The Atlas · Japan's Second-Sweetest Craft

Japanese Desserts & Sweets

71 of Japan's 403 ranked dishes are sweets, a whole grammar of red bean, rice and jelly. By our raters the best is Momiji manjū, the maple-leaf cake of Miyajima, Nº 1,160 worldwide.

71 dishes ranked·17.6% of the cuisine·1,499 diner ratings·Top rank Nº 1,160

Japan's dessert case is not built on butter and cream but on beans, rice and agar. 71 of its ranked dishes are sweets, 17.6 percent of the whole cuisine, and most belong to wagashi, the old confectionery of the tea room: mochi pounded soft, anko simmered from azuki, kuzu set into near-clear jelly. Sugar arrived late here, so restraint is the house style.

By our raters the best is momiji manjū, the red-bean cake pressed in a maple leaf, at Nº 1,160 worldwide, just ahead of the griddle-round imagawayaki and the dry, pressed higashi of the tea ceremony. Fame runs elsewhere entirely: the most-reviewed Japanese sweet is taiyaki, the fish-shaped cake, with 113 ratings against the leader's handful. Read them below: the signature sweets, by region, or the complete list of all 71.

The Signature Sweets

Twelve signature sweets in rank order, four told in full, then eight more from the wagashi counter.

Momiji manjū, dessert from Japan
Plate IDessert · Itsukushima Island

1Nº 1,160 worldwide

Momiji manjū

Dessert · Itsukushima Island

The best-rated Japanese sweet on our ledger, born on the island of Miyajima. A honeyed wheat batter is pressed into a maple-leaf mold around red bean paste, a nod to the crimson foliage of nearby Momijidani; modern versions swap in custard, matcha or chocolate.

★ 4.0|9 ratings

Imagawayaki, dessert from Japan

2ImagawayakiNº 1,459

Dessert · Japan

A round, thick griddle-cake cooked in a special pan until the egg batter forms a crisp shell around a soft, sweetened red bean center. Dating to Edo-era Japan and sold under a dozen regional names, it is the disc-shaped cousin of the fish-shaped taiyaki.

★ 3.9|7 ratings

Higashi, dessert from Japan

3HigashiNº 1,460

Dessert · Japan

The dry sweet of the tea ceremony: barely any moisture, mostly sugar and rice flour, pressed in carved wooden molds into flowers, leaves and seasonal shapes. Part of the wagashi tradition, the finest grade uses wasanbon, Japan's prized fine-grained sugar, and keeps almost indefinitely.

★ 3.9|7 ratings

Amanattō, dessert from Japan

4AmanattōNº 1,884

Dessert · Tokyo

A Tokyo confection of whole azuki or soybeans simmered slowly in sugar syrup, then dried and dusted with more sugar until candied through. Invented in the early Meiji years once refined sugar reached Japan, it is chewy, deeply sweet, and often paired with green tea.

★ 3.9|5 ratings

  1. Zunda mochi, dessert from Japan5

    Zunda mochi

    Nº 1,899

    Dessert · Sendai★ 3.9

  2. Mizu manjū, dessert from Japan6

    Mizu manjū

    Nº 2,197

    Dessert · Japan★ 3.8

  3. Mizu yokan, dessert from Japan7

    Mizu yokan

    Nº 2,198

    Dessert · Japan★ 3.8

  4. Taiyaki, dessert from Japan8

    Taiyaki

    Nº 2,345

    Dessert · Tokyo★ 3.8

  5. Ikinari dango, dessert from Japan9

    Ikinari dango

    Nº 2,633

    Dessert · Kumamoto Prefecture★ 3.8

  6. Japanese Cheesecake, cheese dessert from Japan10

    Japanese Cheesecake

    Nº 2,898

    Cheese Dessert · Japan★ 3.8

  7. Botamochi, dessert from Japan11

    Botamochi

    Nº 3,126

    Dessert · Japan★ 3.8

  8. Nerikiri, dessert from Japan12

    Nerikiri

    Nº 3,128

    Dessert · Japan★ 3.8

The Gazetteer

Where Japan's sweets are made

The regions of Japan with the deepest confectionery traditions. Choose one to filter the complete ledger below.

