I have to celebrate my birthday in my own way, but when celebrating with everyone, I leave it to my grandmother and sister. This time, we had a birthday cake from "Asahido". I don't need candles, I don't want holes in my cake that make me not want to eat it. Why light a fire? Do you smoke? It was for the Buddhist altar. It's a good cake, no complaints. I used to use orange and peach, but now it's just strawberry. I like orange and peach. Maybe next year it won't be the same, maybe someone will be missing. But I look forward to it. I eat a whole cake on my birthday.

In Abashiri, there is a traditional Japanese sweets shop. I wonder when it was established - it has an old-fashioned atmosphere. I bought their puff cake and chestnut bun! The puff cake has a fluffy texture with cream inside, a bit on the sweet side but still delicious with a good mouthfeel. The chestnut bun has a gentle and simple taste, both are tasty! My mother loves their chestnut pie, but unfortunately, it was not available this time. I'll try to find it next time I visit!

On my way home, I suddenly remembered, "Oh, today is White Day, right?" Yeah, it is, it's White Day. And then I thought, "Hmm, did my wife give me something?" Luckily, I remembered before reaching Asahido, so I did receive something. It was delicious chocolate from Sapporo. So, I decided to stop by Asahido. What should I get? Maybe a shortcake, I need to buy one for my grandma too, it's a Valentine's return gift after all. But it would be weird to carry multiple cakes back home. So, yeah, I decided to order a roll cake while explaining in a way that's easy for everyone to understand. "Can I give some to mom too?" My wife asked, so I replied, "Of course." It's hard for me to say, so I tried to convey the message clearly. I took a bite. The sponge was not too fine but had a nice balance between modern and traditional, with a slight nostalgic touch. It wasn't too sweet, which was surprising and very delicious. There wasn't a lot of whipped cream, which was a bit disappointing, but the slightly firm whipped cream with a restrained sweetness was still tasty. As expected, Asahido's cakes are delicious.

"Happy birthday~" There is no one in my house who thinks birthdays are special anymore, but they still say "Happy birthday" to my face, it's such a sarcastic way of living. They put candles on the cake, light them, turn off the lights, and sing in a low voice like a funeral hymn. I blow out the candles and turn the lights back on, but then someone stumbles and quietly yells. "Don't break things on a special day like this!" The cake is divided into four pieces, as there are four of us. It's easy to divide now, but it's better to have an even number if someone is going to disappear. The cake is just a normal, delicious cake from a regular bakery, and that's fine with me. I like it, it's delicious. The dorayaki is also delicious, I never buy it for myself, but it's so good that I would want to buy it for myself. I don't like mochi, and I don't think it will disappear. Otherwise, my mother wouldn't be so fat.

December 2016. I received a gift from Kitami, a nearby confectionery shop in my area. It's a snack I've never tried before. It's called "Tendozan" from Akitodo, a famous spot in the Akan National Park. It won the National Confectionery Expo Honorary Award, which is quite impressive. It's a white bean paste snack with a hint of ginger, which I found to be delicious. The award-winning taste is definitely justified, although this snack is quite common. In October 2016, I bought a whole cake for a celebration, but it was too much to finish. So, I decided to put a candle on an Ichigo Shortcake for the occasion. Despite the cake almost falling over, it was delicious as always. In August 2016, I received a box of cute snacks from Asahido, including "Baked Chocolate Half-Baked Cheese." It reminded me of my favorite old Japanese literature class. The snack was light and fluffy, with a subtle taste of chocolate and cheese, living up to its "half-baked" name. In May 2016, I received Dorayaki, which I found to be delicious, although it didn't exceed my high expectations. I appreciate receiving about five pieces, which is just the right amount. In February 2016, I received Dorayaki again, and it was delicious as expected. Asahido's snacks never disappoint. In September 2015, I revisited an old confectionery shop that I used to frequent during high school. They have since moved to Shiomichi and now offer both Japanese and Western sweets. I have been buying birthday cakes from them, and this time, I bought a simple yet delicious cake for my birthday. I also enjoyed some traditional Japanese sweets on a different day. The quality and taste of their snacks have remained consistent over the years.

I hurried to buy some pastries for a friend's housewarming party after finishing my morning part-time job. It had been years since I last visited this bakery, which had a spacious parking lot and a nostalgic feel with lots of red, brown, and white pastries (strawberry, chocolate, cream) priced around 250-300 yen each. I bought eight pastries to bring to my friend's house, where we enjoyed them. My friend mentioned that the bakery tends to sell out quickly, and I also tried a cheese tart there, which was just okay, not too sweet. A colleague mentioned that she often buys pastries from this bakery for events like funerals, so it seems to be a beloved old-fashioned shop.

◆July 2014◆ A confectionery shop in Shiborui, Abashiri. The spacious parking lot makes it easy to park. Despite the name "Asahido," I was surprised to find that they not only sell traditional Japanese sweets but also stylish Western-style sweets. I purchased several small sweets suitable for one person: Omantou (3 types), Mini Cakes (Cheese & Chocolate), Yukari Plum, Rare Cheesecake, and a cut-off roll cake. The cut-off roll cake was surprisingly cheap at 120 yen. It had a texture more like castella than a typical Western cake. It might be a unique kind of roll cake. I heard there is something called "Nepeta cataria Castella," so I'm interested in trying it next time.

