Spring Goodies in Japan for 2021

 

Spring is fast approaching, and I am getting excited about the promise of warmer weather and tasty new treats to try. There are usually a lot of sakura (cherry blossom) inspired goodies to try at this time of the year on the supermarket and convenience store shelves.

A few of my favourites from previous years include Haagen Dazs Sakura Ice Cream, Cherry Blossom Yoghurt and the limited-edition offerings from Starbuck’s Japan.

In 2021, we have a new Sakura Latte to try as well as Lipton Sakura Tea Latte and Kraft Sakura Mochi Dessert Cheese.

Let’s start with the new Sakura Latte from Mt. Rainer, which is on sale for 150 yen (USD$1.43). The Sakura Latte features coffee made from 100% Arabica beans with cherry blossom extract added to the mix for the perfect taste of spring.

Sakura Latte

 

While I am not a huge milk tea drinker, the next offering from Lipton really caught my eye. The Sakura Tea Latte which you can pick up for 128 yen (USD$1.22) is made with 100 percent Kenyan tea with a subtle cherry blossom taste. 

Lipton Sakura Tea Latte

 

Every spring, my go to cherry blossom treat is sakura mochi, which is a Japanese sweet consisting of a pink coloured mochi (rice cake) with a red bean paste center, all wrapped in a cherry blossom leaf. This year we have the Sakura Mochi Dessert Cheese from Kraft to try. Called Mochi Mochi Sakura, it has glutinous powder added to give the cheese a sakura mochi-like texture. The dessert cheese comes in a six-pack and retails for 320 yen (USD$3.05).

Kraft Sakura Mochi Dessert Cheese

 

Which one of these tasty cherry blossom spring treats caught your eye for the upcoming cherry blossom season?

Sakura Cherry Blossoms in 8K

Cherry blossom (sakura) season is one of the most beautiful times of the year to be in Japan. During late March and early April, the Japanese flock en masse to famous cherry blossom spots on the main island of Honshu to view the magical spectacle of these flowers blooming.

Hanami, or flower viewing is a popular tradition in spring with many Japanese enjoying the stunning sakura which are regarded as a symbol of beauty and renewal.

Cherry blossoms can be seen along river banks, in parks & fields and lining both sides of roads like a cherry blossom tunnel. It is the perfect time to relax and enjoy a picnic beneath the flowering cherry trees.

You can even catch the wondrous pink and white petals of the cherry blossoms along with fields of rapeseed (nanohana), which bloom at the same time in the countryside of rural Japan, creating a stunning contrast.

Many Japanese like to enjoy the cherry blossoms at night after work, which is called yozakura in Japanese. Many towns and cities will have festivals attached to the cherry blossoms with the cherry trees lit with lanterns. The atmosphere is amazing, especially the smell of Japanese festival food from yatai (street stalls) drifting through the night air. These colourful stalls sell all kinds of delicious Japanese festival food such as yakisoba, takoyaki, taiyaki and grilled corn on the cob to name just a few of the tasty goodies on offer.

It is always sad to see the cherry blossoms start to fall when they float through the air like soft snow. It signals the end of another cherry blossom season and the start of the warmer months in Japan.

Armadas, a video production company based in Japan recently released a stunning 8K video which captures the beautiful spring scenery of Japan in Izu, Shizuoka Prefecture and Shinshiro and Toyokawa in Aichi Prefecture. Check it out for a glimpse of the beauty of this season.

Starbucks Japan Cherry Blossom Drinks 2019

Starbucks Japan have just released news of their 2019 limited-edition sakura cherry blossom drinks. This is news that we at Japan Australia look forward to every year as it is a sure tell sign that spring is on its way. The Japan only sakura drinks not only always taste great, but are a great prelude to the upcoming cherry blossom season in Japan.

You can follow all the latest news and updates about the cherry blossom forecast by following Japan Travel Advice, who recently published their annual 2019 Cherry Blossom (Sakura) Forecast for Japan. Check it out and start planning your hanami parties now.

This year, we can look forward to Starbucks Full Sakura Milk Latte and Full Sakura Frappuccino.

