Gentle Sweetness and Cuteness. Recommended Spring Wagashi: Sakura Mochi, Sakura Shigure, Strawberry Daifuku

📍 Osaka · 👁 975 reads

The season has arrived—warm, mild, and pleasant. The cherry blossom season is about to begin.

Today we introduce popular recommended wagashi that adorn the spring scenery of Osaka! From traditional sakura mochi to trendy fruit monaka, we've specially selected wagashi sweets that are perfect not only as souvenirs but also for cherry blossom viewing.

Come and taste the delicately cute and delicious spring wagashi, and feel the breath of spring♪

About a 2-minute walk from Yodoyabashi Station, you'll find "Tsuruyahachiman Osaka Honten" standing among the office buildings.

The shop is spacious and comfortable, with a dining space inside. The signature product, the monaka "Hyakuraku" (bean paste rice cake), seasonal jōnama-gashi (fresh confections), and various other sweets are displayed in abundance—every single one makes a delightful souvenir.

Tsuruyahachiman's recommended spring wagashi is the "Sakura Mochi." This is a classic spring wagashi where pink rice cake is wrapped in a cherry blossom leaf.

Typical sakura mochi uses one cherry leaf to wrap the rice cake, but Tsuruyahachiman's luxurious version uses two large cherry leaves to sandwich the rice cake.

You can only see the pink rice cake when you lift the leaves—it's like a shy little girl hiding among the leaves, reluctant to show her face.

When you hold it in your hands, a gentle cherry blossom fragrance wafts up, instantly letting you feel the arrival of spring♪

The rice cake is packed with lots of red bean paste; anyone who loves red bean paste will absolutely enjoy it! The rice cake has an excellent texture, wonderfully chewy, and the cherry blossom flavor is very elegant. The salt-pickled cherry leaves are not too salty, which better highlights the gentle sweetness of the azuki beans.

It can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days. During the upcoming cherry blossom viewing season, eating sakura mochi under the cherry trees will add a special touch.

Let's go a little further to Moriguchi City, adjacent to the northeastern part of Osaka City.

Here we introduce "Osome," located in the Doi Asahi Shopping Street in Moriguchi City. The curtain with the words "Mochi・Wagashi Osome" is its hallmark.

Since opening in 2017, this shop has been a beloved local wagashi store, filled with a warm, family-like atmosphere. The display case features fruit daifuku, ohagi, and all kinds of neatly arranged wagashi—just looking at them lifts your spirits♪

Among them, the popular item is the classic spring wagashi—"Strawberry Daifuku." There are two types: white bean paste and chunky red bean paste strawberry daifuku, so you can choose according to your preference.

You can just barely see a hint of the strawberry at the pointed tip of the daifuku—it's super cute♡ Cut it in half, and inside you'll find one whole large strawberry.

When you take a bite, the flavor of the juicy strawberry and the gentle sweetness of the bean paste are a perfect match. The daifuku skin is soft and chewy, yet melts quickly in your mouth.

The white bean paste version, where the strawberry presence is strong, and the chunky red bean paste version, which lets you enjoy the authentic red bean flavor and texture—each has its own delicious qualities.

Other items include sakura yōkan, three-color dango, amigasa (kusa mochi), uguisu mochi, sakura mochi, and more—a colorful array of spring wagashi. The prices are also very reasonable, so you'll definitely end up buying a lot♪ (laughs)

The wagashi contain no preservatives, so you can enjoy them with peace of mind.

Spring seasonal products are available until around mid-April, when the cherry blossom viewing season ends, so feel free to buy them as everyday snacks or as treats for flower viewing.

There are also many shops in Osaka. Next, we introduce "Sōke Minamoto Kitchōan Kōraibashi Store," located near Kitahama Station on the Sakaisuji Line. Its feature is a stylish, retro exterior that blends in with the streetscape of the Kitahama area.

Popular products like the "Natural Series," which fully express the spirit, form, and flavor of fruits, as well as classic items, fill the store with elegant confections.

The selection of spring wagashi is also rich and varied. Each one is exquisite, with gorgeous names. Starting from the top left clockwise: Sakura-goromo, Sakura Shigure, Sakura Jelly, Hana-mushi—names full of spring vibes.

This time, I chose the very popular Sakura Shigure!

A shigure skin with a cracked surface wraps a flavor-rich pale pink cherry blossom paste, topped with cherry blossom petals—this is a confection that makes you feel the budding of spring.

The fine-textured shigure, paired with a moist and smooth bean paste filling, creates a perfect balance! The salty accent of the cherry blossom petals is the finishing touch, further enhancing the deliciousness of this sweet.

The shelf life is about two weeks. Recommended for those who want to buy spring wagashi as souvenirs!

Travel Diary Contents:

1. ● Experience the arrival of spring by eating wagashi

2. ● Sakura mochi from a long-established wagashi shop

3. ● Strawberry daifuku, three-color dango, etc. at "Osome"

4. ● Sakura Shigure at "Sōke Minamoto Kitchōan"

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