All About Japan

8 Japanese Sweets Too Beautiful to Eat!

Sweets Souvenirs Historical Shops

Japanese sweets can be designed with such beauty and refinement that you might call them little sculptures! You can buy and eat them immediately of course, but you might almost want to put them on display instead! Let's take a look at these eight Japanese sweets so gorgeous they might make you forget they're food!

8. Temari

8. Temari

http://www.temari.info/#id1

The sphere-shaped dessert known as a Temari was created by the store of the same name. The bright colors show how the makers have really put effort in their creation! It's so pretty you couldn't even touch it with your tongue!

- www.temari.info (Japanese)

7. Dried Fruit Yokan

7. Dried Fruit Yokan

http://wagashi-asobi.com/images/bg_03.jpg

This yokan, or red bean jelly, is from confectioner Wagashi Asobi. Made with red beans from Hokkaido and dried fruit, when you cut it in half, you can see the lovely pattern on the surface, which seems almost like a traditional Japanese painting.

- wagashi-asobi.com (Japanese)

6. Wave Jelly

6. Wave Jelly

http://sociorocketnewsen.files.wordpress.com/2014/06/summersweets22.jpg?w=580&h=358

Blue and white layers of beautifully separated jelly form a wave that's perfect just put on your shelf. How can you possibly put it in your mouth?

- www.toraya-group.co.jp (Japanese)

5. Sakura Candy

5. Sakura Candy

http://www.weikou.org/images/http://mmbiz.qpic.cn/mmbiz/gOzqhCSzMrSay87ibJTTbVIFIKQrQOPHXzagoicCnD9k59mUTpvonnTTKJibpqDXGgQuaLToN8BNRiaan9qNw9cLhA/0?wx_fmt=png

No, this isn't glass. It could make you forget that once you put it in your mouth it will disappear in few seconds. Kyoto's Murasakino-gensui is clearly staffed by world-class sugar artisans.

- tabelog.com (Japanese)

4. Goldfish Jelly

4. Goldfish Jelly

http://kyoto-wagasi.com/img_2009/toraya-kingyo%20%283%29.JPG

This clear jelly block has a candy goldfish swimming inside. This looks beautiful and delicious, but who would dare use a fork to cut this gorgeous creature?

3. Sky & Cloud Jelly

3. Sky & Cloud Jelly

http://mag.japaaan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/i_p06-2.jpg

This cloud-and-sky jelly, officially known as Kumo no Mine (Peak of a Cloud), from the venerable Toroya will make you think of a clear, fine day. If anything, it looks more like a glass cabinet than a dessert!

2. Wasanbon Candies

2. Wasanbon Candies

http://mag.japaaan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/15_31-590x290.jpg

Wasanbon is a fine-grained form of Japanese sugar, and a sugar mixture is pressed into a wooden mold to give these sweets their distinctive shapes. It would sure be a waste to put these works of art in your mouth!

- www.eirakuya.co.jp (Japanese)

1. Milky Way Jelly

1. Milky Way Jelly

http://cdn.macaro-ni.jp/image/summary_body/3/3548/071f3a55cfef2c99f44533e2edb6bee1.jpg

Take your whole day to stare at this piece of art. The delicate shading on this red bean sweet forms the Milky Way, with a twinkling little star and a starry night sky right inside the jelly.