In Hokkaido, it's still early for spring and cherry blossoms, but we get to enjoy the taste of spring here first. I bought this sakura mochi because I've never seen this shape before in the photo, and it looks very cute! The outside is not made of rice, so there is no rice grain texture. It's quite smooth. The filling is sweet bean paste, making it even smoother. Hmm, it's a unique texture that I've never experienced before.

While walking through the department store basement in May 2013, I stumbled upon Ginza Akebono. Ginza Akebono is a confectionery shop that was born in Ginza in 1948. It now has outlets in department stores across the country. I saw seasonal sweets on display and decided to stop by. This shop is located in the JR Sapporo Station area in Chuo-ku, Sapporo City, on the basement 1st floor of Tokyu Department Store Sapporo. For the exact location, please check on Tabelog. The eye-catching items were "Warabi Mochi" and "Momono Jelly". Both are sweets to be enjoyed chilled. Warabi Mochi is a soft and smooth warabi mochi. It is served with Okinawan brown sugar and black soybean kinako on top. The fragrant kinako and the gentle sweetness of brown sugar enhance the taste. It is a sweet that evokes the feeling of spring. Price: 315 yen. Momono Jelly is a May confectionery with juicy domestic white peaches inside. It is a beautifully flavored jelly full of fruit juice. Smooth and with a good mouthfeel. Price: 315 yen. While Western sweets are good, Japanese sweets are also wonderful. They are sweets that exist in Japan with its four distinct seasons. Even towards the end of May, the temperature in Hokkaido has not risen yet this year. I hope for warmer temperatures so we don't have to turn on the heating soon. In such weather, chilled sweets become even more delicious. I am likely to buy seasonal sweets again next time. It was delicious, thank you.

I tried the products from this store for the first time, so I purchased one each of the Aoume (plum), Mogami, Mogami Sakura, and Pai Manju Walnut. I was under the mistaken impression that the Aoume had "an almond inside the sweet bean paste shaped like a plum," and I never thought there would be a real plum inside. When I tried to cut it in half with a knife to take a picture, I hit something hard. "Is there almond inside instead of bean paste?" I asked, and my family laughed, saying, "Isn't that a real plum seed?" In the end, I couldn't cut it cleanly, so there is no picture of the inside. Despite the misunderstanding, it was very delicious. It is a sweet plum dipped in honey, wrapped in white bean paste and soft rice cake. The balance of sweetness with a hint of refreshing acidity is very good. I regret only buying one. It is a seasonal product available from February to late July, so I would like to try it again. The Mogami is a handmade Monaka with coarse bean paste inside. The Monaka shell is crispy and crunchy just before eating. But in terms of preference, it was a bit too toasted, not burnt but too fragrant. Well, the name is "Burnt Monaka," so it's not a mistake but probably meant to have this flavor. The Mogami Sakura had a subtle cherry blossom flavor in the shell and smooth bean paste, without the overly toasted taste, and had a refreshing aftertaste, which was delicious. The Pai Manju Walnut has an impressive number of layers in the pie crust. How many layers? The texture of the walnuts inside is good, but there is not enough bean paste for the volume of the pie crust. It seemed that a little more bean paste would create a better balance between the pie and the bean paste. They also sold rice crackers and other items. The food section of Tokyu Department Store is less crowded and easier to shop at than Daimaru, so I would like to visit again. They also have a store on Rakuten Market, so you can buy online as well.

This is a traditional Japanese confectionery shop located on the basement floor of Tokyu Department Store near Sapporo Station. They offer a variety of seasonal and classic Japanese sweets that always look delicious. My favorites are the warabimochi, shiratama daifuku, and kuri manju. The warabimochi is made with real bracken starch, giving it a wonderful aroma without any starchy taste. It is rich and smooth, truly delicious. The shiratama daifuku has soft mochi with black beans inside, adding a flavorful touch. The sweetness of the red bean paste is just right and very tasty. The kuri manju is filled with whole chestnuts, allowing you to fully enjoy the deliciousness of chestnuts.

Mrs. Kami bought some sweets from "Ginza Akebono Tokyu Sapporo Store," which was founded in Ginza. The company was established in March of 1948 with a capital of 48 million yen and an annual sales of 5.814 billion yen. The sweets brought home were "Kurimanju" and "Daifuku." Mrs. Kami ate the Daifuku, so I can't comment on its taste. The Kurimanju had a sweet chestnut surrounded by a mild sweet bean paste, wrapped in a slightly dry mochi skin. It had a slightly crispy texture, so it's best to have a drink while eating it. Besides traditional Japanese sweets, they also offer arare and senbei-like products. I feel like I've tried something from them before, but I can't remember. If I have the chance, I'd like to try their other products as well. Thank you for the meal.

It seems like a high-quality item, a gift from "Ginza Akebono". There are many stores, even in Sapporo. Are they like senbei? If so, I prefer ones with a salty flavor, perfect for beer snacks. I'll enjoy them with a cold beer after walking the dog. I'll take a photo first. My partner hasn't returned yet, so I'm writing a reply before eating. My partner is back. I'm writing a reply. Oh no, they ate the nori senbei. Why? I haven't eaten mine yet! You can eat it, but leave half for me to write the review. "Sorry." No remorse at all. "I thought you were saving it for me." Now they're blaming me. Shrimp. I mentioned it earlier, so at least they left half. Shrimp has a subtle flavor and a good texture. The long one. I didn't expect it to be halved. When did you eat it? Not too hard, crispy. I can taste a hint of soy sauce and a slight sweetness. Surprisingly, it's delicious with a hint of sweetness. Two reviews in one.