These traditional Japanese sweets are called Wagashi.  These sweets are typically sweet, bite sized and are perfectly matched with a cup of tea.  Not only does the taste satisfy but the color, design and presentation also needs to be appealing.  Making these traditional sweets is considered an art form in Japan.  You can taste these treats from shops, cafes, restaurants, grocery stores and convenience stores.  Let’s discover these delicious treats and the history behind them in Japan.  Find a furnished apartment in Tokyo with just a few clicks with KaguAruoo.

MANJU : This traditional Japanese sweets is inspired from Chinese dimsum.  A young Japanese merchant who recently arrived from China decided to open a shop dedicated to serve all kinds of dimsum dishes.  Since Japan is mainly Buddhist, the original fillings of the dumplings were replaced with anko bean fillings.  Thus, the Japanese Manju was created.  A manju is a dough filled with anko (sweet red bean paste).  The dough is formed into different shapes.  A famous manju is the Momiji Manju from Hiroshima prefecture.  This popular manju is shaped like a maple leaf and is made from castella cake and the most popular filling for traditional Japanese sweets, the red bean paste.

DAIFUKU : This tempting traditional Japanese sweet is locally known as Daifuku Mochi which means bringer of good luck.  A daifuku is made up of the popular red bean paste, a mixture of other beans or with fruits, wrapped in mochi.  The amount of the bean paste is usually equal to or much larger than the mochi.  This sticky delight is sprinkled with katakuriko to avoid sticking with the rest.  Osaka has the best daifuku in Japan – Ichigo Daifuku.  Aside from red bean paste filling, they include strawberries and wrapped in mochi.  This sweets is enjoyed during summer and spring.

ARARE : Contrary to popular traditional Japanese snacks which are usually made from sticky rice, arare is made from glutinous rice.  This delectable snack is usually bite sized rice crackers with flavors of soy sauce, shrimp, sugar or with seaweeds or peanuts inside.  Making arare would last up to a few days.  The rice cakes must be dehydrated before they are deep fried or baked.  One of the most popular arare in Japan is the Kaki No Tane.  A small crescent shaped cracker with a soy sauce, salty  and spicy flavor.  This snack is a perfect match for alcoholic beverages.

SAKURANBO KIRARA : A Japanese dessert from cherry producing prefecture of Japan, Yamagata.  Sakuranbo Kirara is a jelly with a whole candied cherry inside.  This dessert looks cute, unique and very delicious.

DANGO : You may wonder if a mochi and a dango are the same.  The answer would be NO, they are not the same.  Mochi is made from grains of rice while dango is made from rice flour.  Dango is sweet with a chewy and sticky texture.  To make a dango, the rice flour is placed in hot water in order to form a dough and then the doughs are then shaped into small dumplings and put in skewers.  These cute traditional sweets have different flavors and are sometimes coated with sesame seeds or paired with matcha powder or a sweet sauce.  In ancient Japan, dango were offered to gods during festivals.  The Mitarashi Dango is one of the most popular types of dango in Japan – the dango is paired with a sweet yet salty sauce, sugar and some starch.

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