Amanohara is a confectionery made from bean paste molded in the shape of Mount Fuji and agar that represents the sky. It was created using the elaborate techniques of the new YUI brand developed by Ryoguchiya-Korekiyo, a venerable confectionery manufacturer established 380 years ago.

Yokan is a well-known traditional Japanese confectionery made by mixing red bean paste with sugar and agar, boiling down the mixture and pouring it into molds to solidify. Typically, yokan is rectangular in shape, very dark reddish-brown (nearly black) in color, and dense. The lustrous translucent beauty of sliced yokan arranged on a dish once made renowned writer Tanizaki Junichiro (1886–1965) praise its “meditative” quality. Its strong sweet taste perfectly complements the bitterness of green tea.

Yokan was said to be introduced to Japan around the 15th century as part of the culture of Zen Buddhism. Initially, it was prepared by kneading azuki bean paste and kuzu root starch and steaming the mixture to make mushi-yokan (“steamed yokan”). The 19th century saw the arrival of a new type of yokan made with agar, called neri-yokan, and it remains the most popular type of yokan today. A variety of yokan confectionery can be seen throughout Japan—made not only with azuki bean paste but also with white kidney bean paste, sweet potato, chestnuts, and Japanese persimmon. Yokan also comes in various forms, such as in the shape of Mt.Fuji, a unique design made with the nagashi-komi (pouring-in) technique.