Placed dishes only · top 6 regions

  7. Another 42 ranked dishes are logged simply as pan-Japanese, with no single regional home.

The Complete Ledger

All 71 Japanese desserts & sweets in the world ranking, every entry.

71 entries
  1. 1,160 Momiji manjū Dessert Itsukushima Island ★ 4.0
  2. 1,459 Imagawayaki Dessert Japan ★ 3.9
  3. 1,460 Higashi Dessert Japan ★ 3.9
  4. 1,884 Amanattō Dessert Tokyo ★ 3.9
  5. 1,899 Zunda mochi Dessert Sendai ★ 3.9
  6. 2,197 Mizu manjū Dessert Japan ★ 3.8
  7. 2,198 Mizu yokan Dessert Japan ★ 3.8
  8. 2,345 Taiyaki Dessert Tokyo ★ 3.8
  9. 2,633 Ikinari dango Dessert Kumamoto Prefecture ★ 3.8
  10. 2,898 Japanese Cheesecake Cheese Dessert Japan ★ 3.8
  11. 3,126 Botamochi Dessert Japan ★ 3.8
  12. 3,128 Nerikiri Dessert Japan ★ 3.8
  13. 3,137 Coffee daifuku Dessert Japan ★ 3.8
  14. 3,409 Kuzumochi Dessert Japan ★ 3.8
  15. 3,456 Hanami dango Dessert Japan ★ 3.8
  16. 3,722 Akafuku Dessert Mie Prefecture ★ 3.7
  17. 3,723 Kamome no tamago Dessert Iwate Prefecture ★ 3.7
  18. 3,724 Kurumi mochi Dessert Iwate Prefecture ★ 3.7
  19. 3,967 Karukan Sweet Bread Kagoshima Prefecture ★ 3.7
  20. 4,115 Mitsumame Dessert Japan ★ 3.7
  21. 4,307 Goma dango Dessert Japan ★ 3.7
  22. 4,316 Yōkan Dessert Japan ★ 3.7
  23. 4,431 Warabimochi Dessert Kansai Region ★ 3.7
  24. 4,552 Gyūhi Dessert Japan ★ 3.7
  25. 4,870 Ichigo daifuku Dessert Japan ★ 3.7
  26. 4,920 Neri yokan Dessert Japan ★ 3.7
  27. 5,046 Kasutera Cake Nagasaki ★ 3.7
  28. 5,111 Sakuramochi Dessert Tokyo ★ 3.6
  29. 5,160 Shio daifuku Dessert Japan ★ 3.6
  30. 5,206 Kagami mochi Dessert Japan ★ 3.6
  31. 5,267 Namagashi Dessert Japan ★ 3.6
  32. 5,333 Anmitsu Dessert Japan ★ 3.6
  33. 5,349 Daifuku Dessert Japan ★ 3.6
  34. 5,393 Soba boro Cookie Kyoto Prefecture ★ 3.6
  35. 5,394 Kininaru ringo Dessert Hirosaki ★ 3.6
  36. 5,657 Uirō Dessert Aichi Prefecture ★ 3.6
  37. 6,001 Bocchan dango Dessert Matsuyama ★ 3.6
  38. 6,060 Hishi mochi Dessert Japan ★ 3.6
  39. 6,113 Mitarashi dango Dessert Kyoto ★ 3.6
  40. 6,311 Tsukisamu anpan Dessert Sapporo ★ 3.5
  41. 6,432 Wagashi Dessert Japan ★ 3.5
  42. 6,473 Habutae mochi Dessert Fukui Prefecture ★ 3.5
  43. 6,503 Mushi pan Dessert Japan ★ 3.5
  44. 6,588 Kusa mochi Dessert Japan ★ 3.5
  45. 6,643 Rakugan Dessert Japan ★ 3.5
  46. 6,680 Kibi dango Dessert Okayama Prefecture ★ 3.5
  47. 6,765 Kashiwa-mochi Dessert Japan ★ 3.5
  48. 6,892 Konpeitō Dessert Japan ★ 3.5
  49. 7,158 Melonpan Sweet Bread Japan ★ 3.4
  50. 7,243 Kinako mochi Dessert Japan ★ 3.4
  51. 7,258 Yatsuhashi Dessert Kyoto ★ 3.4
  52. 7,306 Kakigōri Frozen Dessert Japan ★ 3.4
  53. 7,586 Mochi Dessert Japan ★ 3.3
  54. 7,607 Mame daifuku Dessert Tokyo ★ 3.3
  55. 7,798 Anpan Sweet Pastry Tokyo ★ 3.3
  56. 8,056 Monaka Dessert Japan ★ 3.2
  57. 8,079 Dorayaki Dessert Japan ★ 3.2
  58. 8,148 Manjū Dessert Japan ★ 3.2
  59. 8,303 Dango Dessert Japan ★ 3.1
  60. 8,596 Wakakusa Dessert Matsue ★ 0.0
  61. 8,599 Uroko dango Dessert Fukagawa ★ 0.0
  62. 8,664 Okoshi Dessert Tokyo ★ 2.7
  63. 9,561 M Matcha parfait (Matcha pafe) Frozen Dessert Japan ★ 0.0
  64. 9,585 Sasa dango Dessert Niigata Prefecture ★ 0.0
  65. 9,586 Hanabiramochi Dessert Japan ★ 0.0
  66. 9,587 Kingyoku Dessert Japan ★ 0.0
  67. 9,588 G Goshiki-ito Dessert Japan ★ 0.0
  68. 9,589 D Denpun dango Dessert Hokkaido Region ★ 0.0
  69. 9,617 U Ume daifuku Dessert Japan ★ 0.0
  70. 9,618 P Purin daifuku Dessert Japan ★ 0.0
  71. 9,900 Akumaki Dessert Kyushu Region ★ 0.0