Starbucks Sakura Latte and Frappuccino 

This year Starbucks is combining two popular pink flavours, cherry blossom and strawberries with a theme “Sakura Mankai Moments – Full Blooming All Around You”. “Mankai” means “full bloom” in Japanese with inspiration for the drinks taken from the cherry blossoms in full bloom.

The Full Sakura Milk Latte is designed to represent that special moment in spring when a gentle wind blows through the trees and the soft cherry blossom petals slowly fall to the ground. The drink has a light sakura flavor and is topped with whipped cream and strawberry chocolate shavings and chocolate sakura flavoured petals. The Full Sakura Milk Latte is available from February 15th until March 19th, 2019.

The Full Sakura Frappuccino is designed to represent the cherry blossom petals in full bloom reflected on the water’s surface. Cherry blossoms along the river are a common sight in Japan during the spring. The Full Sakura Frappuccino base is a sakura and strawberry sauce with sakura jelly and strawberry jelly pieces all of which is topped with whipped cream and strawberry chocolate shavings and chocolate sakura flavoured petals. The Full Sakura Frappuccino is available from February 15th until February 27th, 2019

Starbucks Sakura Chocolate with Strawberry Jelly 

Available for a limited time only at convenience stores around Japan is the Sakura Chocolate with Strawberry Jelly drink. From February 12th you will be able to pick up one of these which has a sakura and white chocolate flavoured base mixed with tiny pieces of strawberry jelly. Its thick texture is similar to the Starbucks Frappuccino with the drink meant to be shaken before being drunk.

Starbucks Sakura Goods 

Starbucks limited-edition range of seasonal drinkware including travel mugs, cups, glasses and tumblers are always a hot item in its spring line-up. This year we have two different collections to enjoy. The first series being released on February 15th in soft pink is based around a “cold” theme.

The second series will be available from February 25th with a more vivid strawberry red theme and is based around a “sunlight” theme.

Starbucks Japan Website

Shunbun no Hi Spring Equinox Day

Spring Equinox Day, or Shunbun no Hi (春分の日) in Japanese is a National Holiday that is usually held around March 20 or 21.

The holiday occurs on the date of the vernal equinox in Japan Standard Time, and is not determined until February of the previous year.

This year, the holiday falls on Monday, March 21. It is a day in Japan to admire nature and the love of living things.

History of Shunbun no Hi 

The national holiday was first established in 1948, and marks a time when night and day are equal in length. Prior to that it was the date of Shunki Koresai (春季皇霊祭) an event relating to Shintoism. To separate religion and the state in post-war Japan, it was repackaged as a non-religious holiday.

How is Shunbun no Hi Celebrated? 

Shunbun no Hi is a holiday celebrating spring in Japan. It is a boundary marking the end of winter coldness and the start of the warm of spring. The three days immediately before and after Shunbun no Hi is a seven day period called the spring equinoctial week or higan in Japanese. It is a time to follow traditions and visit family graves to pay our respects to ancestors. People will visit their loved ones’ grave sites to sweep the gravestone, clear debris, leave offerings of food and fresh cut flowers, and burn incense to console the spirits.

Many people usually return to their family homes to spend time with their families, as well as head outdoors to enjoy the beautiful blue skies and warmth of spring. The cherry blossoms are usually just about to open at this time of the year in Japan, so it is a wonderful time to appreciate the beauty of nature after a long winter.

Festivals and Events for March in Japan

Cherry Blossom Yoghurt in Japan

Spring in Japan means sakura (桜) or cherry blossoms and sakura-flavored food and drinks. A tell-tale sign that spring is soon on the way is when cherry blossoms start appearing on food and drinks in Japan. Early to mid-February is usually the time when sakura flavoured food and drink starts rolling out and hitting the supermarket and convenience store shelves and refrigerators.

You can find many different kinds of food and drinks containing sakura at this time of the year in Japan. Some of my favourites are the sakura drinks from Starbucks Japan, and sakura mochi (桜餅).

A new sakura product recently caught my eye, so I just had to share it with you all. Sakura flavoured yoghurt.

