Traditional Events

This is a time to pray for the health and happiness of loved ones in the coming year. The wagashi of choice for the New Year holiday season is hanabira mochi (flower petal mochi). It was inspired by a mochi dish traditionally served to the imperial court at the beginning of the year.

The Doll Festival (Girls' Day) is observed on March 3 each year to pray for the healthy development of girls. It is celebrated with the display of Emperor and Empress dolls and offerings of traditional sweets, including colorful hina arare (miniature rice crackers) and hishi mochi (diamond-shaped mochi).

The custom of gathering to admire fully bloomed cherry blossoms is thought to have begun in the imperial court in ancient times. Flower-viewing eventually spread among commoners to become a beloved nationwide tradition. Wagashi such as sakura mochi (wrapped in salted cherry leaves) or those fashioned to resemble sakura enjoy enduring popularity.

On Children's Day on May 5, it is customary to eat chimaki (bamboo-wrapped dumplings), which represent driving away evil. Another popular wagashi for this celebration is kashiwa mochi (mochi wrapped in a Japanese oak leaf), considered a talisman for continuous family lineage and prosperity, as the leaves do not fall from the tree until new buds emerge.

This custom of admiring the moon is said to have been introduced to Japan from China during the Nara Period (710-794) and became popular among nobles in the Heian Period (794-1185) that followed. Later connected with agricultural rituals, moon viewing grew into an annual event in the Japanese calendar. During the autumn moon-viewing season, many wagashi depicting the moon are available in stores around Japan.

The Japanese traditionally mark the winter solstice by taking a bath with yuzu floating in the water to ward off disease and misfortune. Confectioners mark the occasion with wagashi incorporating the fragrant citrus fruit.