Japanese Sweets: A Guide to the Different Occasions
Japanese sweets, or "wagashi", are famous all over Japan for their aesthetic beauty and delicate
flavors. They are eaten on different occasions, and some are enjoyed as daily treats, while others are made
specifically for traditional celebrations. There are also wagashi inspired by seasonal motifs, ingredients, and regional specialties: let's look at the vast world of these small and tasty
traditional art crafts.
Wagashi for Festive Occasions
Japan is known for having a wide variety of festivities: starting from "matsuri", which are local folkloristic
festivals, to seasonal traditions such as cherry blossom viewing, to national celebrations like New Year's
Day. Enjoying wagashi during these occasions is an essential part of Japanese culture: unique sweets
are prepared and sold, as they are a tasty opportunity to appreciate these special days even more.
Festivals
Matsuri are folkloristic festivals that involve celebrations of local gods and rituals: during these events,
people often visit shrines and temples to offer wagashi to deities as a symbol of devotion, and the city is
filled with street food stalls: they sell popular snacks, meals, and popular sweets such as "dango"
(glutinous rice dumplings), and "taiyaki", Japanese-style waffles that have a characteristic fish shape.
Taiyaki
Often enjoyed with multiple flavors: custard, chocolate, sweet potato, etc.
New Year's and Other Special Celebrations
New Year's Day is the most important holiday in Japan: family reunites to celebrate the fresh start of the
new year, eating "osechi", a traditional meal composed of different dishes, each carrying a special
meaning, and often visiting a shrine or a temple. During New Year's Day, it is expected to enjoy
"hanabira-mochi", literally meaning "flower petal mochi": is a traditional sweet made of a semicircular
layer of mochi covering that contains anko (sweet bean paste), and a thin strip of sweetly flavored
burdock.
"Tanabata" is another important Japanese festivity, also known as the Star Festival; it celebrates the
meeting of the divinities Orihime and Hikoboshi, represented by the stars Vega and Altair, on the 7th of
July. Many famous wagashi brands produce sweets resembling the Milky Way on this occasion.
Hanabira-mochi
Captivating people with the harmonized flavor from the sweetness of Anko and the softness of mochi
Hanami Delights: Cherry Blossom Viewing Sweets
Hanami is a Japanese custom of enjoying cherry blossoms, mostly in April. It is common to have an
outdoor party with family or friends and bring food to eat together. And of course, some sweets are
always present, too! Three main wagashi types are enjoyed in the Hanami season: "kusa-mochi", made
from mochi and leaves of yomogi (Japanese mugwort), "sakura-mochi", a pink-colored mochi wrapped
in a cherry leaf, and "sanshoku dango", which consists in three dango balls colored in pink, white and
green.
Tea Ceremony
During the tea ceremony, wagashi are eaten because they help sweeten the inside of the mouth, allowing one to enjoy the bitterness of the Japanese tea served after that. These
sweets often resemble seasonal motifs and are offered in bite-size portions.
Sweet Surprises for Daily Life
Wagashi are not offered only during festive occasions; in fact, they are enjoyed daily, both at work and
at home, with friends and relatives.
Office Treats
Because of their beauty and high quality, wagashi are often exchanged on business occasions: gifting
traditional sweets to business partners and customers symbolizes respect and courtesy.
Tea Time Sweets
It is expected to have wagashi, such as "daifuku", a mochi containing azuki paste, and "yokan",
consisting of an agar-agar and azuki paste cake. They are often offered together with a cup of
Japanese tea.
Daifuku
The name "daifuku" translates to "great luck" and it is enjoyed whether is as a sweet treat with tea or as a symbol of good fortune during celebrations.
Yokan
Often comes in various flavors: matcha, yuzu(citrus), and even fruit flavors.
Seasonal Sweets: A Taste of Nature
Japanese culture is characterized by a deep connection with nature: many paintings, songs, dishes, and
even sweets are inspired by natural and seasonal elements.
