Society

Cherry Blossom Picnic: Enjoying Japanese Sakura Inspired Food in Kawazu

Mar 21 (Japan by Food) - Japan is famous for its beautiful sakura, or cherry blossom trees. While the peak season for hanami, or cherry blossom viewing, is late March to early April, there's a deep pink variety of cherry blossom called “Kawazu-zakura” that blooms in early February to early March.

The city of Kawazu celebrates these beautiful trees every year with the Kawazu Cherry Blossom Festavel. And of course, no festival is complete without a lot of great street food!

Shizuka travels to Kawazu in Shizuoka Prefecture to enjoy the lovely flowers while sampling the tasty food of the festival. There are so many food stands to visit, and she works her way through a variety of tasty snacks from the friendly vendors. Some are traditional Japanese festival snacks, while others take inspiration from the cherry blossoms to create unique treats. Come along and enjoy the hanami with us as we eat our way through the Kawazu Cherry Blossom Festival!

FEATURED FOODS

Today’s featured food’s are all street foods from the Kazuwa Cherry Blssom Festival!

Haruka juice: A juice sweezed from a “haruka” citrus fruit

Haruka slices: Slices of this citrus fruit are sweet but milder than an orange

Hanami dango: The classic tri-colored sweet rice dumplings are a popular snack in the spring

Nigiri tenkushi: Nigiri means “pressed together” and “tenkushi” means tempura on a stick

Edamame ten: Fried stem beans and a shrimp cake on a stick

“Croissant” taiyaki- taiyaki made with a croissant-like pastry instead of the traditional waffle-type pastry

Sakura oyaki: A stuffed dumpling with pickled cherry blossom leaves and white bean paste

Nikumaki omusubi: A rice ball wrapped in beef

Sakura amazake: Cherry blossom amazake, a fermented rice drink that’s a byproduct of sake

Isobeyaki dango: Mochi covered in sweet soy sauce and wrapped in seaweed

Ichigo sakura mochi: A mix of two classic Japanese desserts; ichigo daifuku (mochi with red bean paste and strawberry) and sakura mochi (a granular and sticky mochi wrapped in a pickled cherry blossom leaf)

Do Bears Prefer Acorns or Berries?

Bear sightings across Japan have already climbed to nearly twice the level recorded during the same period last year, prompting entry bans in mountain areas behind Kyoto’s Ninna-ji Temple and the cancellation of hiking events in Kansai, while new research suggests that the key to reducing encounters may lie in understanding what bears eat in each region.

Copper Thieves Target Japanese Shrines

Copper roofing panels were stolen from several shrines in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, including a city-designated cultural property, in the latest case amid a nationwide surge in copper thefts targeting shrines and temples across Japan, where soaring metal prices have fueled crimes that leave historic religious buildings damaged, exposed to the elements, and facing repair costs of millions of yen.

1200-Year-Old Temple on Miyajima Reduced to Ashes

Flames broke out on the morning of May 20th on Miyajima Island in Hiroshima Prefecture, home to one of Japan's World Heritage sites, destroying Reikado Hall near the summit of Mount Misen.

From Bento Boxes to Garbage Bags, Rising Costs Hitting Daily Life Across Japan

Uncertainty surrounding the situation in the Middle East is beginning to affect daily life in Japan, as concerns over crude oil supplies spread to restaurants, cleaning services and even household garbage disposal systems across the Kansai region.

Tochigi Robbery-Murder Suspect’s Wife Posted Dance Videos on Social Media

A 25-year-old woman arrested as a suspected ringleader in a robbery-murder case in Tochigi Prefecture once posted cheerful dance videos on social media and was remembered by those who knew her as an energetic and outgoing young woman.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

Garbage Burnoff Spreads to 3 Buildings in Okayama

A fire that broke out in Kagamino, Okayama Prefecture, shortly after noon on May 20th destroyed three buildings, including a home, after flames from open burning spread to dead leaves and then to nearby structures.

Gang Members Arrested After Opening Office Near Nursery

Six people, including a senior member of a group affiliated with the Sumiyoshi-kai crime syndicate's Kohei-ikka faction, have been arrested on suspicion of opening a gang office in a prohibited area near a nursery school in Tokyo's Itabashi Ward.

Six Police Officers Injured After Man Sprays Liquid at Station

A man who visited a police station in Hiratsuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, in the early hours of May 21st allegedly sprayed a transparent liquid inside the building, causing six police officers to complain of eye and throat pain and be taken to hospital with minor injuries.