One of Tokyo’s biggest shopping areas is giving you the chance to try 19 kinds of the traditional spring sweet spanning two major regional differences. Perhaps you’re on your way to visit Chiikawa Par

One of Tokyo’s biggest shopping areas is giving you the chance to try 19 kinds of the traditional spring sweet spanning two major regional differences.

Perhaps you’re on your way to visit Chiikawa Park in Tokyo’s Sunshine City shopping complex, or to stock up on the latest character goods at Animate’s flagship location just down the road. Either way, there’s a very good chance that you’ll be passing through **Ikebukuro Station **to get to your destination. In that case, on your way out, it would be super convenient to pop into Seibu Ikebukuro department store, which is directly affixed to the station. Its basement level functions as a collection of prepared food, sweets, and gift shops, where you’ll also find a sakuramochi festival going on for the next month or so.

▼ Sakuramochi Festival

Sakuramochi is a traditional Japanese confection wrapped in an edible, pickled sakura (cherry blossom) leaf. Usually consumed during sakura season and the Hinamatsuri festival on March 3, it can take many forms depending on the region of Japan as well.

13 shops in Seibu Ikebukuro’s basement food level are currently selling 19 kinds of sakuramochi as part of the festival. Enjoy sampling different variations of the pink sweet, comparing the regional styles, and deciding whether you’re part of the camp that eats the pickled sakura leaf or not. Below are several of the sample brands that you can find at the promotion.

**● **Kanto (eastern Japan) style, also nicknamed “Chomeijimochi”

The Kanto style of sakuramochi typically includes an outer crepe-like dough made from wheat flour or glutinous rice flour which is then filled with red bean paste.

Ginza Akebono’s sakuramochi 270 yen (US$1.74) / Available through April 14

Morihachi’s sakuramochi 238 yen / Available through April 5

Toraya’s sakuramochi 476 yen / Available through March 3 (goes on sale at noon each day)

Funawa’s red and white sakuramochi 195 yen / Available through March 3

Obusedo’s chestnut kanoko sakuramochi 454 yen / Available through April 7

Obusedo’s chestnut paste sakuramochi 454 yen / Available though April 7

● Kansai (western Japan) style, also nicknamed “Domyojimochi”

The Kansai style of sakuramochi uses course rice powder made from glutinous rice that results in a particular chewy texture.

Tsuruya Yoshinobu’s sakuramochi 432 yen / Available through April 15

Taneya’s spring mochi (includes sakuramochi and kusamochi, mugwort rice cakes) 1 box contains 4 sweets for 1,188 yen / Available through early April

Tsuruya Hachiman’s sakuramochi 346 yen / Available through April 10

Seikanin’s sakuramochi 249 yen / Available through March 3

Obusedo’s chestnut bean paste domyoji 454 yen / Available through April 7

Asakusa Umezono’s domyoji 297 yen / Available through April 19

Sakura season is in full swing already in Japan, with many stores and eateries offering sakura-themed goodies. Fill up on your sakura food fix everywhere from 7-Eleven to Starbucks next time you’re out and about.

Store information Seibu Ikebukuro Main Store / 西武池袋本店 Address: Tokyo-to, Toshima-ku, Minami-Ikebukuro 1-28-1 東京都豊島区南池袋 1-28-1 Open: 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Website