I got a lovely souvenir from my colleague who has been back to his home town during the new year holiday.

Monaka is a Japanese sweet made of red bean filling sandwiched between two thin crisp wafers made from rice flour. As for the filling, sesame seed, chestnuts or rice cake are also popular. Monaka come in various shapes such as circle, square, triangle, flower, or animal.

In Japan, 2011 is the year of rabbit in Twelve Earthly Branches of the sexagenary cycle.
It’s a popular custom that people decorate things with animal of the year for celebration.

I’m really having fun to see so many cute things decorated with rabbits in this season

Ingredients:
Sugar, syrup, red bean, rice flour, ager

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

Monaka is a Japanese sweet made of azuki bean filling sandwiched between two thin crisp wafers made from rice flour.
As for the filling, sesame seed, chestnuts or rice cake are also popular. Monaka come in various shapes such as circle, square, triangle, or flower.

The filling of monaka in the photo:
(left) red azuki bean paste
(right) white azuki bean paste & sweetened chestnuts

Shop location:
1-23, Hongocho,Naka-ku
Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa 231-0843

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