yatsuhashi; cinnamon rice cracknel
A famous Kyoto confection made from rice flour, sugar, and cinnamon, often folded into a triangular shape. The name comes from the resemblance to the zigzag bridge (sense 2).
I bought yatsuhashi as a souvenir from Kyoto.
Yatsuhashi is characterized by its cinnamon aroma.
zigzag bridge
Original meaning: a bridge built in a zigzag pattern, often seen in Japanese gardens. The sweet was named after this shape. Rarely used in everyday conversation except in historical or garden contexts.
Crossing the zigzag bridge in the Japanese garden changes the view.
Irregular okurigana variant; seen in some shop signs and product names.
Irregular okurigana variant with small-tsu; occasionally used in stylized contexts.
The sweet’s name has two principal traditional explanations: association with the zigzag 八橋 of classical literature, reflected in its shape, and commemoration of the musician 八橋検校. The historical choice between these accounts remains disputed.