Japanese Sweets in Foreign Countries

Today, more and more manufacturers of Japanese sweets locally produce them abroad. Japanese sweets are becoming popular abroad. In Taiwan especially, there are many manufactures of them, because  once Taiwan was under Japanese rule. People could eat various Japanese sweets there. For example, manju (buns with bean-jam filling), monaka (wafer cakes with bean jam), daihuku-mochi (rice cakes), rice crackers and dorayaki (pancakes sandwiching azuki-bean paste in between), but their seasoning is different from Japanese. Locally, some people regard them as healthy and low-calorie food. According to the report of Zenkoku Wagashi Kyokai (Japan Wagashi Association), the amount of export of Japanese sweets has increased more than 40 percent, compared with the amount of 10 years ago. Japanese sweets is highly valued for their beautiful appearance overseas. Through them, some people could have an interest in them. It is certain that Japanese sweets will become more popular abroad.

(http://www.ima-earth.com/contents/entry.php?id=2009669731)

There is a term 'tegatamono'. This means the Japanese sweets which is made by hand alone, or the skills of making such sweets. As it is made by hand, Japanese sweets chefs could express their originality and individuality like painters and calligraphers. For example, 2 Japanese sweets chefs are trying to make Japanese sweets imaged momiji (autumn leaves).

Momiji (autumn leaves)

(http://www.e-glasses.jp/blog/2007/11/2-10.html)

One made it abstractly.

Momiji

(http://www.kashinmaruichi.co.jp/commodity/details/157.html)

The other made it delicately.

Momiji

(http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/kisarawagasi/22374276.html)

It is not that which sweets is superior, or which sweets is right. The difference is truly their originality and individuality. Even they have the same name, there are various tegatamono sweets. Such tegatamono is valued highly both in Japan and abroad.

Japanese Sweets in the Tea Ceremony

In the tea ceremony, it is necessary to serve Japanese sweets which emphasize tea flavor. Such Japanese sweets is especially called tyagashi. Tyagashi is generally seasonal sweets and casually associated with charm of each of the four seasons. Of course, hot sweets is served in the cold weather, and cool sweets is served in the hot weather. In addition to this, the tea ceremony themes its sweets.

The tyagashi is classified into two types: omogashi and higashi.
Omogashi is the main sweets and voluminous, but it is made with no butter, cheese or fat. For example, manju (buns with bean-jam filling), yokan (bars of sweet jellied azuki-bean paste), kinton (mashed sweet potatoes), neriki (cakes made of white bean jam which is artistically colored or shaped) and so on. And they have beautiful kamei. In addition to this, there are various features of omogashi as follows:

　　　　・It has a gentler fragrance (reserved fragrance).

　　　　・It is very beautiful to look at.

　　　　・It has a texture melting in the mouth.

　　　　・It is casually associated with charm of each of the four seasons.

Higashi is dried or desiccated sweets. For example, rakugan (hard candy), konpeito (small colored sugar candy covered in bulges), rice confectionery and so on.
Normally, higashi is eaten when partaking of light green tea whereas, omogashi  is served with the fuller-bodied green tea.

(http://kokorouruoi.blog105.fc2.com/category11-3.html)

Seasonal Japanese Sweets (Winter)

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.
In the winter Japanese sweets, snow is often used as a motif. Those sweets are white like snow. For example, yuki-mochi, yuki-botan, yuki-tsubaki, yuki-usagi and so on. Yuki is snow in Japanese. By the way, winter is also the coldest season of the year, so there are hot sweets too; kuzuyu (arrowroot gruel), oshiruko (sweet red-bean soup), zenzai (rice cake with red-bean paste) and so on.

Yuki (snow)

(http://woman.excite.co.jp/blog/kawaii/sid_897425/)

And there are many Japanese sweets related to the traditional events in winter (December, January and February). Especially, many events are concentrated in New Year season. The events and its sweets are follows.

*January*

<New Year's Holidays>
The new year's day is called "gantan" in Japanese. On this day, the Japanese eat special food which are made as a lucky charm for the perfect health over the year and the prosperity of descendants. And "osechi" is the nest of boxes which contains  those lucky food, and have been loved for a long time. By the way, these days, there is the osechi which contains many Japanese sweets. It is very colorful and gaining popularity. Of course, there are some sweets regarded as lucky charm too. For example, hanabira-mochi (flower petal rice cake) is the most famous in Kyoto. It is eaten at the imperial court and the Shinto shrines since long ago. Eating it is originally the function which is practiced in new year's holiday. This is to pray for a long life by eating it (hard food) and making the teeth stronger.

(http://shop.gnavi.co.jp/bishokucircle/shzn-wagashi2011)

*February*


<setsubun>
Setsubun was originally the day before the beginning of seasons, that is, the day before the first day of spring(rissyun), summer(rikka), autumn(rissyu) or winter(ritto), and means the time of seasonal change. But after the Edo period, setsubun is mainly the day before the first day of spring in particular. And it cames to the festival on February 3. They has believed that orges appear at setsubun, so tried to warding them off. In the setsubun festival, they practice exorcism and avoidance of bad orges by the special way. It is called "mamemaki"(the bean-scattering). They throw roasted soybeans, huku-mame (fortune beans), either out the door or at the person who plays a role of the orges while the people say "Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi! " (Orges out! Luck in!). Many sweets related to the setsubun festival are used huku-mame as their ingredients or motif.

(http://www.mametomi.co.jp/sub3.html)

Seasonal Japanese Sweets (Autumn)

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.
Autumn is the season that people could harvest the most kinds of fruits and nuts in a year. So there are many autumn Japanese sweets used those harvest as motifs and ingredients. For example, kaki (Japanese persimmon), satsumaimo (sweet potato), gin'nan (ginkgo nuts) and kuri (chestnuts).  Especially, chestnuts are used to make them. The examples are kuri-manju (buns with bean-jam filling and chestnuts) and kuri-yokan (bar of sweet jellied azuki-bean paste which contain chestnuts).

(http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/kty360/36045592.html)

And there are many Japanese sweets related to the traditional events in autumn (September, October and November). The events and its sweets are follows.

*September and October*


<otsukimi>
Otsukimi is the moon-viewing party in the night with a full moon in September. People offer Japanese pampas grass, dumplings, eddo and so on, and enjoy viewing the full moon. There are various Japanese sweets associated with otsukimi, among them, there are many sweets whose motif is rabbit. The reason for this is that the Japanese imagine a rabbit making mochi (rice cakes) when they see the full moon.

(http://www.cims.jp/moon/rabidance/subhtml/toyhtml/tukimi.html)