1. Tsuruoka's Hinamatsuri

・Tsuruoka, a castle town ruled by the Sakai family

Tsuruoka was a castle town ruled by the Sakai family, and 2022 marks 400 years since the Sakai family established themselves in Shonai.

The 19th head of the family still lives here, and the town is also known as a place where lords live.

Even today, Tsuruoka still retains many items that tell the story of the prosperity of that time.

Among them are gorgeous Hina dolls and Hina accessories.

Hina dolls, which were brought from Edo by sankin-kotai (alternate attendance) and from Kyoto and Osaka by Kitamae-bune (breeding ships), are still treasured and passed down in old families such as the Sakai family.

During the annual Tsuruoka Hina Doll Festival, the dolls are open to the public at facilities including the Chido Museum.

・Hina sweets from Tsuruoka

Also known as “Peach Festival,” Hinamatsuri is an annual event that is held to wish happiness for girls and ward off evil spirits.

Even today, people celebrate by displaying Hina dolls, and one of the essential items in these decorations is “hina sweets.”

Throughout the country, it is common to offer hishimochi (diamond-shaped rice cakes), hina arare (rice crackers), kusamochi (kusamochi), and sakuramochi (cherry rice cakes).

However, Tsuruoka’s Hina sweets are a little different.

Tsuruoka’s Hina sweets are “jo-namagashi” (high-grade fresh confections) that are imbued with various wishes.

Why did Jo-namagashi come to be displayed?

In the past, there was a culture in Tsuruoka to display gorgeous Hina dolls on Hinamatsuri and show them to many people to show off one’s family background and economic power.

At that time, these Hina sweets were displayed together with the Hina dolls.

It was also a great opportunity for the confectioners to show off their skills to a large audience.

It is said that confectioners therefore honed their skills by creating unique Hina sweets in response to the tastes of customers who came to buy them.

In the past, in addition to high-quality fresh confections, dried confections that could be preserved were also made for decorative purposes, but now high-quality fresh confections have become mainstream.

And that culture continues to this day.

Currently, Hina sweets are made at nine sweets shops.

During the Tsuruoka Hina Doll Festival, we also hold hands-on Hina doll making classes, helping to spread the culture of Hina dolls to many people.

2. The meaning behind Hina sweets

In winter, Tsuruoka City experiences heavy snow and bitter cold.

However, as the Hinamatsuri approaches, the cold weather gradually eases, so it is said that the arrival of spring is represented through Hina sweets.

Strawberries with their distinctive seed patterns, bamboo shoots with the scent of cinnamon, which is said to wish for the growth of children, plump turnips, downy peaches, and Shonai specialties such as Shonai persimmons and Tamita eggplants. Hina sweets shaped like fruits, vegetables, and auspicious objects add color to the Hinamatsuri in Snow Country, as people eagerly await the arrival of spring.

If you look closely at Kimuraya’s Hina sweets, you will see that they contain something that looks like a fillet of fish.

This is Sakura trout.

In fact, this is also one of the Hina sweets that represents spring.

It is said that the meaning behind the name is “getting healthier and healthier,” but it could also be that the sweets are meant to convey the feeling of excitement and anticipation of the arrival of spring, in reference to the sakura trout that come up the rivers from the sea to spawn in the spring.

Other lucky charms include the peach, which is associated with the Peach Festival, the bamboo shoot, which represents the wish for growth, and the sea bream, which represents celebration.

There are various theories about the origin, but each sweet has its own meaning.

In addition, fruits such as apples, strawberries, and cherries, as well as local specialties of Yamagata and Tsuruoka such as Moso bamboo shoots and Atsumi turnips are scattered throughout the park.

Ohinagashi can be considered a work of art that is filled with the skill and playfulness of the artisan.

With their rounded shapes and adorable appearance, it almost seems a shame to eat them.

3. Kimuraya's Hinamatsuri sweets

Now let’s take a look at how it’s actually made.

This time, we visited Kimuraya, a confectionery shop founded in 1887, where we were shown how Hinamatsuri sweets are made.

