Sakura-mochi is a popular Japanese confection that appears at the shops only this time of year. It is expressive of cherry blossoms, and the leaf wrapping around the rice cake is a real salted cherry leaf.
The savor of cherry leaf evokes a cherry blossoms season that is still several months away in Hokkaido. It is interesting that Sakuramochi disappears from the storefronts by the time when cherry blossoms bloom.
The other photo is Uguisu-mochi expressing uguisu or Japanese bush warbler which is also known as a symbol of heralding spring in Japan.
