Wagashi calendar: taste the season before it passes

A folded white-and-pink mochi with miso bean paste and a slender piece of burdock showing at both ends

Taste

Sweet white bean and miso with an earthy, lightly savoury line

Texture

Soft mochi around a firmer, fibrous centre

Season

Look in the first days of January; production dates vary and many shops finish it quickly

Place

Kyoto roots; now found at New Year in wagashi shops around Japan

A small oval or pinched gyuhi sweet around bean paste, dusted green with kinako or coloured powder

Taste

Bean sweetness with toasted soybean aroma

Texture

Supple and powder-soft outside, smooth or textured within

Season

Often appears from late winter into early spring; it marks anticipation rather than an exact bird-watching date

Place

Wagashi shops nationwide; associated with the approach of spring

Sweet bean paste wrapped in either a thin baked skin or visible glutinous-rice grains, then a salted cherry leaf

Taste

Sweet bean, floral-leafy aroma and a small salt contrast

Texture

Tender crepe-like skin or softly grainy mochi, depending on style

Season

Strongest around the cherry season, though some specialists sell it longer

Place

Two famous families: Chomeiji-style around Tokyo and Domyoji-style associated with Kansai

Three small dumplings—commonly pink, white and green—on one skewer

Taste

Mild rice sweetness; flavouring varies by maker

Texture

Dense, bouncy and clean-chewing

Season

Sold around blossom season; dates follow local bloom and retail calendars

Place

Cherry-viewing stalls, wagashi shops and supermarkets across Japan

A folded rice-flour mochi around sweet filling, wrapped in an oak leaf

Taste

Bean sweetness; some versions use miso bean paste

Texture

Smooth, softly elastic mochi against a dry aromatic leaf

Season

Centred on the period around 5 May; shops decide their own start and finish

Place

Nationwide around Children’s Day, with regional differences in leaf and filling

A white triangular uiro base topped with azuki beans

Taste

Restrained sweetness, rice or flour notes and sweet beans

Texture

Firm-soft, slightly sticky and clean-cut

Season

Closely associated with 30 June and the summer purification period; availability is not guaranteed outside it

Place

Kyoto, especially around the end of June

Bean paste seen through a translucent starch gel, sometimes presented on a leaf

Taste

Cool bean sweetness with little added aroma

Texture

Slippery, tender and lightly elastic

Season

A summer sweet designed as much for visual coolness as temperature

Place

Summer counters nationwide; recipes and names vary

A softer, higher-moisture block of bean-and-agar confection than many firm yokan

Taste

Clean azuki sweetness, sometimes very restrained

Texture

Cool, smooth and softly set

Season

Commonly a summer signal, while regional calendars can reverse the expectation

Place

Nationwide in summer; winter customs also exist in parts of Japan

Plain white dumplings, stacked or shaped differently by region; some forms include bean paste

Taste

Mild rice sweetness or a richer bean-coated bite

Texture

Dense and chewy; regional versions may be softer

Season

Around the traditional autumn moon-viewing dates, which shift on the modern calendar

Place

Nationwide for moon-viewing, with strongly regional forms and displays

Partly pounded glutinous rice covered with sweet bean paste, kinako, sesame or other coatings

Taste

Rice and bean sweetness; coatings shift aroma sharply

Texture

Grainy-soft rice inside, smooth, chunky or powdery outside

Season

Closely associated with spring and autumn equinox periods, but sold more widely too

Place

Households, supermarkets and wagashi shops nationwide, especially around the equinoxes

Cooked chestnut worked with sugar into a small, softly ridged chestnut-like mound

Taste

Direct chestnut sweetness with little distraction

Texture

Fine, crumbly-soft and moist rather than sticky

Season

An autumn confection tied to the chestnut harvest; sale periods depend on each maker

Place

Strongly associated with eastern Gifu; similar names can describe different New Year foods

A set bean or white-bean confection scented with yuzu peel or juice

Taste

Sweet bean followed by bright peel bitterness and citrus aroma

Texture

Clean slice, dense or soft depending on water content

Season

Yuzu feels especially at home from late autumn into winter, though packaged versions may be sold longer

Place

Citrus-growing regions and winter seasonal counters; not one protected regional recipe

A round mochi skin enclosing sweet bean paste or another filling

Taste

Bean-led sweetness; salt or fruit may sharpen it

Texture

Soft, stretchy shell around smooth or chunky filling

Season

Available year-round; seasonal fillings change the encounter

Place

Nationwide, from specialist wagashi shops to supermarkets and convenience stores

A whole strawberry with red or white bean paste inside mochi

Taste

Fresh acidity, sweet bean and mild rice

Texture

Juicy fruit against sticky-soft mochi

Season

Strongest from winter through spring, following shop supply rather than one fixed date

Place

A modern nationwide favourite, especially visible during strawberry season

Two round griddle cakes sandwiching sweet bean paste

Taste

Caramelised cake aroma and bean sweetness

Texture

Springy-cakey outside, moist or chunky inside

Season

Year-round, with chestnut, butter or seasonal fillings appearing around it

Place

Nationwide; specialist shops and packaged shelves offer very different textures

Bean paste enclosed in a steamed or baked flour-based skin

Taste

From plain bean sweetness to brown sugar, miso, sake or yuzu

Texture

Tender steamed crumb or firmer baked skin

Season

Year-round; local festival and hot-spring versions may follow their own calendars

