Miyagegashi facts for kids

A delicious Japanese souvenir sweet.

Miyagegashi (say "mee-yah-geh-gah-shee") are special Japanese sweets. The word means "souvenir sweet." These treats are made to be sold as gifts for people to take home after visiting a place. Think of them like edible souvenirs!

Just like many other Japanese souvenirs, miyagegashi are usually a "meibutsu" (say "may-boo-tsoo"). This means they are a regional specialty. You often can't buy them anywhere else except in the specific area they come from. Making and selling these unique sweets is a big part of Japan's souvenir industry.

Popular Souvenir Sweets Across Japan

Japan has many different kinds of miyagegashi, with each region having its own special treats. Here are some famous ones:

Sweets You Can Find Everywhere

• Japanese cheesecake: A light and fluffy cheesecake that is popular all over Japan.

Regional Specialties

Fukuoka Prefecture

• Hakata no Hito: A rolled pastry that has sweet red bean paste inside.
• Hakata torimon
• Hiyoko

Fukushima Prefecture

• Awa manju
• Mamador

Hiroshima

• Momiji manjū: These are maple leaf-shaped cakes, often filled with sweet red bean paste.

Hokkaido

• Shiroi Koibito: This means "White Lover." It's a delicious cookie sandwich with white chocolate in the middle.
• Royce'

Hyōgo Prefecture

• Castella (カステラ, Kasutera): This is a type of sponge cake made from sugar, flour, eggs, and starch syrup. Portuguese merchants brought Castella to Japan in the 1500s. Its name comes from the Portuguese words for "bread from Castile." Castella cake is usually sold in long boxes.
• Fugetsudo
• Shiome manju: A sweet from Akō.

Kumamoto

• Ikinari dango

Kyoto

• Yatsuhashi (八ツ橋 or 八橋): This is one of Kyoto's most famous sweets. It's made from special rice flour, sugar, and cinnamon.
  • When baked, it's crunchy, like a senbei cracker.
  • There's also a soft, unbaked version called Nama yatsuhashi. This one feels like mochi (a chewy rice cake). It's often wrapped around sweet red bean paste (餡, an) and comes in many different flavors.

Nagoya

• Uirō

Okinawa

• Chinsuko (ちんすこう/金楚糕, Chinsukō): These are traditional small biscuits. They are mostly made from lard and flour. They have a mild, sweet taste, very similar to shortbread cookies.

Tokyo

• Tokyo Banana (東京ばな奈): This popular sweet is a steamed sponge cake shaped like a banana. It's filled with a sweet banana custard. Tokyo Banana first went on sale in 1991 and is a huge hit as a souvenir.