Questions, Answered

Japanese desserts & sweets, frequently asked, answered from 1,499 ratings.

What is the best Japanese dessert?
By our diners' ratings it's momiji manjū, the maple-leaf sweet cake of Miyajima filled with red bean paste, at Nº 1,160 worldwide. Behind it come the round griddle-cake imagawayaki, the dry pressed tea sweet higashi, and Tokyo's sugar-glazed bean confection amanattō.
What are Japanese sweets actually made of?
Mostly beans and rice, not butter and cream. Most of Japan's 71 ranked sweets are wagashi: mochi pounded from glutinous rice, anko paste simmered from azuki beans, and kuzu or agar set into jelly, as in the near-clear mizu manjū. They are far less sweet than a Western dessert.
What is the most famous Japanese dessert?
By number of ratings, taiyaki, the fish-shaped cake filled with sweet bean paste, is the most-reviewed Japanese sweet, with 113 ratings. The souffle-light Japanese cheesecake is close behind on 98. Both are far better known abroad than our top-rated momiji manjū.
What is mochi?
Mochi is a chewy cake of glutinous rice, steamed and then pounded until smooth and stretchy. It anchors a whole family of ranked sweets here, from Sendai's edamame-topped zunda mochi to the spring peony-shaped botamochi wrapped in azuki paste. It can be eaten plain, grilled, or filled.
Which region of Japan makes the most sweets?
Among sweets with a named home, Tokyo leads with six, from amanattō to taiyaki, ahead of Iwate Prefecture and Kyoto with two apiece. Most of the ledger is logged simply as pan-Japanese, the shared wagashi tradition rather than one town's specialty.
Where else should I look for great desserts?
The pastry nations, mostly. Worldwide the department runs to 2,151 sweets from 154 countries, topped not by any famous name but by Algeria's almond makroud at Nº 8. Italy alone fields 305 ranked desserts; nearer to Japan, India lists 50 and China 26. See Desserts & Sweets worldwide.

This Department, Elsewhere

Desserts & sweets from Japan's neighbours, ranked the same way.

ChineseDesserts & Sweets26South KoreanDesserts & Sweets18TaiwaneseDesserts & Sweets7
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