Place

Nationwide, with countless local skins, fillings and marks

Bean paste and sugar set into a sliceable block, commonly with agar

Taste

Concentrated bean sweetness; matcha, chestnut, sesame and fruit create branches

Texture

Dense and clean-cut or softer with more water

Season

Year-round, with mizuyokan and ingredient-led versions marking seasons

Place

Nationwide; long-life blocks and fresh seasonal versions share the name

Crisp wafers made from glutinous rice enclose bean paste or another filling

Taste

Toasted rice shell and bean sweetness

Texture

Dry-crisp shell against dense moist filling

Season

Year-round; humidity and assembly time matter more than a season

Place

Nationwide; moulds often carry a local flower, building, animal or crest

A soft bean-paste-based outer layer coloured and shaped around a bean filling

Taste

Gentle bean sweetness with subtle flavouring

Texture

Fine, moist and marzipan-like, without the same fat profile

Season

Designs often anticipate blossoms, rain, water, leaves, moon and snow

Place

Tea-related wagashi shops nationwide; designs change before the season peaks

Fine sugar and grain or bean powders pressed into carved moulds and dried

Taste

Concentrated sweetness with a quiet grain aroma

Texture

Dry, powdery, crisp-tender and dissolving

Season

Year-round; moulds, colours and motifs follow events and seasons

Place

Tea, festival and temple-town confectionery traditions across Japan

Fish-shaped griddle cakes filled from head to tail—or not, depending on the shop

Taste

Toasty batter and hot bean paste; custard or savoury fillings also exist

Texture

Crisp-edged or cake-soft outside, dense and hot inside

Season

Especially comforting in cool weather, but many shops sell year-round

Place

Street counters and shopping districts nationwide

A firm block of bean paste lightly coated in batter and seared on several sides

Taste

Bean-forward, with a faint toasted flour edge

Texture

Dense, slightly granular filling with a thin tender skin

Season

Year-round; chestnut or sweet-potato variations feel especially autumnal

Place

Wagashi shops nationwide; often cooked visibly on a griddle

Soft translucent pieces dusted generously with kinako, often served with dark syrup

Taste

Toasted soybean and dark-sugar sweetness

Texture

Trembling, slippery and softly elastic

Season

Popular in warm months, though specialist versions are available beyond summer

Place

Sweet shops, cafés and summer retail counters nationwide

A bowl of agar cubes, sweet bean paste, fruit and syrup, often with peas, mochi or ice cream

Taste

Sweet, tart, bean-rich and syrupy in alternating bites

Texture

Firm-cool agar, soft bean, juicy fruit and chewy additions

Season

Especially appealing in warm weather; toppings follow the venue

Place

Kanmihidokoro sweet cafés and casual restaurants nationwide

A steamed, lightly sweetened starch cake, commonly made from rice flour but not universally

Taste

Mild grain sweetness; matcha, azuki and brown sugar are common branches

Texture

Firm-soft, smooth and slightly sticky

Season

Year-round, with colours and additions following the season

Place

Associated strongly with Nagoya, but made in several regions with different histories and formulas

Mugwort-coloured rice dumplings around bean paste, tied and wrapped in bamboo grass leaves

Taste

Herbal mugwort, rice and sweet bean with a leafy aroma

Texture

Dense-chewy dumpling inside flexible leaves

Season

Associated with early summer and household traditions, though souvenir production extends availability

Place

Niigata Prefecture

Either a crisp baked cinnamon rice cracker or a soft unbaked sheet, often folded around filling

Taste

Cinnamon-led, with bean, matcha or seasonal filling

Texture

Crisp and brittle, or soft and chewy—the name covers both

Season

Year-round; seasonal fillings change rapidly in major shops

Place

Kyoto

A tall rectangular sponge rich with egg and sugar, often cut into measured slices

Taste

Egg, honey-like sweetness and caramelised bottom notes

Texture

Moist, fine-crumbed and springy, sometimes with sugar crystals below

Season

Year-round and strongly suited to gifts

Place

Nagasaki, shaped by centuries of port exchange and Japanese adaptation

A white steamed cake made with rice flour and mountain yam; filled karukan manju is a related form

Taste

Mild rice sweetness and clean yam aroma

Texture

Light, porous and springy rather than sticky

Season

Year-round, connected to Kagoshima souvenir and tea culture

Place

Kagoshima

Mochi coated with a vivid paste of crushed young soybeans and sugar

Taste

Green soybean freshness, nutty depth and sweetness

Texture

Sticky mochi with a slightly coarse, moist paste

Season

Strongly associated with summer soybean season, though modern shops extend availability

Place

Miyagi and wider southern Tohoku associations

Thin, pale squares or folds of very soft sweet mochi, dusted to stay separate

Taste

Clean rice sweetness with little filling

Texture

Silky, tender and highly elastic

Season

Year-round as a regional gift

Place

Fukui

Steamed rice-flour sweets patterned in contrasting colours, from leaf forms to intricate cut designs

Taste

Simple rice and sugar, sometimes with brown-sugar depth

Texture

Firm-chewy with a smooth steamed surface

Season

Often linked with May festivals and household making, though sale periods vary

Place

Aomori and Hokkaido traditions, with local differences in shape and occasion