Sweets maker Funabashiya celebrates 220 years at popular Tokyo shrine’s Wisteria Festival

Enjoy limited-edition sweet treats from a master wagashi maker directly under the wisteria flowers at Kameido Tenjin Shrine in April.

Japanese traditional confectioner Funabashiya will celebrate 220 years in business this April by setting up a limited-time shop in the area where it was originally founded: Tokyo’s Kameido Tenjin Shrine. The brand’s trademark wagashi (traditional Japanese sweet) is its famous kuzu-mochi, which involves a unique and very long production process that hasn’t changed over the centuries.

▼ A Funabashiya storefront

The history of Funabashiya is inextricably intertwined with that of Kameido Tenjin, as the company was originally created on the shrine’s grounds in 1805. Its founder hailed from Funabashi, located in present-day Chiba Prefecture, which at the time was known for its high-quality wheat. While visiting the shrine, the founder realized that the grounds were bustling with crowds during the peak plum and wisteria flower-viewing seasons. He subsequently moved to Tokyo, made confectioneries such as mochi, and sold them on the shrine grounds. The rest is, well, history right up until the present.

▼ A snapshot of the past under the shrine’s wisteria

Today, Kameido Tenjin is still known as a premier viewing place for wisteria blossoms, which is why the shrine holds an annual Wisteria Festival around the peak flowering time. This year’s festival will take place between April 5 and April 30, with Funabashiya’s pop-up shop available for a tiny bit longer until May 6. Why not enjoy some sweets under the wisteria the way they were originally intended?

▼ Kameido Tenjin cultivates more than 50 wisteria vines, which makes for an impressive cascade of petals when they’re in full bloom.

▼ The flowers are illuminated at night, creating an ethereal atmosphere with the nearby Tokyo Skytree rising in the background.

The following is a sampling of the items that Funabashiya’s pop-up store will offer throughout the Wisteria Festival.

Tenjin Wisteria Anmitsu (650 yen [US$4.33])
Available at Kameido Tenjin Shrine from April 5-30

Anmitsu is a beloved traditional Japanese sweet consisting of small cubes of agar jelly garnished with sides such as anko sweet bean paste, shiratama dango dumplings, small fruit slices, and a sweet syrup topping. This festival-exclusive version includes grape-flavored agar cubes and aya-murasaki sweet potato paste, all in gorgeous, pinkish purple hues to match the wisteria. The dish comes with a refreshing white syrup to drizzle over the top as you like.

Kuzu-mochi (starting at 6 pieces for 500 yen, up to 60 pieces for 1,650 yen)
Available at Kameido Tenjin Shrine from April 5-May 6

Of course Funabashiya’s signature product has to make an appearance! This kuzu-mochi is made from wheat starch fermented for 450 days and steamed. It has a slight fragrance and acidity in addition to its trademark elasticity. The dish is perfected with toppings of kuromitsu (sweet brown syrup) and kinako (soybean flour) powder.

Drinkable kuzu-mochi lactic acid bacteria (150-gram [5.3-ounce] bottle for 375 yen or 520-gram bottle for 1,300 yen)
Available at Kameido Tenjin Shrine from April 5-May 6

Cultivated in the kuzu-mochi’s fermentation tank, this natural, plant-based drink is bursting with healthy lactic acid bacteria. Its only ingredients are rice, water, and kuzu-mochi lactic acid bacteria, with absolutely zero sugar or other additives. It’s a delicious cloudy drink that even people with milk allergies can enjoy.

Thought often overshadowed by the cherry blossoms in Japan, wisteria flowers add just as much beauty to the springtime as anything else. Check out this other place a bit to the north of Tokyo that always celebrates the cascading vines of purple.

Festival information
Kameido Tenjin Shrine Wisteria Festival / 亀戸天神社 藤まつり
Address: Tokyo-to, Koto-ku, Kameido 3-6-1
東京都江東区亀戸 3-6-1
Duration: April 5-April 30
Website

Source, images: PR Times
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