another confections for the Boys' Festival

The rainy season has started in Okinawa and Amami, but cherry blossoms still haven't bloomed in Sapporo.



kashiwamochi(柏餅):
Steamed rice cakes filled with sweet bean paste and wrapped in Daimyo Oak leaves. After bursting into leaf, the tree lets its old leaves fall. Therefore, the families of warriors came to eat them to pray for lasting their family lines. It is said that kashiwamochi was regarded as a confeciton of the Boys' Festival about 1670.
There is a daimyo oak tree in my neighborhood. Now, Its young leaves are a perfect fit for kashiwamochi.


syusse-goi(出世鯉):
carp-shaped confection
Recently, many carp streamers are put up for sightseeing in various regions in Japan. A tourist spot began to hoist carp streamers using unnecessary streamers in homes.Altough most families with boys used to have carp streamers, parents quit hoisting the streamers after their childen have grown up.
The small carp streamers to be attached to the balcony of an apartment are selling well. Recently, unnoticeable streamers are often ordered on the grounds that they detract from the appearance.