Mashed green soybeans are called “Zunda”, so this manju with beautiful natural green filling is called Zunda manju. It is very famous confection in Yamagata and Miyagi prefectures.

My colleague gave me this for the souvenir. It tasted very nice.
Green soybean paste is sweetened with sugar just like ordinally anko (red bean paste) though it tastes slightly lighter.

I’m always pleased with such a regional speciality!

Ingredients:Sugar, green soybean, flour…etc.

This is Hachinoya’s summer wagashi only offered in this season.
Not only it looks like a broad bean or a soybean, but it’s also made of sweetened red bean paste covered with white bean paste. (Bean lovers have got to try this.)

Beans inside a basket. So cute!

Ingredients:
Sugar, azuki-bean(red), otebo-bean(white), egg, glutinous starch syrup, butter, fresh cream, rice flour, sweet sake

Shop’s website:
Hachinoya’s homepage (Japanese)
Hachinoya’s homepage (English translated by Google)

This manju is a well-known souvenir confection of Miyajima, an island in Western Japan.
Miyajima has long been famous for its beautiful tinted autumnal leaves, and the manju was originally created as a souvenir in the Meiji period.
It is known as “Momiji-Manju” which was shaped in the image of a momiji (Japanese maple) leaf.

On top of this manju, it has a print of two deers looking at a fallen leaf.

Shop location:
1-13-12 Hikarimachi
Higashi-ku, Hiroshima 732-0052
（Other chain stores）

Shop’s website:
Nishikido’s homepage (Japanese)
Nishikido’s homepage (English)

This is Hachinoya’s special manju for Halloween.
Inside the manju is filled with pumpkin paste which tastes similar to anko.

Happy Halloween!

Shop location:
2-10-6, Jiyugaoka,
Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-0035
（Other chain stores）

Shop’s website:
Hachinoya’s homepage (Japanese)
Hachinoya’s homepage (English translated by Google)

Another usagi-manju from Kamakuragoro.

Shop location:
2-9-2, Komachi,
Kamakura-shi, Kanagawa 248-0006
（Other chain stores）

Shop’s website:
Kamakuragoro’s homepage (Japanese)
Kamakuragoro’s homepage (English translated by Google)

Manju is a baked or steamed cake stuffed with anko. Its outside is made from flour, rice powder or buckwheat.

Usagi-manju is an occasional manju served for a traditional event called Tsukimi. The word “usagi” means  “rabbit”, and the manju is shaped after the Moon rabbit.

Shop location:
5-16-15, Shinjuku,
Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0022
（Other chain stores）

Shop’s website:
Hanazono-Manju’s homepage (Japanese)
Hanazono-Manju’s homepage (English translated by Google)

Karukan is a steamed rice cake which is mixed with grated yam and whipped egg white. It is one of the famous regional souvenir sweets of Kyushu. Originally it was served without anko, but recently karukan manju (anko inside) has become popular in Japan.

Karukan cut in half.

Shop location:
6-8-14, Ishigaki Higashi,
Beppu-shi, Oita 874-0919

Shop’s website:
Oita Confectionery Industrial Association (Japanese)
Oita Confectionery Industrial Association (English translated by Google)

Fumanju is a type of manju wrapped with a bamboo leaf. Manju is usually made from flour, but fumanju is made from flour gluten instead. It’s sticky just like mochi, but more fluffy. The bamboo leaf adds fragrance to the fumanju. Just like manju, fumanju also has a filling of anko.

Fumanju cut in half.

Shop location:
5-8-1, Nakazato,
Kiyose-shi, Tokyo 204-0003
（Other chain stores）

Shop’s website:
Shinkine’s homepage (Japanese)
Shinkine’s homepage (English translated by Google)

Manju is a baked or steamed cake stuffed with anko. Its outside is made from flour, rice powder or buckwheat.
Kuri-manju is a manju filled with shiro-an(white bean paste) and chopped chestnuts.

Shop location:
3-26-13, Shinjuku,
Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0022
（Other chain stores）

Shop’s website:
Nakamuraya’s homepage (Japanese)
Nakamuraya’s homepage (English translated by Google)