A Japanese-style confection store, "Okinaya". Its English name would be "Old man's store".
This Japanese cake is called "Kisewata", or a sweet capped with cotton.
Green tea goes well with any Japanese cake. A spoonful of it is enough for a few cups.
You should put it in a pot like this and pour some hot water in it.
It has some bean paste inside. We sometimes have it with a toothpick.Have you ever had a Japanese cake? I've been to foreign countries a few times, but didn't have enough time to see if it was sold. I think western-styled cakes are more common than Japanese ones among young people in Japan, and there are several shops that sell the former in my city. And on a special occasion like Mother's Day, people line up before such shops to get their hands on sweets.
But if I were to welcome a foreign friend to my home, should I treat him to a chocolate cake? I don't think so, instead I have to be beforehand familiar with which shop sells good Japanese-styled cakes. And this shop, called "Okinaya", is renowned for the quality of the Japanese-styled cakes among people living in my city.
I'm not sure if foreign people would enjoy the taste of Japanese cakes as they don't have a strong flavor like an apple pie. But if the purpose of their trip to Japan is to see what our culture is like, a raspberry pie wouldn't fulfill it.
