2009 Sweet Sakura, a photo from Gifu, Chubu

Photographer's Note

Sakura is not just about flower-covered trees and family picnics in the park. At the end of March each year the whole country turns pink. All self-respecting newspapers publish a special edition dedicated to cherry blossom, pink posters adorn the carriages of Tokyo metro and restaurants serve sakura-themed specialties.

These are mochi - traditional Japanese sweets, made of glutinous rice and filled with sweet bean paste. The flavours and colours are sometimes seasonal (I’ve seen and tasted chestnut, strawberry and, of course, cherry blossom), they can also be decorated with miniature pictures of various tourist attractions.

For me, these chewy sweets are an acquired taste and it took the length of two trips to appreciate mochi. It’s very much part of Japanese culture, same as bathroom slippers, red torii, colourful kimono and the lingering smell of soy sauce. Mochi is something I miss when I go away and I look forward to when I return.

More food-related pics in WS.

holmertz, pajaran, jemaflor, jhm, macjake, ChrisJ, worldcitizen, COSTANTINO, PaulVDV has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

holmertz (98934) 2019-10-05 8:39

Hello Kasia,
How very....pink. ;-). Girls will love this. Lots of Japanese food is absolutely delicious, but I have to be careful, because there are many hidden sugar traps. In this case I needn't worry because I would not get near it, except maybe for watching it and admire how even the simplest junk food is made to look like a work of art. You give us another three original and well composed photos showing us glimpses of Japanese life that most photographers seem to forget in their quest for temples and neon signs.
Kind regards,
Gert

Gerrit (61304) 2019-10-05 8:48

Hi Kasia,
I don't know how it tasts but it looks very beautiful. The flowers combine perfectly with the sweets indeed.
Thanks and regards,
Gerrit

Nicou (193806) 2019-10-05 9:10

Hello

tout en rose avec de belles fleurs quelle image et vue quelle compo fantastique captage ces boules avec l'intérieur très belle présentation et cela à l'air succulent
Bravo et amitié
Nciou

Silvio1953 (215431) 2019-10-05 9:47

Ciao Kasia, lovely composition with nice sweeties, wonderful colors, excellent clarity and fine details, very well done, my friend, have a good week end, ciao Silvio

lousat (135635) 2019-10-05 10:08

Hi Kasia,i'm not crazy for sweets,i prefere pizza and spaghetti..ehehe..but your post is very very interesting,showing these very curious sweets prepared for the flowers of cherries season.Curious forms and colors too in a perfect capture. Nice idea the plastic sweets in the WS! Have a nice evening and thanks,Luciano

emka (154582) 2019-10-05 13:05

Cześc Kasiu, W miniaturze to wyglada troche jak myszka - sa oczy i duże uszy. Pięknie artystycznie jest to zapakowane, ale jakoś bardziej zachęca do patrzenia niż do jedzenia. Pamiętam też te plastikowe potrawy jak żywe, ale w sumie jak nie wiadomo co zamówić z karty, to mozna obejrzeć i wskazać palcem. bento boxes też były ładnie pakowane. Teraz u nas mnóstwo sushi w sklepach. U mnie w domuu casem ja robię, a czasem moja synowa. Lubimy suszi.

Pozdrawiam MAłgorzata

PiotrF (54164) 2019-10-05 13:50

Cześć Kasiu
Ladne i bogate zestawY kuchni japońskiej.
Świetna dokumentacja fotograficzna.
Nie jest to raczej moja ulubiona kuchnia ale wygląda znakomicie
Pozdrawiam
Piotr

abmdsudi (94053) 2019-10-05 21:59

Hi Kasia
Excellent narratives accompanying the subtleness of the Pinks! Salivating here,,, these look so yummy, you are making me hungry but teeth can hurt just looking at them .........
Very well photographed foodie picture, Congrats
Best regards

jemaflor (142527) 2019-10-05 23:46

Hi Kasia,
So cute, lovely sweet with this pik colors, perfect sharpness for this original close-up, tfs.

mesutilgim (0) 2019-10-06 2:31

Hello Kasia,
Quite "mouthwatering" !
Very nice capture with perfect light and sharpness. Great artisanal effect and many good , usefull notes.
TFS and have a nice weekend
MESUT ILGIM

jhm (209731) 2019-10-06 4:48

Hello Kasia,

Your main picture, and picture of food are wonderful to look at.
I like the colours and sharpness of both pictures.
Very well close up picture too.
Excellent presentation, TFS.

Best regards,
John.

macjake (97762) 2019-10-06 13:21

Hi Kasia
yes, i have to agree with you, it may be an aquired taste, but its not that bad. In Korea they love to eat freshly killed octopus, where its still moving on your plate, and moves all around in your mouth - yuck! My wife loves it! she recently ordered that in Korea. I will not haha. So these cherry blossom mocha aren't that bad. Japan culinary choices are a huge culture shock for many people, me included. fun post, fun seeing the WS photos too. cheers
Craig

GyurMaster (23704) 2019-10-06 14:06

Hello Kasia,

These sweets looks too sweet for me, I would prefer a sake and a local beer, but the photo is interesting together with the notes.

Best Wishes,
Gy.

ChrisJ (169028) 2019-10-07 8:16

Hello Kasia,

When I lived in neighboring South Korea I would always welcome the sight of the flowering cherry blossoms. My only disappointment was that the fruit was inedible. The cherries we eat are a different tree species and much larger. Good tight framing and sharpness here. Tfs!

worldcitizen (15490) 2019-10-08 10:44

Hello Kasia,
I like mochi, but have never tried sakura flavor. Everything in Japan has such wonderful presentation, and this box of mochi is no exception. Nice view of this pretty box; it makes me want to return to Japan again...

COSTANTINO (111372) 2019-10-27 22:34

Hello dear Kasia and have a nice time
simple but nice
delicate and eyecatching
impressive and attractive
fantastic traditional japanese
sweets dedicated to those who really
love eating sweets
regards
Costantino

PaulVDV (59945) 2019-11-01 14:22

Hello Kasia,
I remember those very colourful boxes.
Good idea to enlarge this on one photo.
Not only the sweets and the flowers but also the Japanese characters provide an attractive composition.
Of course, the pink colour makes the box attractive from afar.
Regarding the plastic food in the WS: Sometimes I still had to point out something and ask whether it was fish or meat :)
Best regards, Paul