"Akumaki" from Miyazaki Prefecture

Our relatives from Miyazaki brought "Akumaki," pastry made of rice
lye. It is like a soft rice-dumpling and quite nutritious with minerals. "Akumaki" wrapped in a bamboo leaf

Wintry Scene from the Afternoon Tea, Jiyugaoka

Cherry trees have lost their leaves in the wintry promenade underneath
the windows of the Afternoon Tea, Jiyugaoka. The view from the terrace
is gorgeous with cherry blossoms in Spring.

My "study" for today is this corner table on the terrace of the Afternoon
Tea. Their tea selections as well as sweets are great. I come here on week
-days when Jiyugaoka streets are only with the locals. They let us stay
as long as we want providing even a hot-water jug to refill the teapot. My
order today is "tea set," a darjeeling teapot and two choices of sweets
with a scone.

Tsuruya at Matsuya, Ginza

Cold sweet-bean soup as a desert at
Tusruya's kaiseki dinner (8th Floor,
Matsuya)

Fujiya, Ginza

Fujiya's Peko-chan is back in her summer outfit. She's ever young. Welcome back, Peko-chan!

Sweet Invitation

Guess what are these beautifully wrapped up, cozily placed plump balls? -- Yes, they are sweets. A publisher came with this package today to propose a translation project. The book is about the Early American sketches drawn by an English painter John White who accompanied Walter Raleigh (1554-1618) on his New World expedition and left many sketches of the people, flaura and fauna. The British Museum recently exhibited them and made a visually attractive book. They want me to supervise to translate the book. I happily accepted both the project and the sweets!