16 Distinctive Traditional Japanese Sweets

Growing up in a Japanese-American family, I spent the majority of my holidays and summer vacations living in Japan. Of course, being a kid and constantly having a sweet tooth, I subsequently ate plenty of traditional Japanese desserts — thus igniting my journey as a professional pastry chef.

The Rising Sun’s pastry scene has some of the most unknown and unique-tasting desserts around the globe. The combination of flavors and cooking techniques used in Japanese desserts aren’t widely found outside of the island nation.

To understand traditional Japanese desserts and confections, you must know the difference between wagashi and yogashi. Yogashi encompasses any dessert of Western origin made with a Japanese style and technique such as castella cake or cheesecake. Whereas wagashi is a wide range of traditional desserts before Western desserts arrived in Japan during the Meiji period. Wagashi is usually made from plant-based ingredients with a minimal fat content. Wagashi-shi or Japanese pastry chefs primarily use ingredients like grains like rice, wheat, soybeans, and sugar. You’ll see the prevalent use of sweet red beans and fruits for fillings, flavoring, and dyes. It’s not uncommon to see these desserts accompanied by a cup of hot green tea to balance the sugary taste too. Both wagashi and yogashi have been extremely fundamental in the realm of Japanese sweets — the difference is what makes Japan’s dessert culture so unique and distinctive.

Across the globe, there are numerous well-known national desserts such as crème brûlée in France and tres leches cake in Mexico — although none of them have been more prominent in the recent spotlight as much as mochi. This sugary, chewy Japanese rice cake is a staple dessert in the island nation and has gripped dessert connoisseurs tightly.

The traditional craft of mochi making is known as mochitsuki, which involves pounding cooked glutinous rice with wooden hammers into a thick paste, creating the chewy texture the dessert is notorious for. Once the paste is formed, granulated sugar and cornstarch are added to sweeten and further thicken the mixture into a dough. This is also the time when additional flavorings are incorporated. The most popular are matcha, strawberry, mango, and chocolate with different fillings like sweet red bean paste to the relatively new mochi-filled ice cream. The plain, unsweetened version is by far the most common in Japan. This type can be used around the kitchen as a sweet or savory delight, although it’s seen in traditional desserts as a sidekick for textural purposes. Historically, mochi began to emerge around the Jomon Period. Throughout the centuries it gained immense popularity with the upper class and subsequently became a mainstay dessert by the Edo Period. By then, numerous regional adaptations and different of types mochi were spread across Japan.

Perfectly fluffy and utterly delicious is one way to describe dorayaki —the Japanese street food dessert consisting of sweet red bean paste sandwiched between two small pancakes. The dorayaki pancakes have a similar batter and consistency to castella cake with a delightful sponge-like chew — when paired with the sugar-enriched red bean paste, it makes an undeniably sweet treat.

Dorayaki can be found on menus at tea shops, food stalls, and convenience stores throughout Japan. An old wise tale states that it was first invented after a warrior named Saito no Musashibo Benkei accidentally left his gong at a farmhouse, and a farmer consequently fried a cake on his instrument, thus creating dorayaki. Countless other stories have been associated with the origin of the tasty dessert; however, for some people, its birth lies in the store Baikatei in Toyko. The current owner, Michi Mochizuki says the records perpetuating factual evidence of the origin were destroyed during WWII. Despite Dorayaki’s murky history, it remains an admired dessert throughout the country and aboard.

You may recognize this Japanese dessert from its emoji icon with pink, white, and green rice cakes skewered together; however, it is much more than its cute digital footprint. Dangos are plump, small rounded rice dumplings made from a dough combing sweet rice flour and water. Often mistaken for mochi, dango is one of the most famed Japanese desserts and is served with three to five balls pierced through a bamboo skewer.

