On a Saturday afternoon, I went with my best friend to a small Japanese sweets shop near Tamamizu Station. The shop offers a variety of traditional Japanese sweets at affordable prices. We tried the Muscat Daifuku, which had a soft and fluffy mochi outer layer filled with smooth white bean paste and juicy muscat grapes. The balance of flavors was perfect and the price was reasonable at 200 yen. We also enjoyed the Ohagi with sweet red bean paste, both the regular and kinako versions. The Ohagi had a nice texture with a hint of graininess in the red bean paste, and the kinako added a delicious nutty flavor. Lastly, we tried the Anmitsu Warabimochi, which had a sticky and soft warabi mochi filled with smooth red bean paste and sprinkled with kinako powder. The combination of textures and flavors was delightful. Overall, this small Japanese sweets shop offers delicious treats that are perfect for a daily snack.

An old man bought Japanese sweets in Tamatsukuri. He visited a small Japanese sweets shop called "Shokado". The shop is located in the middle of Tamatsukuri shopping street, next to a major supermarket, so it's easy to find. Although it's a small shop with a traditional atmosphere, the unique item the old man purchased was a different kind of manju. The special thing about it is that it has a design of Sanada's Rokumonsen (a coin) on the manju. It seems to be inspired by Sanada Yukimura, a famous figure from the Sengoku period. Come to think of it, the Tamatsukuri area has a connection to Yukimura. I vaguely remember there being a hidden escape route related to Sanada nearby... Anyway, the manju was delicious. It's a type where the skin and sweet bean paste are separated, and you assemble it yourself. The crispy skin and sweet bean paste were really tasty. It also looks impressive, so I recommend giving it a try if you have the chance. If you're interested, please try it out!

I wandered from Tsuruhashi to Tamatsukuri. In the shopping street, I couldn't resist buying the chestnut manju displayed at this shop. When it comes to "chestnut manju," there are various types, but this one has chestnut paste on the outside. It's like a "chestnut ohagi." The paste doesn't have a strong chestnut flavor like Mont Blanc, but it has a subtle chestnut taste that is delicious. It seems like they didn't add too much sugar. There were also other small Japanese sweets that shouldn't be missed. It's a shame to just pass by.

At the end of the year, I visited the Tamatsukuri shopping street for some food tasting, but it seemed like they only had mochi in preparation for the New Year. So, I decided to revisit at a different time. The small, old-fashioned shop had a variety of cute Japanese sweets displayed at reasonable prices. They also had Western-style baked goods, like a financier for 120 yen. I bought chestnut manju, a sweet with chestnut wrapped in red bean paste, a financier, and a dorayaki. I also tried a castella cake with red bean paste. I wasn't expecting much from the dorayaki, but it was surprisingly amazing! It looked just like the dorayaki from Doraemon, and the taste was unique with a miso-like flavor and large red beans inside. The chestnut manju had a chewy texture with a buttery aroma, and the red bean paste was delicious. The financier was simple but tasty. The castella cake with red bean paste was incredibly delicious. Personally, I really enjoyed the dorayaki and the castella cake with red bean paste. Highly recommended!

While wandering around Tamatsukuri for work, I stumbled upon this traditional Japanese sweets shop. Located in a shopping street, the shop is run by an elderly lady which adds a charming touch. I decided to try their strawberry mochi priced at 150 yen. It is described as strawberry bean paste wrapped in soft rice cake. As a fan of rice cake, I was immediately drawn in. Although I wasn't sure what strawberry bean paste was, when I tried it, I could definitely taste the strawberry flavor. The subtle hint of this flavor made me wonder if they used real strawberries or a chemical flavoring. The rice cake was delightfully chewy and overall, it was a delicious treat. Thank you for the meal!

Encountered the person who gave me something last time. They beckoned me over and said, "Give me your hand! Woof! Heh heh heh." I reached out my hand and they put something in it. Completely being fed by them, huh? Ugh, that's nauseating. What I received was red beans. Smooth skin... that's S... oh well, enough of that. Anyway, I'll accept what I receive. I bid farewell to that person while waving my hand... not being told to "stay" or anything, and headed home. The snack was a "rokumonsen" (mochi filled with sweet bean paste) weighing 37g, with a length of 8.3cm, width of 2.8cm, and thickness of 2cm. When I got home and was about to eat it, my family asked, "What's that?" So I growled at them and started eating it right away. When I unwrapped the package, there was mochi filled with sweet bean paste inside. It seems to be a homemade type of rokumonsen. The surface had a rokumonsen pattern on the mochi with sweet bean paste squeezed out. The sweet bean paste was overflowing from the sides. So, I took a bite. The mochi was crispy and fragrant, while the sweet bean paste was moist and not too sweet, very delicious. Freshly made snacks are always tasty. "Bow wow, bow wow (give me more)!" Well, why don't you buy it yourself! "Cain, cain!" I made a mistake, this is not the way of the sword or the way of gentleness, but the way of snacks. Oops, I'm on the wrong path! This place is definitely a straight road. This traditional Japanese confectionery shop has been around for a long time, located slightly towards Tsuruhashi from the middle of the Hinode Street shopping district (next to the former HL Bagels). An elderly woman with a lot of experience is in charge of the store. I received one of their steamed buns as a gift. The chestnut steamed bun weighed 46g, with a diameter of 4.5cm and a thickness of 4cm. It was individually wrapped and had a decent size. It was brown and round, with a whole chestnut preserved inside. It felt surprisingly heavy when held. There was no visible indication of it being a chestnut steamed bun. So, I tried one. But there was only one. The chestnut was firm yet soft, with a texture similar to sweetened red beans. And it was sweet. The bun had a moist outer layer like a senbei, with plenty of white bean paste inside. And it was sweet. It tasted good, but it was quite sweet. Next time, I'll ask for a variety of items in multiple pieces. That's being too optimistic.

I love Japanese sweets. Despite being a middle-aged man who enjoys drinking alcohol, I sometimes eat Japanese sweets instead of lunch. It's convenient, you know. This time, I visited a local Japanese sweets shop called Matsuhana-do in Tamazuto. I had fried manju, steamed manju, and country-style manju. The moderate and elegant sweetness was delicious. I've heard that Japanese sweets shops are struggling these days, and I think it's important to preserve local culture. If you have the chance, please give it a try!