As the day of the interview was the day before the sale of the Hinamatsuri sweets, they had been preparing since 6am.

In the kitchen, the nerikiri were being shaped, decorated, and boxed.

[Step 1] Make the nerikiri

This is the process of making mandarin orange nerikiri paste.

Brightly colored nerikiri cakes with gyuhi (rice cake) kneaded into them are layered on top of koshian paste.

Gyuhi is made by adding starch syrup, water, and sugar to glutinous rice or rice flour, and adding it to nerikiri makes the dough less hard and easier to shape.

What surprised me as I watched the craftsmen at work was how fluid their hands were!

The decorations, which pay attention to detail such as the texture of the granulated mandarin peel and the design where the bunches of mandarins are hidden, are completed in a short amount of time.

It was so vivid to see!

[Step 2] Pour in the agar

The next step is to pour melted agar over the finished nerikiri.

This photo shows agar being poured over strawberry jelly.

The grainy texture of the strawberries and the vibrant red color really stand out.

Adding agar will give it an even shinier and glossier finish!

In addition, adding agar makes the food melt in your mouth and gives it a softer texture.

The natural gradation is very beautiful.

[Step 3] Decoration

The cherries, apples, and strawberries are decorated in even more detail by adding branches and stems.

The amazing teamwork and the craftsmen’s delicate work will take your breath away.

[Process 4] Packing

The next thing we saw was the packing process.

The finished Hina sweets are packed into boxes decorated with hemp leaf patterns.

As hemp leaves have strong vitality and grow straight, they are said to represent the wish for children to grow up healthy.

[ Finish ]

These are the finished Hinamatsuri sweets, each one carefully crafted.

A variety of Hinamatsuri sweets that are both elegant and gorgeous in appearance!

Since Hinamatsuri was originally an event for children, it was intentionally made to retain a cute feel.

It’s amazing that not only are they exquisitely beautiful, but all of these “jo-namagashi” are also delicious to eat!

Kimuraya currently sells four types of Hina sweets (large, medium, small, and pack), and they were so popular last year that all 5,600 boxes were sold out.

In Tsuruoka city, Hinamatsuri is celebrated every year on April 3rd, so you can enjoy Hina sweets even after March.

Since there is a possibility that they may sell out, it is best to reserve between the end of January and mid-February for Hinamatsuri on March 3rd, and by mid-March for Hinamatsuri on April 3rd!

The final production run of this year (2023) will be available over the counter on April 1st, and sales will end once they are sold out.

It seems that it can be purchased not only over the counter but also online, so if you’re interested, be sure to check it out.

4. Various Hina sweets

In addition to the high-quality confections we have introduced this time, there are many other types of Hina sweets.

There was also a Hinamatsuri sweets corner at the Kimuraya Factory Store where we visited.

These are Hina Senbei and dried sweets that are just the right size to take as gifts.

The pale colors are so pretty!

There were also sweets shaped like Hina dolls and sweets with cherry blossom petal motifs.

There were many sweets in gentle colors that made you feel the arrival of spring, making you feel bright and warm!

5. Summary

This time we visited the Kimuraya Factory Store and learned about the history and process of making Hinamatsuri sweets.

The familiar and colorful Hinamatsuri sweets had an artistic quality and refined beauty that made me stare in amazement.

Furthermore, as I learned more about the history of Ohinagashi, what struck me most during this interview was that they are the result of the skills of artisans and that they are sweets filled with much more appeal than I had expected.

When asked, “How would you like people to enjoy Hina sweets?” Kimuraya’s president, Yoshino-san, responded:

“Please decorate the shelves with hinamatsuri sweets and enjoy the delicious looking and eating treats!”

He said with a smile.

Traditional Tsuruoka high-quality confections made with great care.

Why not try it for yourself?

6. Parking Lot

The Kimuraya Factory Store that we visited this time has a parking lot in front of the shop.

There was snow at the time of our visit, but there was apparently parking space for about 32 cars.

There is a Kimuraya shop within walking distance of Tsuruoka Station, so be sure to stop by if you come by car or train.