Edo Spring, Wrapped by Hand
Tokyo’s seasonal sweets often capture a moment of the year in a single bite. Chomeiji sakura-mochi is one of the oldest examples.
Its origin is traditionally traced to 1717, when Yamamoto Shinroku, living near Chomeiji Temple in present-day Sumida Ward, Tokyo, along the Sumida River, began salting cherry leaves found along the embankment and using them to wrap mochi. What began as a simple idea became a distinctive Edo confection, known for the contrast between sweet bean paste, delicate mochi, and the aroma and saltiness of the leaf.
More than three centuries later, Chomeiji sakura-mochi is still made and enjoyed in Tokyo. Its form has endured because it does something wagashi still does beautifully today: transform the season itself into flavor, texture, and memory.
[Image Source]
- Top:https://archive.library.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/da/detail?tilcod=0000000003-00007806
- Middle:photoAC
- Bottom:The National Diet Library