We picked up this four-pack of yoghurt from our local AEON supermarket with its pretty cherry blossom design. Not only does it look like spring, it tastes like spring as well with its sakura flavour. The yoghurt contains cherry blossom leaves and is a pale pink colour. Sakura petals and leaves are a seasonal ingredient used in a variety of Japanese foods, desserts and drinks.

How does it taste? Really good! It has a light cherry flavour and the cherry blossom leaves give it a nice saltiness. Check it out if you are in Japan and want an early taste of spring.

Starbucks Japan Cherry Blossom Selections

Starbucks Japan have just released their seasonal cherry blossoms selections. This is something that we at Japan Australia look forward to every year. It is a sure tell sign that spring is on its way. The Japan only “sakura” (cherry blossom) food, drinks and goods are a great prelude to the upcoming cherry blossom season in Japan.

Japan Travel Advice recently published a Cherry Blossom Forecast for 2015 so we can all start planning our “hanami” parties.

This year we have the piping hot Caramel Sakura Chocolate Latte, icy cold Caramel Sakura Chocolate Frappuccino, and Sakura Chiffon Cake to choose from.

Both the sakura drinks feature a drizzling of rich cherry and caramel sauce and are topped with shavings of cherry-flavored white chocolate. Sounds good doesn’t it?

You may remember that last year Starbucks Japan released a Sakura White Chocolate Latte with real sakura petals and leaves as well as a strawberry flavoured topping and pink strawberry infused whipped cream. It was really good!

Last year we also wrote about some of our favourite flavours of spring in Japan. 

Starbucks Japan shelves will also be stocked with limited edition “Bliss” line sakura themed tumblers, glasses, mugs and gift cards in pale pink and other colours of spring. Around March they are planning to release their “Brilliant” line of products in more vivid hues of hot pink.

The cherry blossom selections are available from February 15 for a limited time.

Which sakura goodie do you want to try?

Starbucks Japan Website

 

The Flavors of Spring in Japan

Spring is finally here in Japan and if you can’t tell, I’m very excited about it! It has been a long cold winter here in Japan and spring brings with it the promise of warmer weather and the beautiful cherry blossoms. The cherry blossoms usually make their appearance here in Gifu in late March and early April. You can read my post about the must see Cherry Blossom Spots in Gifu.

This time of year also sees a lot of interesting and delicious spring or cherry blossom inspired food and drinks in Japan. A few of my favourites so far have been:

Sakura Cherry Blossom Ice Cream in Japan

Häagen-Dazs have just released a Sakura Cherry Blossom flavoured ice cream to celebrate their 30th anniversary in Japan. It is really good with the ice cream containing powdered cherry blossom petals, and is topped with a sour cherry sauce. It is available at supermarkets and convenience stores in Japan from February 3. They have also released a rose flavoured ice cream as well, but we didn’t quite fancy tasting that one. The rose ice cream is a strawberry based ice cream with two kinds of roses included. It is topped with a pink plum sauce. This is the first time that Haagen Dazs has released a flower flavoured ice cream. We certainly hope the sakura one become part of their regular line-up.

The ice cream cost 198 yen (USD$2) at our local supermarket, or 284 yen (USD$2.84) at convenience stores for a 100 ml tub.

Sakura is synonymous with spring in Japan and when various sakura flavoured goods start hitting the stores you know that spring is just around the corner. I hope this great tasting ice cream is a sign of just that with the warmer weather on the way.

Sakura Cherry Blossom Ice Cream

Rose Ice Cream

Haagen Dazs 30th Anniversary in Japan Ice Cream

We picked up a 100ml tub at our local supermarket for 198 yen

Pretty in Pink

Love that Sour Cherry sauce on top

You can watch my video below on the Sakura Cherry Blossom Ice Cream

Haagen Dazs Japan Website

Spring Equinox Day (shunbun no hi)

Today March 20th is Spring Equinox Day or Shunbun no hi (春分の日) in Japan. This national holiday was first established in 1948 as a day to admire nature and the love of living things. The holiday occurs on the date of the vernal equinox in Japan Standard Time and usually falls on March 20 or 21.

The three days immediately before and after Shunbun no hi is a seven day period called the spring equinoctial week or higan in Japanese. It is a boundary marking the end of winter coldness.