There is a place in Japan called Hiroshima Prefecture. For businessmen in Tokyo, a business trip to Hiroshima can sometimes be a difficult one in terms of means of transportation. That is, whether to travel by plane or by Shinkansen. Flying alone takes about 1.5 hours, but the distance from the airport to downtown Hiroshima is far, and the trip takes about 4 hours in either case. Therefore, the question is which mode of transportation to take. Hiroshima, however, is also home to many fascinating specialties. Especially famous are okonomiyaki, oysters, and momiji manju, which we will introduce today.

Let me introduce them to you right away!

First, let me briefly explain about “Manju”.
Manju is an old Japanese confectionery, made of sugar and azuki beans, and wrapped in a skin kneaded with wheat or other ingredients. There are a great many varieties of manju in Japan.

I have lined up some photos, but there are a variety of repertoires, including colorful and flower-shaped ones. You can find unique buns in various tourist destinations in Japan.

The plant familiar in English-speaking countries as maple is called momiji in Japan. Momiji is a very popular plant in Japan. In Japan, it turns bright red in the autumn season. The event during this time of year when the plants change color is called “Momiji” (autumn leaves), and more and more people travel to Japan in search of colorful nature.

There is an image of Hiroshima = momiji manju, but I am not quite sure why it is called “momiji” in Hiroshima. I couldn’t find out the origin, but momiji-manju is a standard souvenir!
Let’s try it right away!

I looked into this Yamadaya.
It seems that the company was founded in 1932 and started its business by manufacturing momiji manjuu.
So there is a company that has been making just one bun for almost 100 years. It is amazing.

There is a famous souvenir called “Yatsuhashi” in Kyoto, and like it, there are many variations. The one I received had four variations.

It is hard to decide which one to eat first.

The first one I ate was the cream cheese.

When I opened it, I found a bun shaped like this. It is shaped like a maple leaf.
And when I looked inside..,

Cream cheese is served.
There is a slight sweetness to the outer crust, and the cheese inside is not strong, but has a fresh cheese flavor. Some steamed buns are intensely sweet, but Yamadaya’s momiji buns are moderately sweet and refreshing in the mouth. In Japan, this is often referred to as an “elegant taste.

With this taste, you could eat two pieces.

Next, let’s take the brown package at the bottom of the picture. This says “chocolate flavor” in Japanese. Anko and chocolate are both sweet, but the taste is completely different. It is difficult to explain in writing.

The chocolate was not crispy, but a paste-like substance. So the texture is very soft. The chocolate is not too sweet and easy to eat.

I was very happy to receive Momiji-manju, a very cute sweet, as a souvenir. I would try to buy one myself when I go to Hiroshima.

This is a very brief blog, but I would be happy if foreigners could understand the existence of Hiroshima’s specialties.