There are variety of different types of dango throughout Japan. The most popular flavor you’ll find is the easily recognizable mitarashi dango, featuring a sweet-soy brown sugar glaze that’s slightly charred and wonderfully aromatic. Another popular one enjoyed during the moon-viewing festival is the Tsukimi. This one is typically served on a plate with a tower of plain white dango with an orange one in the center made from kabocha squash — symbolizing the bright autumn moon. There is also the not-to-be-missed emoji dango or the hanami dango, featuring green, pink, and white tri-colored balls representing the scenery of spring’s arrival. The green is representative of the growing green sprouts poking through the snowbed, pink for the blooming cherry blossoms, and white for the remaining winter snow. The hanami dango is a signal for the Japanese that the winter is slowly fading away and the sunshine of spring is on its way.

Another traditional Japanese dessert is the monaka. This wagashi is basically a sweet cookie sandwich. It’s stuffed with sweet red bean paste between two thin, crisp wafers made from mochi. Some confections have even filled it with mochi or ice cream — although the red bean version remains the most popular. The most basic monaka is a plump round shape, but you can find elaborate ones in a variety of shapes and sizes. In Toyko train station shopping mall you can find the unique confection at Tokyo Suzu Monaka inspired by its legendary silver bell.

Its history stretches back to the Edo Period when the original one was made from a simple rice flour and water batter that was steamed and lightly cooked. Monakas were first flavored with a simple drizzle of honey; then in the Meiji Period, different fillings arrived alongside intricate shapes and designs — kicking starting its popularity.

It’s not uncommon for the Japanese to buy friends, family members, and colleagues a gift or omigaye from their travels. This tradition is very respected in Japanese culture, and ayugashi is often a present someone will pick up when visiting the prefecture of Gifu in central Japan. The tasty treat is shaped like an ayu sweetfish that inhibits the cherished local Nagaragawa River. Like dorayaki, this adorable fish-shaped treat is made by wrapping a thin layer of castella cake or pancake batter around a sweet rice paste called gyuhi or red bean paste. The fish are pressed with a hot iron, inscribing their tiny face. There are numerous pastry shops around the prefecture selling ayugashi, with each store having a niche design for the face and fins. Ayugashi has skyrocketed in popularity in recent years since the Ayugashi Promotion Association launched a mascot for the dessert called Hi-ayu-maru — inciting more tourists and visitors to buy the beloved sweet treat.

Adzuki red beans aren’t just a sweet paste that stars in mochi — they can be used in many different ways and yokan is the prime example. Yokan is a squishy chilled red bean jelly with sweetened chestnuts. This old-school dessert is made from steaming red bean paste and wheat flour. Traditionally, it is made with chestnuts and other ingredients like sweet potato, plums, and matcha are fairly common. Yokan is distinguished by its smooth, chewy texture and semi-translucent hue. It’s prepared in two different ways: Either the softer mizu yokan, where the proportion of water is slightly higher, or the firmer neri yokan, which contains a higher concentration of agar-agar, a gelatin derived from the seaweed. Mizu yokan is served chilled and often enjoyed during the warm summer months. While neri yokan is served at chilled or at room temperature and typically reserved for the autumn and winter seasons. Yokan is a great way to taste the full flavors of adzuki red beans, especially for people who crave less sugary desserts due to the low sugar content.

If you ever want to spread some good luck and fortune to a friend or family member make their day by giving them a delectable daifuku. A daifuku is a small round mochi stuffed with either sweet red bean paste, fruits, or sweet potatoes. Daifuku means great luck in the Japanese language and has been used for centuries as a gift during ceremonies or celebrations. There are numerous variations of daifuku, the most iconic being the ichigo, which has a whole strawberry covered by a thin layer of red bean paste. Ichigo daifuku are everywhere in Japan during the strawberry season with the juicy regional amaou strawberry being the most popular choice. Japanese plums, ume, are also a common daifuku filling. The bright and tangy ume plum is a perfect harmony of flavors alongside sweet mochi wrapping. This chewy delight can be rolled in confectioner sugar, matcha powder, or soybean powder. Daifuku are all over Japan, with different regions showcasing regional fruits through this famed dessert. The next time you need some luck, head to Japan to pick up a daifuku and savor this delectable sweet treat.

