flagship begin June 7 and continue on the 7th of each month while supplies last.