Title: Polite Chestnut Tart On the way back from the Enbetsu Shrine Festival, I decided to take a little detour to see the ocean and pass by the Agricultural University on my way back. During the twilight hours, I stumbled upon a lovely shop by chance. It seemed like they mainly specialized in traditional Japanese sweets. Every item looked so appealing, and as a fan of Japanese sweets, I wanted to try them all. However, due to the limited shelf life, I had to make a decision on which ones to get while they were still fresh. As I glanced at the Western-style desserts, I noticed a Chestnut Tart that was not the usual bright yellow color. This must be a sign that they prepared the chestnuts properly! I definitely wanted to try it. Peeking into the kitchen in the back, I was impressed by the craftsmanship. I ended up purchasing a baked chocolate dessert, the Chestnut Tart, and a water yokan, and happily made my way home. The Chestnut Tart had a subtly sweet cream that complemented the chestnuts inside perfectly. The tart was firm, which I preferred, and the overall taste was a delightful blend of Japanese and Western flavors without being overly sweet. I enjoyed it so much that I couldn't resist taking a picture while eating it. The chilled water yokan had a smooth texture and a refreshing, not overly sweet taste that I loved. The size was just right. The baked chocolate dessert was soft and melted in my mouth. Despite being similarly priced to the Chestnut Tart, there was also a large butter roll that caught my eye, so I decided to come back for the Chestnut Tart and water yokan (already planning a repeat visit) along with the butter roll and other traditional Japanese sweets next time. Upon revisiting in September 2011, the Chestnut Tart and water yokan were not available, which left me disappointed. I ended up getting the butter roll, yubeshi, and chocolate dessert, which were all delicious. The chocolate dessert had coffee mousse inside. The butter roll was just okay, although I had high expectations based on its appearance. The yubeshi, a traditional sweet from Fukushima, had a subtle flavor and a pleasant size, and I enjoyed it. In February 2012, I revisited the shop and was drawn to the seasonal fresh confections. I purchased the sweet bean paste fresh confection, nerikiri, and tsubaki mochi. The sweet bean paste fresh confection had a delicate and gentle flavor that I absolutely adore. It's truly one of my favorites.

Delicious "Ryuhyo Monaka" is a must-try. It leaves a refreshing taste in your mouth after eating. The sweet bean paste has a blue-green color, which looks very refreshing. "Matatabi Castella" is also delicious. It seems to be made using locally sourced matatabi. The shop is located in Shimomi with a visible parking lot in front. They offer a variety of traditional Japanese sweets and Western-style desserts, making it a reliable and well-stocked confectionery shop. This time, I focused on boxed Japanese sweets, but there are still plenty of other Japanese sweets available, with "Abashiri" products being highly recommended.

Both Western sweets and Japanese sweets are delicious. Western sweets have a variety of cakes, making it hard to choose. As for Japanese sweets, there are always local manju and a few varieties of packaged sweets available. During certain seasons like Higan, ohagi and odango are sold. It's best to visit the store early during these times as it gets crowded. I always think that it would be nice if there was a Japanese sweets shop in Abashiri that sells dango year-round. The staff here seem to be unique to Abashiri, as they are quite businesslike and lack friendliness.

I attended the usual event and received the usual souvenir. I have been participating for 10 years, and in the beginning, I used to receive useful goods every year. However, in recent years, it has become "Asahido dorayaki". As it is truly a local specialty, I am happy that they are giving something that can be used. We are a family of three, but there are five dorayaki. If there were a dad in the family, it wouldn't be a problem at all, and if there were an odd number, there might even be a fight over them. But in our family of three, it would lead to pushing them onto each other. I am fine with having half, my wife is content with her own and half of mine, and I can't give two or three to my mother-in-law. Oh well, that's fine. Asahido dorayaki is delicious. Originally a traditional Japanese confectionery shop, it is a well-established store that is doing its best in a town where the number of confectionery shops is decreasing. You can't go wrong with the taste. And there are still some left, but my younger sister with a big appetite brought a souvenir. "Huh? Asahido?" "That's right..." she said with a pout. Cake and... dorayaki? Dorayaki? It makes me laugh. Well, it's the thought that counts. Of course, I say "thank you". If I say anything unnecessary, she might say, "I won't buy it for you again." The traditional Japanese confectionery shop has also started making Western-style cakes since moving. Initially, they were making cakes that were ahead of the times, but now they may have become nostalgic types of cakes. I like them, though.

I received a random survey from JT. When I opened it, there was a survey inside and a 1000 yen gift card! I think I can use it at stores like Ito Yokado, 100 Million Volts, Homac, and Tsuruha. I also got a dorayaki. Today is my lucky day!

I recently received this as a gift and it has become my favorite. In the past, I received things like a "car emergency escape hammer with seat belt cutter emergency tool"... quite bitter, right? But now it has changed to sweet treats. This time it was a dorayaki. It's a bit of an awkward number for my family size, so I ate half and gave the rest to my wife. One piece goes to my mother-in-law, and the other is for my sister. The dorayaki has a soft texture, which some may love or hate. The sweet red bean paste inside is just right, not too sweet. Overall, I really enjoyed it and would welcome more anytime.