Today I went to a “Sweets Festa.”  Various Fukushima City area bakeries and cake shops gathered in a local department store and sold their sweets.  So much fun

You can read the name of the bakery.  “Silver Ridge Bakery” was the first bakery in Fukushima City.  I know this because I discovered it one day while riding my bike (it is not especially close to my house).  There was a sign that said it was the first.  I think it opened in the 1950’s (maybe).  From talking to my husband’s mother (who is her seventies) I know that Japanese people NEVER ate bread products when she was young.  They ate rice products, and sweets were rice based.   A big change from today.  Nowadays, Japanese people like flour-based products.  (Although a lot of rice is still consumed in Japan.)

So yummers… Chocolate is the brown bread, and coconut is to the right.  Coconut is definitely NOT a common ingredient or flavor in Japan.

Swans!  The staff for this bakery said that the bakery is near a river with lots of swans.

I was happy to see that there were traditional sweets.  I wanted to buy some for my neighbor for “Respect for the Aged Day.”  I think that really old Japanese people prefer the traditional sweets since that was what they ate when they were growing up.  So bean-based and rice-based sweets are nostalgic for them.  (Beans may sound gross if you don’t know Asian food.  The beans are sweetened and taste good!  It’s not your mawmaw’s pork and beans or your Abuela’s refried beans.)

I bought her some of these, which are soft.

I also bought some hard candies for her. Flavors like sour plum, butter, green tea…

So many flavors of hard candy!  In the trays at the bottom, you can get a free sample.

This is common shopping item in Japan. After you purchase, you can spin it.  A ball comes out. Your prize depends on the color of the ball.

I got a red ball!  So just tissues!  Wah wah… A little disappointed.  Where’s my free trip to Hawaii?

Pink and white were nicer prizes–juice and Fukushima goods.