Sakura and Matcha: Springtime Sweets
During springtime, it is common to see wagashi inspired by "sakura", or cherry blossoms, and by
matcha: the before explained "sakura-mochi" and "sanshoku dango" are just two examples of these
beautiful sweets flavored and shaped like cherry blossom flowers. Green tea is another popular
ingredient: during this period, you can find many matcha-flavored wagashi, such as yokan,
daifuku, and dango!
Sakura-mochi
The outer layer is wrapped in a preserved cherry blossom leaf, conveying a subtle fragrance.
Sweet Potato Delights: Autumn's Unique Flavors
Sweet potatoes are one of the leading Japanese Autumnal ingredients: they are served both as salty
meals and as sweets. They are appreciated mainly for their natural sweet flavor and creamy texture.
One of the most popular sweet potato sweets is "imo-yokan": it consists of a jelly dessert which,
although its name, has an entirely different taste from the traditional agar-agar yokan.
Imo-yokan
A popular choice during the fall season in Japan because of its rich and velvety savoring.
Regional Sweet Specialties: Sweets to try when traveling to Japan
Even though wagashi are becoming increasingly known worldwide, we should remember that
each has its history, which was handed down for centuries before arriving to us. The
natural environments of each Japanese region have created their culinary traditions, and discovering
their uniqueness will be a worthy experience you will never forget!
Okinawa's Sweet Secrets: Island Flavors
Okinawa is the most unique Japanese region: its linguistic, artistic, and culinary traditions are very
different from the rest of Japan, and of course, it has its types of wagashi: an example is the "beni-imo
tart", which consists of a mix of Okinawa sweet potato and baked tart dough. Sweet potatoes were
introduced to Japan from China through Okinawa, in the early 17th century.
Hokkaido's Creamy Creations: Sweets from the North
Hokkaido is known for being the northernmost region of Japan, and is famous for its many culinary
products, like ramen, crabs, dairy products, and "shiroan": it consists of a sweet white paste derived
from navy beans, and is nowadays primarily used to produce wagashi such as "manju", a flour and rice
powder-based confection that contains a filling of bean paste.
Kyoto's Timeless Delights: Traditional Sweets in the Ancient Capital
Kyoto is Japan's second most popular city: it is loved by people from all over the world for its
historical and cultural value: it was Japan's capital from 794 until 1868 and is home to countless temples
and shrines. An example of a wagashi from Kyoto is "yatsuhashi", a glutinous rice wrapping
folded to make a triangular shape with red bean paste inside.
Yatsuhashi
Enjoyed in two forms: baked and unbaked. The baked one has a crispy texture, while the unbaked version maintains a softer, mochi-like consistency. (the unbaked one in the picture above)
Tokyo's Sweet Scene: Urban Desserts and Trendy Treats
Being a metropolitan area, Tokyo showcases various sweets from all over Japan. While some
of them are very strict with tradition, many wagashi stores offer innovative sweets that are influenced by
Western cultures. An example is "Wagashi Asobi": a popular wagashi shop selling creative
products like yokan made with dried fruits.
Sweet Souvenirs and Gifts
Wagashi are often given as gifts and souvenirs, both by Japanese and foreign people: during vacations
or work trips, it is expected to buy local specialties like the ones we talked about above for friends and
relatives; also, the low disponibility of Japanese sweets in foreign countries and their unique beauty
make wagashi the perfect souvenir to bring back in your country!
DIY Sweets: Making Japanese Treats at Home
Did you know that there are some wagashi that can be cooked at your own home? Some ingredients
such as rice flour, azuki beans, and sweet potatoes, can also be found in foreign countries! You can
find online recipes of relatively easy-to-make sweets like "dorayaki", pancake-like sandwiches containing
red bean paste, or "anmitsu", consisting of sweet syrup with agar-agar jelly cubes and red bean paste.
Making Japanese treats can be a delightful and entertaining hobby!
The antique art of Japanese sweets is a mix of tradition, connection with nature, research of
perfection, majestic delicacy, and attention to detail. Exploring the immense world of these tasty cultural
treasures will be an exciting and delightful experience allowing you to discover the
Japanese values of beauty and excellence.
Dorayaki
The combination of the ingredients results in a subtly sweet and aromatic outer layer and rich, earthy sweetness inside.