The scorching hot summers in Japan make you crave something icy cold, and anmitsu is the perfect solution. Anmitsu is a refreshing summertime mixed dessert containing fruit, mochi, kanten jelly, red bean paste, matcha ice cream, and black sugar syrup. The juxtaposition between the creamy matcha ice cream and nutty black sugar syrup is an unworldly combination of flavors. The color coordination of all the ingredients of the dessert is a vital part of the presentation, making the dessert even more admirable.

Originating in the Meiji Period, this dessert bowl showcased traditional ingredients during the Western modernization of Japanese cuisine. Anmitsu acted as a standalone representative for classic Japanese desserts as Western-style cooking techniques became increasingly popular. Everything from the chewy kanten jelly to sweet red bean paste was a signal for visitors and tourists of what the true essence of Rising Sun’s dessert culture was like. Even though the whole country was quickly filling menus with strawberry shortcake and cheesecake, anmitsu stayed distinctly Japanese.

Castella cake is a type of wagashi with its roots in the 16th-century trade relations between Japanese and Portuguese merchants in the ancient port island of Dejima in the city of Nagasaki. This man-made island was the only part of the city the ruling shogunate opened to foreigners, allowing free trade among the Japanese and other countries. During this time, Portuguese sailors introduced its predecessor, Pão de Lo, a bread-like sponge cake, to Dejima island. This Portuguese cake became so popular it spread throughout the city. Eventually, the Japanese made their adaptation to fit their taste preferences and invented the famous castella cake.

This Japanese sponge cake is known for its perfectly crafted bouncy chew. Unlike other types of sponge cake, castella cake has an underlying moist brioche-style texture. It has a subtle sweet honey flavor with a delicate crumb, making it an excellent choice to serve alongside hot tea. Castella cake is a popular choice during the holiday season in Japanese households and it is virtually impossible not to pick up a castella cake as a souvenir when visiting Nagasaki.

Winters in Japan are absolutely freezing, and you might find yourself craving something warm and comforting. This satisfying sweet porridge dessert made with adzuki red beans and grilled mochi cakes called shiruko has got you covered. The sweet red beans paired with crispy mochi cakes have the perfect amount of sweetness to bundle your heart with joy.

Similar to many other desserts in Japanese cuisine, shiruko’s history can be traced back to Japan’s distant past. This winter-time classic has been served in the Kanto region since the beginning of the Edo Period is often served in dessert and tea parlors across its seven prefectures. You might find shiruko served alongside shiokonbu — a salty soy sauce-infused seaweed — or briny Japanese pickles to cut through the sweetness of the red beans. Shiruko has spread throughout the country, having its own spin and traditions. In Nagasaki, you’ll find salt-preserved plum flowers floating on the top, and in Shimane Prefecture locals often enjoy shiruko as a celebratory dessert during the New Year.

Just like winters in Japan, the summertime is met with the utmost extreme temperatures and that’s when kakigori arrives to save you from a scorching hot day. Kakigori is a Japanese-style sweetened shaved ice dessert dating back to the Heian Period. During this time, people would save ice blocks in underground ice chambers in preparation for the hot summer days when nobles and aristocrats craved this sweet treat. Furthermore, a vague description of shaved ice flavored with sweet syrup was found in the Japanese book “The Pillow Book,” written in the year 1002, inciting some historians to conclude that kakigori was invented more or less 1,000 years ago.

This ancient Japanese dessert is usually flavored with green melon, matcha, cookies and cream, or mango. Kakigori is served in a large bowl with a towering mound of shaved ice with various fruits, nuts, and sugary syrups used as garnishes. You can find stores specializing in kakigori hanging a blue and white flag with the Japanese word for ice in big, bold red lettering.

