和 菓 子(わがし)

わがし

noun

Japanese sweets, Japanese confectionery

1. Japanese sweets, Japanese confectionery

Traditional Japanese confections, typically made from plant-based ingredients like rice flour, sweet beans, and sugar.

Have Japanese sweets together with tea.

Seasonal Japanese sweets are beautiful in appearance too.

Japanese sweets are less sweet than Western sweets.

I bought Japanese sweets at a long-established shop in Kyoto.

The sight of a wagashi craftsman handmaking nerikiri shaped like seasonal flowers one by one is truly an art.

Usage: Traditional confections, often served with 抹茶(まっちゃ) or 煎茶(せんちゃ). 和菓子(わがし) often reflect 季節感(きせつかん) (a sense of the season) in their shapes and colors: flowers, leaves, and other seasonal motifs.

生菓子(なまがし) (fresh confections): high moisture, short shelf life
半生菓子(はんなまがし) (semi-dry confections): medium moisture
干菓子(ひがし) (dry confections): low moisture, long-lasting
Common examples: 大福(だいふく) (mochi with filling), 饅頭(まんじゅう) (steamed bun), 羊羹(ようかん) (sweet bean jelly), 最中(もなか) (wafer with filling), 煎餅(せんべい) (rice crackers), 練(ね)り切(き)り (molded sweets)

Related Words

Compare: スイーツ (sweets)

core

Added 2026.1.14 21:52 · Revised 2026.10.9 21:28

04500/04962_wagashi