There are many Japanese sweets made in the image of seasons, because Japan has four seasons and the Japanese are sensitive to the change of them.
All the summer Japanese sweets look so cool. Probably because summer is the hottest season of the year, so Japanese wanted the only sweets to look cool. The Japanese sweets which look so cool are mizu-yokan, hakuro and mizubotan, for example. Mizu-yokan is a type of yokan (azuki bean jelly), containing less agar and more water. In summer, they chill and then eat it. Hakuro is made from Japanese yam and shiroan (white bean paste) and so on. The white color of it looks so cool. And mizubotan is made from agar and shiroan which contains dried plum pulp. It looks cool and tastes sour, so it is very preferably eated during summer.
Mizubotan
(http://baigetsu.hamazo.tv/e2186961.html)
And there are many Japanese sweets related to the traditional events in summer (June, July and August). The events and its sweets are follows.
*July*
<tanabata>
Tanabata is the star festival on July 7. They decorate bamboos with colored papers and tanzaku. Tanzaku is long, narrow strips of colored papers and they write their wishes on it. The festival was originally Chinese old festival to plead for good harvest and improving skills. People considered two white stars, Hikoboshi (Altair of Aquila) and Orihime (Vega of Lyra), as the god of agriculture and the god of sericulture, dyeing and weaving, so worship them. In Japan, the festival started as the court event during the Nara period (710~794). According the records written in the Heian period (794~1185), the aspect of pleasure was more emphasized. And it is said that seven plays come to enjoy in the Muromachi period; poetry contest, kemari (Japanese ancient football), go (board game of capturing territory), hana (flower arrangement), kaiawase (Japanese pelmanism with clamshells), yokyu (target practicing game) and ko (incense-smelling ceremony).
By the way, there are many legends related to tanabata around the world. In Japan, the most famous legend among them is the sad love story with orihime and hikoboshi as follows.
Orihime is the daughter of Emperor Tentei. She is a skilled weaver who creates masterful textiles for her father's garments. When it comes to marry, Tentei introduces her to Hikoboshi, a shepherd. Their marriage is so blissful that she begins to neglect her weaving.
Tentei becomes angered by her neglect and banishes them to opposite ends of the galaxy. But her grief is so great that Tentei, her father, finally permits her to be transported by a boatman (the moon) across the river Amanogawa (the Milky Way) to rendezous with Hikoboshi once a year, on July 7 (on the lunar calendar). If it rains on this date, the boatman doesn't appear. Instead, a flock of crows (or magpies) forms a bridge which she walks over.
Around the tanabata season, many Japanese sweets imaged tanabata are sold. All of them is very fantastic and beautiful. Their names are also beautiful.
By the way, there are many legends related to tanabata around the world. In Japan, the most famous legend among them is the sad love story with orihime and hikoboshi as follows.
Orihime is the daughter of Emperor Tentei. She is a skilled weaver who creates masterful textiles for her father's garments. When it comes to marry, Tentei introduces her to Hikoboshi, a shepherd. Their marriage is so blissful that she begins to neglect her weaving.
Tentei becomes angered by her neglect and banishes them to opposite ends of the galaxy. But her grief is so great that Tentei, her father, finally permits her to be transported by a boatman (the moon) across the river Amanogawa (the Milky Way) to rendezous with Hikoboshi once a year, on July 7 (on the lunar calendar). If it rains on this date, the boatman doesn't appear. Instead, a flock of crows (or magpies) forms a bridge which she walks over.
Amanogawa (the Milky Way)
(http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/aireisenn/25868490.html)
