Desserts in Tokyo

Wagashi are traditional Japanese sweets that are usually made from natural, plant-based ingredients such as grains and azuki beans. The sweet treats are typically served with tea and are classified into three categories: namagashi (fresh ... READ MORE

Mochi, the tiny cakes made out of glutinous rice, are an important part of Japanese cuisine and culture. The preparation of mochi starts with a time-consuming process of pounding boiled or steamed rice, usually the glutinous mochigome var... READ MORE

Monaka is a type of wagashi (traditional Japanese sweets) consisting of an azuki bean jam filling that is sandwiched between two thin mochi wafers. The wafers are crispy, dry, and neutral in flavor, coming in various shapes, colors, and s... READ MORE

Daifuku, often referred to as daifukumochi, is a popular Japanese confectionery. It is usually shaped into small round balls, which consist of a chewy outer layer and a creamy, sweet filling. The daifuku shell is made with mo... READ MORE

Taiyaki is a Japanese fish-shaped cake that is often consumed as a snack, made from flour and filled with azuki sweet bean paste. It is usually served warm and is often found at most taiyaki stands at any winter festival in Japan. Most people beli... READ MORE

By far one of the most popular wagashi (traditional Japanese confections) types, dorayaki is a delicious snack consisting of a sweet filling sandwiched between two fluffy pancakes. Its name stems from dora, the Japanese ... READ MORE

Mame daifuku is a beloved Japanese sweet dating back to the Edo period. The sweet consists of a rice cake filled with anko, soybeans, or azuki beans. Mame daifuku is commonly served at Japanese tea ceremonies, although it can also be served alongs... READ MORE

Anmitsu is a traditional sweet made with anko and agar cubes (a translucent jelly with a slightly neutral flavor). It is usually served in a bowl, while mitsu (black syrup) or kinako (roasted soybean flour) are often served on th... READ MORE

Kasutera is a traditional sponge cake made with sugar, flour, eggs, and starchy syrup. This Nagasaki specialty is raised solely by egg foam, with no added butter or oil, and has a soft, moist, and spongy texture. The cake is also known as Cast... READ MORE

Warabimochi is a sweet Japanese concoction reminiscent of jelly. It is made from bracken starch, and is traditionally dusted with sweet toasted soybean flour known as kinako. Warabimochi is one of the most popular sweets in the Kansai are... READ MORE

Japanese zenzai is an unusual dessert which combines thick red bean soup with mochi, the famous sticky rice cake. It can be made by boiling dried red beans or diluting anko (sweetened red bean paste) in water. The soup can either have a coarse or ... READ MORE

Dango is a traditional sweet treat, presented as rice flour and sugar dumplings skewered on a bamboo stick. Some region-specific versions use other types of flour (such as potato or millet flour) or different ingredients such as green tea or azuki... READ MORE

Ichigo daifuku is one of the most interesting versions of the traditional Japanese daifuku sweets. All daifuku varieties consist of a chewy mochi shell, made with pounded glutinous rice and various fillings which are hidden inside the she... READ MORE

Kibi dango are simple Japanese sweets that are deeply rooted in Japanese culture. They consist of sticky dough that combines rice and millet flour, and the combination is then shaped into large round balls. Their history is intertwined with Okayam... READ MORE

Kaminari-okoshi, often called merely okoshi, is a popular Japanese confectionery, similar to rice crispy treats. The main ingredient in okoshi is expanded rice, created by roasting rice grains until they pop. A mix of sugar and butter or ... READ MORE

Sakuramochi is a traditional dessert that is made to depict sakura (cherry blossom), so the rice cake is usually pink in color. Most of the times, sakuramochi contains red bean paste and it is covered with a salty cherry blossom leaf, whi... READ MORE

Kuzumochi is a light Japanese dessert made with starchy kuzuko powder. This natural and unprocessed powder is extracted from the kuzu plant and is widely used in Japan as a thickening agent. To make kuzumochi, it is simply dissol... READ MORE

Mitsumame is a famous Japanese summer delicacy made with jelly and black sugar syrup. It is often accompanied by different types of fruit and other refreshing condiments. The base of each mitsumame are see-through jelly cubes made with agar-agar, ... READ MORE

Shio daifuku is a traditional confectionery which consists of chewy mochi shells filled with creamy or coarse anko red bean paste. Unlike other daifuku varieties, the red bean paste in shio daifuku is lightly salted, which results in an unusual co... READ MORE

Namagashi, meaning raw sweets, is a Japanese sweet and a type of wagashi, consisting of natural ingredients such as fruit jellies or sweetened bean paste. It is considered an edible piece of art due to its beautiful design, refle... READ MORE

Kashiwa-mochi is a chewy Japanese rice cake that is filled with red bean paste and wrapped in oak leaves. Even though the leaves are not edible, they provide these tender cakes with an unusual earthy flavor. It is one of the traditional mochi vari... READ MORE

Kusa mochi is a sweet Japanese treat made with glutinous rice flour infused with mugwort paste. It is characterized by its deep green color, delicate flavor, and the typical sticky texture. Even though it can be eaten plain, it is often incorporat... READ MORE

Amanattō is a traditional dry dessert consisting of boiled beans (usually azuki or black soybeans), sugar, and sugar syrup. It is believed that the dessert originated in the early 1860s, when sugar became available in Japan for the first time. The... READ MORE