Tour Japan With Traditional Sweets As Your Guide – 5 Delicious Japanese Wagashi Treats
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Is it really a trip to Japan if you don’t indulge in a little red bean mochi and matcha wagashi?
Wagashi ・ Traditional Japanese Sweets
Whether you're looking for a break from sightseeing, want to relax and escape from the downpour during Japan's rainy season, or just need a little bit of sugar to keep you going during your travels in Japan, Japan's many wagashi (和菓子) shops, specializing in traditional Japanese sweets, are the perfect little oases.
① Kohakuto in Kyoto
Kyoto is most famous for yatsuhashi (八ッ橋), sheets of mochi often baked or filled with red bean. It's also the home of mitarashi dango (みたらし団子), which is a favorite of certain Japankuru team members. But thanks to hundreds of years of history and culture, Kyoto is a great place to try wagashi of all kinds, including varieties that are less wide-spread these days. Kohakuto (琥珀等) is a kind of sugary-sweet Japanese jelly candy, generally made with kanten instead of gelatin, giving it a unique texture and making it available to vegetarians.
We tried this kohakuto in a little wagashi shop down a side street in Kyoto, called Tachibanaya. Not only was there a wealth of seasonal sweets available in the tiny shop, but the owner brought out a selection of old-fashioned wagashi making tools for us to look at!
② Dorayaki in Tokyo
Of course, while Tokyo's history as a cultural center is shorter than Kyoto, it's still an obvious destination for everything traditionally Japanese! Which means it's a great place to find a high-end wagashi cafe and treat yourself to some skillfully made dorayaki―Japanese pancake sandwiches filled with red bean (or sometimes other treats like custard).
This dorayaki, flavored with red bean and an extra dose of kokuto (黒糖, Japanese brown sugar) came from Ichiya, a wagashi shop and cafe in Tokyo Mizumachi, between Asakusa and Tokyo Skytree.
③ Manju and Matcha in Aizu
Regions like Aizu, in the far west of Fukushima, suffer from the knee-jerk reaction to hearing "Fukushima". But despite the lack of information that reaches the English-speaking world, Fukushima is actually a huge area, and not a tiny disaster zone, and Aizu is perfectly safe. It's also full of beautiful natural scenery and some pretty tasty wagashi. So it's the perfect place to try the unique Japanese creation of tempura kokuto manju, little brown sugar cakes filled with red bean and coated in a layer of crunchy tempura. (Then they're served with a dash of soy sauce!!)
We found these little crunchy-soft cakes at Tsuruga Castle, which is also home to Rinkaku Teahouse and Garden. The manju were being sold at a little snack shop on the other side of the castle, but we couldn't resist the chance to stop into Rinkaku afterward and sip a cup of matcha (iced because of the warm weather!) surrounded by the beautiful teahouse garden.
④ Amanatto in Kanazawa
In Kanazawa we were told to try rakugan (落雁), little sweets made of sugar pressed into beautiful molds. While actually touring the area, though, we were even more fascinated by the city's amanatto (甘納豆)! Amanatto are sweetened beans, made by boiling azuki or black beans (or sometimes other legumes) in sugar, dried, and then coated in another layer of sugar for good measure. The simple sweetness of the beans means they pair excellently with a cup of bitter green tea.
In Kanazawa, we'd recommend the amanatto at Amanatto Kawamura, which is in the traditional teahouse neighborhood of Nishi Chaya-Gai. Not only is it a great place to try more varieties of sweet beans than you could ever have imagined, but the surrounding area is full of gorgeous Japanese architecture and fascinating teahouse history.
⑤ Namagashi in Tochigi
Namagashi (生菓子) are wagashi made with ingredients like bean paste or fruit jelly, and they maintain a certain level of moisture, meaning they have to be eaten fresh! For the wagashi-lover, there's certainly no better way to eat the freshest namagashi than to make the sweets yourself. Namagashi are carefully shaped by hand, molded and delicately pressed to create the shapes of beautiful flowers and natural features, all from natural ingredients. While the recipe might be quite simple, becoming a pro at wagashi chef is no easy task―but there's no reward quite like tasting sweet success and eating the fruits of your labor when you're done!
We got to try making our own traditional bean paste sweets at Yamamoto Kashi, an old-fashioned wagashi shop in Tochigi, founded in the 25th year of Japan's Meiji era (1892)! The master wagashi-makers at the store haven't quite been around since it opened, but they do have decades of experience, making their wagashi workshops fascinating (and pretty fun).
Ready to explore Japan in search of traditional sweets and new wagashi flavors? We'd love to hear about your future itineraries and help you plan on the Japankuru twitter, instagram, and facebook!