Imagawayaki is a large pancake filled with sweet red bean paste served warm as a streetside snack — strikingly comparable to biting into a fluffy cloud. This Edo Period crispy treat first appeared in the food carts near the Kanada District of Tokyo Imagawaki Bridge, hence its namesake imagawayaki. Yaki means “cooked over direct heat” in Japanese, which is yet another indicator in its name since you’ll find these fluffy pancakes being cooked to a crisp on an iron stovetop. Crispy on the exterior and soft brioche interior, the combination is a match made in heaven. The smell of the toasted pancake batter blubbing away and the sweet scent of warm red bean paste will lure you to the street food cart selling this iconic treat. Imagawayaki was a prominent afternoon street snack until its successor, taiyaki, the fish-shaped version, overtook its fame. Nowadays, you’ll often see the two sweet treats sold side by side.

Similarly to many culinary creations in Japan, nerikiri is a display of highly skilled craftsmanship and a stunning piece of art. It’ll crush your heart to destroy it, but nonetheless, nerikiri will definitely satisfy your sweet tooth. This delicacy is a type of seasonal namagashi made from gyuhi, a type of mochi made from glutinous rice flour and white bean paste. Nerikiri is typically served in tea parlors or confectionary stores alongside a cup of hot green tea to balance out the sweetness of the treat.

This type of Japanese confection is made into a malleable dough and used to depict the seasons and landscapes of Japan through intricate designs. For example, during the springtime, you’ll find beautifully crafted cherry blossom nerikiri, or in autumn, it’s often common to see adorable pumpkin-themed ones. Just like many other Japanese dishes, nerikiri changes with the rotating seasons throughout the year.

Among endless rows of onigiri, competing instant ramen brands, and bubbly beverages in Japanese convenience stores, melonpan is another famed choice for ready-made snacks. Melonpan or melon bread is a fluffy Japanese sweet bun that’s covered in a crunchy cookie crust. This sweet bun is comparable to the Chinese pineapple buns with a similar buttery interior and crumbly irresistible topping.

It’s a quintessential yogashi dessert with somewhat of a distorted history. Some people claim its roots traced back to Korean soboro-ppang, a similar sweet bun with streusel topping. On the other hand, melonpan fanatics state it was introduced by an Armenian immigrant named ​​Ivan Ghevenian Sagoyan in a Tokyo bakery called Monsieur Ivan. Either way, the melonpan is loved throughout Japan. The buttery sweet bread combined with the crispy cookie topping makes it the perfect treat, whether you’re at a convenience store or paying a visit to Monsieur Ivan’s bakery.

Chinsuko is a traditional shortbread cookie from Okinawa Prefecture. The original classic recipe has three simple ingredients: flour, sugar, and lard — that’s it! Despite the small number of ingredients, chinsuko is quite tasty. The crumbly texture and mildly sweet flavor make it a perfect pairing for hot tea or a quick plane ride snack when you’re flying out of the Okinawan island chains. These cookies can be in a variety of flavors such as chocolate, brown sugar, matcha, and even cheese. Traditionally, it was designed just like a chrysanthemum flower, then over time, the cookie transitioned to a quaint, jagged rectangle shape.

Chinsuko’s unique history dates back to the Ryukyu Kingdom, a time when the Okinawa islands formed an independent sovereignty separate from Japan. Throughout the kingdom, it was typically only eaten by royalty and nobles. While trading with neighboring countries, the Ryukyuan people sold these buttery cookies as souvenirs to foreigners.

Another Okinawan sweet treat dating back to the Ryukyu Kingdom is sata andagi — a traditional fried doughnut hole. These crispy, cakey doughnut holes are highly representative of the Ryukyu Kingdom’s cuisine and have been enjoyed throughout the island for generations. Some people speculate the sata andagi is derived from kai kou xiao or kai kou qiu, a Chinese fried sesame doughnut. This connection is further reinforced by the strong relations the Chinese had with the Ryukyu Kingdom throughout its reign as they were often trading food and goods.

Traditionally, doughnut holes are often served on the island during rituals and festivals. It’s often considered good luck in Okinawan culture due to its resemblance to a smiley face once fried. Nowadays, you won’t have to wait for festivals or celebrations to try these yummy doughnuts since you can find them all over the islands in food stalls and bakeries — these are definitely a must-have when visiting Okinawa.