"I purchased 'Hakata Minazuki' as it was being sold. Hakata Minazuki is a traditional Japanese confectionery made with red beans and bracken starch, wrapped in bamboo leaves. It is a trademark of the Fukuoka City Confectionery Association, and each shop adds its own unique touch to it. It is said to replicate the tradition of 'Minazuki Harai,' a custom to ward off evil spirits by eating Minazuki on the last day of June to survive the summer. This shop's Hakata Minazuki had a unique wasabi flavor. When you open the package, you can smell the refreshing scent of bamboo leaves. Inside, there is a translucent bracken mochi-like confection with visible red beans. It looks cool and refreshing. The wasabi flavor kicks in after the initial soft and sweet taste of the bracken, giving a nice combination of sweetness and spiciness."

I thought it was a street with not many shops, but I stumbled upon a stylish Japanese sweets shop! I was curious, so I went in and found delicious Japanese sweets lined up. They had fresh chocolate daifuku, rare cheese daifuku, red bean paste treats, and steamed buns, among others. There were also autumn-themed sweets like chestnut. I bought fresh chocolate daifuku, sudden dango, chestnut daifuku, rare cheese daifuku, and sweet potato steamed buns. The cream-filled daifuku were frozen and needed to be naturally thawed. They were priced around 100-200 yen each. The cream-filled daifuku had an irresistible melt-in-your-mouth texture!

While out for a walk, I found a traditional Japanese sweets shop. I decided to try their frozen daifuku, which came in flavors like matcha, cafe au lait, and rare cheese for 130 yen each. They were so soft that they were difficult to cut without them squishing. It might be easier to just pick them up and eat them! The anko and cream were wrapped in a soft mochi and tasted delicious. They had a variety of flavors, including limited-time options like peach and mango. I might try those next time! The shop is called Izumiya in Minami-ku, Fukuoka City, located at 2-6-4 Sarayama. Contact them at 092-551-3043.