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NAME:Japanese Sweets
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Nara Prefecture's important history reaches back to 710, a time now called the Nara era, when it was once capital of Japan. Called "Heijo-kyo" during its time as a capital, it's said that nara was once the end of the silk road, leading it to flourish as a uniquely international region and produce important cultural properties of all kinds. To make the most of each season, travelers head to Nara Park, where the Nara deer who wander freely, or climb Mount Yoshino, a famous cherry blossom spot.
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Osaka is known for friendly (and funny) people, but its history is nothing to laugh at, playing a major part in Toyotomi Hideyoshi's 16th century unification of Japan. Thanks to long years of economic activity, it's one of Japan's biggest cities, and Osaka's popular food culture earned it the nickname "The Kitchen of the Nation." To this day Osaka is the model of western Japan, and alongside historic structures like Osaka Castle, it also has major shopping malls like Umeda's Grand Front Osaka and Tennoji's Abeno Harukas. Osaka is a place to eat, eat, eat, with local specialties like takoyaki, okonomiyaki, and kushi-katsu, and for extra fun, it's home to Universal Studios Japan.
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The Chugoku Region (中国地方) consists of five prefectures: Hiroshima, Okayama, Shimane, Tottori, and Yamaguchi. In Chugoku you’ll find the sand dunes of Tottori, and Hiroshima’s atomic bomb site, plus centers of ancient history like Grand Shrine of Izumo.
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HIROSHIMA
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Hiroshima Prefecture has everything, from world heritage sites to beautiful nature and delicious local cuisine, and it's either an hour and a half from Tokyo by plane, or four hours by train. Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajima Island and the Atomic Bomb Dome, two Hiroshima UNESCO sites, are famous around the world, but in Japan it's also famous for food. Seafood from the Seto Inland Sea, especially oysters, Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki, and Setouchi lemons are all popular, and the natural scenery alone is worth seeing.
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SHIKOKU
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On the other side of the Seto Inland Sea opposite Japan’s main island, Shikoku (四国) is a region made up of four prefectures: Ehime, Kagawa, Kochi, and Tokushima. The area is famous for its udon (in Kagawa), and the beautiful Dogo Onsen hot springs (in Ehime).
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KAGAWA
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Kagawa Prefecture is on the northern part of the island of Shikoku, facing Japan's main island and the Seto Inland Sea. It's known for being the smallest prefecture in Japan, by area, but at the same time Kagawa is called the "Udon Prefecture" thanks to its famous sanuki udon. Aside from Kotohiragu Shrine and Ritsurin Garden, the prefecture's small islands are popular, and Kagawa is full of unique destinations, like Angel Road. They say that if you lay eyes on Zenigata Sunae, a huge Kagawa sand painting, you'll never have money troubles ever again.
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KYUSHU
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Located in the most southwestern part of Japan, Kyushu (九州) is an island of 7 prefectures: Fukuoka, Saga, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, Oita, Miyazaki, and Kagoshima. The island's unique culture has been influenced by Chinese and Dutch trade, along with missionaries coming in through Nagasaki's port. Modern-day travelers love the lush natural scenery and fresh food, plus the natural hot springs found all throughout the area (thanks to volcanic activity)!
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FUKUOKA
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Fukuoka Prefecture has the highest population on the southern island of Kyushu, with two major cities: Fukuoka and Kitakyushu. Thanks to growing transportation networks, Fukuoka is more accessible than ever, and so are the many local attractions. On top of historical spots like Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine, travelers shouldn't miss Fukuoka's food scene, with motsu nabe (offal hotpot), mentaiko (spicy cod roe), and famous Hakata ramen―best eaten from a food stall in the Nakasu area of Hakata. Plus, it's full of all sorts of destinations for travelers, like trendy shopping centers, and the beautiful nature of Itoshima and Yanagawa.
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KAGOSHIMA
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Kagoshima Prefecture played a major role in Japan's modernization as a backdrop for famous historical figures like samurais Saigo Takamori and Okubo Toshimichi, who pushed Japan out of the Edo era and into the Meiji. Because of that, Sengan-en Garden is just one of many historical destinations, and when it comes to attractions Kagoshima has plenty: the active volcano of Sakurajima, popular hot springs Ibusuki Onsen and Kirishima Onsen, World Heritage Site Yakushima Island, even what Japan calls the "island closest to heaven," Amami Oshima. Kagoshima might be found on the very southernmost tip of the southern island of Kyushu, but there's plenty to see.
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OKINAWA
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The island chain of Okinawa (沖縄) makes up the southernmost tip of Japan, which is why it's also the most tropical area in the country. Thanks to a history of independence and totally distinct political and cultural events, Okinawa has a unique culture, and remnants of the Ryukyu Kingdom are still visible all over the islands. Food, language, traditional dress, it's all a little different! It's also said to be the birthplace of karate.
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