Sweets are supposed to be fun to eat, and maybe that is why they come in so many shapes all around the world, all nice to look at. It could be, though, that Japan has more cute-looking sweets than anywhere else, with so many ways to please to the eye.

Japanese cuisine respects the importance of the visual presentation. Ingredients cut into artistic shapes, food arranged just so on plates and dishes, dinnerware chosen for its charm... Every care is taken to ensure beauty at the dinner table, and that spirit certainly carries over to confections as well. Unbaked or dried confections, shaped into works of art reminding us of plants and animals in nature—these are well known, but there are also many everyday confections whose shapes and colors show the importance of flair.

Charming and heartwarming—this describes dango balls, often arranged two to a skewer. The recipe calls for rice flour to be kneaded, rolled into balls, then steamed. The serving suggestion is a coating of sweet bean paste or a drizzle flavored with soy sauce. Dango have been around for centuries, often as offerings at Buddhist ceremonies or a sign of festivities. Beginning in medieval times they made their appearance at stalls along the old post roads, and in tea houses within the sacred ground of shrines. When speared onto bamboo skewers, dango make a great take-out snack, and even today people enjoy them while out on a walk.

Monaka treats, which come in so many shapes to represent all kinds of things, are bean paste sandwiched between two thin, grilled mochi biscuits. They are found throughout the country. In Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, they are a traditional sweet for festive times, but instead of the bean paste, a small sugar confection or clay figurine hides inside, something fun to discover and, during the New Year holidays, perhaps a hint about your future(photo).

Senbei rice crackers are made from rice or wheat flour, kneaded, rolled thin, and finally grilled. They are great as shapes representing beautiful features in nature or a special product of a particular part of the country. See if you can find Mount Fuji rendered in the cute senbei medium in these pages. The mountain is on the World Heritage List(photo).

And then there are brightly colored pop candies. Candies in Japan offer moments of visual pleasure, too, and perhaps the most notable are the ones made from multi-colored bands of sweet stuff, rolled together into sticks. No matter where you cut across the stick, the image or kanji character revealed by your knife will be the same. These candies are called kiri-ame, and they have been sold for the enjoyment of children since the 18th century at fairs and festivals. Even today they have a special warm-hearted appearance, something impossible to achieve with today's mass production methods. Their popularity remains strong, especially as a simple gift.

Snacks shaped with a humorous touch to look like sea creatures, "mushrooms" with chocolate caps, cakes decorated with frills and flounces... Phantasies and flights of fancy come to life as confections, and the spirit that guides these transformations lives on, to the delight of children and adults alike.

From left:
Kumamoto Prefecture’s mascot is called Kuma-mon. Inside the package with the cute bear (kuma in Japanese) are bite-size chocolates. (Ikinari Dango, by Tirol-Choco Co., Ltd.)
The mushroom cap is chocolate, the stalk is a biscuit. (Kinoko no Yama, by Meiji Co., Ltd.)
This cookie "blossom" is made from wheat flour and buckwheat flour, giving it a simple flavor.
Cute monaka in the shapes of folk handicrafts. (Kaga Hachiman Okiagari Monaka, by Kanazawa Urata)

From left:
Small snack crackers shaped like sea creatures. (Ottotto, by Morinaga & Co., Ltd.)
A bamboo shoot appearing out of the ground? No, it is a cookie with a chocolate covered top. (Takenoko no Sato, by Meiji Co., Ltd.)
Red and white, decorated with frills and flounces. Shortcake is the best loved cake in Japan.
Confection made with red bean flour into the shape of a fox’s face. Traditional sweet from Yamagata Prefecture. (Kitsune Men, by Umezu Kashi-ten)

From left:
Strawberry flavored candy with crisp milk candy inside. (Ichigo Miruku, by Sakuma Confectionery Co., Ltd.)
A chocolate aspiring to be a space capsule. (Apollo, by Meiji Co., Ltd.)
Sugar confection calling to mind wisteria blossoms. (Todango, by Kiyome Mochi Sohonke)
This koala bear biscuit is hiding a treat inside—chocolate! (Koala no March, by Lotte Co., Ltd.)

Monaka shell formed to look like small mallets and rice straw bales. Inside are sugary confections with shapes like sea bream (a fish for festive occasions) and cute clay figurines. A big item for the New Year holidays, because they are said to bring good luck. (Futtoku Senbei, by Moroe-ya Confectionery)