This pastry looks like a macaroon, but it's a Japanese confectionary"Monaka".

Monaka is a sweet bean jam wrapped with thin rice cake wafers.
The wafers are made by pounding rice, making it thin, and baking it in a mold.

The filling is made of sugar, kidney beans, syrup, agar-agar, as well as cherry blossom, orange, yuzu, and green tea for each flavor.

Contains no wheat, eggs, dairy products, or gelatin.Great for vegans too!

However, the shelf life is 7 days from the date of manufacture. Please be aware of this.

Cherry blossoms, which bloom in spring in Japan, started blooming as early as January in Atami.

As of February 15, the early blooming Atamizakura cherry trees are past their prime.

The plum blossoms at the Atami Plum Orchard are blooming very nicely.
It was cold this year, so the plum blossoms can be enjoyed until mid-March.

The plum trees in this garden are planted deliberately in such steps so that they bloom at different time phases - early, middle and late - so that visitors can enjoy plum flowers longer during the Plum Blossom Festival.
During your visit, you may find trees either not yet in bloom or had passed the blooming phase and wonder, “when is the best time for viewing plum blossoms?”

Most plum trees are middle blooming types; thus, the best plum-blossom viewing is from late January to early February.

Still, unlike cherry blossoms, you cannot expect to view full-bloomed plum trees in endless stretches: so don’t be disappointed!

Most cherry blossoms in Japan can be seen from late March through April.
But since you've come to Japan, don't you want to see cherry blossoms in January and February as well?
Actually, there is a place where you can see cherry blossoms even in January and February.
It is Atami. It takes only one hour from Tokyo by Shinkansen.

It is not as famous as Tokyo or Osaka, but it is very famous among Japanese people, and is a popular tourist destination visited by more than 3 million people a year.
Why is it so popular?

It is because of its mild climate, hot springs, ocean, and seafood.
Atami has early-blooming cherry blossoms called "Atami cherry blossoms".

These early blooming cherry trees can be seen from mid-January. The cherry blossom festival is held from mid to late January every year. Plum blossoms also bloom at this time, so you can be the first in the country (even if you don't go to Okinawa!)

You can see plum and cherry blossoms together.
It is nice to enjoy the hot springs while feeling the early arrival of spring.

Atami is a must-see destination for Japanese people who love hot springs.

The early-blooming plum trees have bloomed at the Atami Plum Orchard.
These plum trees are called "winter solstice plum" and bloom in mid-December every year.

This tree is the only variety that blooms very early.
Due to the large difference in temperature this year, the flowers bloomed earlier than usual.
Even though the leaves at the Atami Plum Orchard are just beginning to change color!

To get to the Atami Plum Garden, I recommend taking a cab or bus from Atami Station. If you go on foot, it takes 20 to 30 minutes.
The "Atami Plum Garden Maple Blossom Festival" starts on November 13. It will be lit up at night.
Admission to the park is free. Please come and visit us. Our store will be open on a limited basis from November 13.

However, there are only a few plum  in bloom at the Atami Plum Orchard right now. Most of them are in bloom from mid-January to mid-February.