Okashitsukasa Mansaku is a sweets shop with a long history. Established in 1968, the store’s motto is “making sweets that everyone loves”. And the store has certainly lived up to that because how can you not love these adorably shaped manjus!
ご予約受付2月20日まで
— 御菓子司まんさく∞可愛いおまんじゅう屋さん∞ (@okashi_mansaku) January 26, 2023
2月27日より発送開始です✨
関東風桜もちとひな祭りver.動物饅頭12個入🎎🌸
【お内裏様】パグ・豚(こし餡)
おさる(バナナ餡)
【お雛様】白ねこ・うさぎ(こし餡)
ツキノワグマ(ミルクココア餡)
🟢 https://t.co/YjxvFt8lSD
🟢 https://t.co/SVyD7SjWiC pic.twitter.com/w4Yem6NEzo
Okashitsukasa Mansaku (@okashi_mansaku) , aka Cute Manjuu Store, is a Japanese confectionaries store that specialises in making manju, especially ones made into cute animal shapes. Okashitsukasa Mansaku’s only store is located in Nagano prefecture’s Iida City, but getting these lovely sweet buns is not a problem because they mainly do business online now. Their sweets are available to buy on Creema and Minne. Also check out their official website to see what products are available.
https://www.okashimansaku.com/
Animal-shaped Manjus
Manju (饅頭) is a type of wagashi (和菓子), traditional Japanese confectionary. There are many varieties of manju but the basic manju has a soft outer skin and a bean paste filling, usually of red bean.
Okashitsukasa Mansaku has 3 types of bean paste for its manju; red bean, banana, and milk cocoa. Their animal-shaped manjus are the most popular product, so let’s look at some of them.
Many Types to Choose From
Look at all the different animals they have. Even rare ones like beaver, otter, seal, tanuki, and a kappa which is not even a proper animal.
#何度でも見てほしいお気に入りを貼るタグ
— 御菓子司まんさく∞可愛いおまんじゅう屋さん∞ (@okashi_mansaku) February 21, 2023
ビー玉と背景に使ったラッピング材でふんわり優しい和の雰囲気を出せるように工夫しながら撮影した一枚。
通販は写真が命なので何気にこだわります🤗 pic.twitter.com/BssJwcTaaV
Celebrate the Seasons & Holidays
The store also makes an effort to join in on the festivities with special limited time manju for some holidays.
New Year
For this year’s year of the rabbit, the special New Year themed set includes rabbits carrying flowers, daruma pugs, Fuji mountain, and other lucky items.
2023年紅白うさぎ&だるまぱぐ饅頭と上生菓子箱詰め8個入
— 御菓子司まんさく∞可愛いおまんじゅう屋さん∞ (@okashi_mansaku) December 23, 2022
minne店・Creema店ともに好評につき品切れとなっておりましたが、数箱分【再販】いたします❣
以後の再販予定はございません🙇
ご希望の方はお早めにご注文ください✨
🎍minne:https://t.co/8eWKaGaX2o
🎍Creema:https://t.co/adTbBQi3IS pic.twitter.com/tFDf3BoFia
Mid-Autumn Festival
Moon-viewing manju sets with rabbits (of course) and the moon which is essential for moon-viewing. If you’re wondering why rabbits, there is a Japanese folklore that rabbits live on the moon.
今年の中秋の名月は9月10日🌕🐇
— 御菓子司まんさく∞可愛いおまんじゅう屋さん∞ (@okashi_mansaku) September 5, 2022
お月見うさぎ饅頭セットは7日までのご注文で9月10日午前中までのお届け間に合います❣️
なお、こちののセットは9月限定販売。
紅白うさぎの饅頭なので、敬老の日の贈り物にもおすすめです🎁✨
minne店: https://t.co/H4pUUnFH7B#月見 #中秋の名月 pic.twitter.com/rLQfUfNn8S
Christmas
Just a simple addition of santa hats makes everybody look festive.
🔔🎄🎅ご予約受付12/5まで🎅🎄🔔
— 御菓子司まんさく∞可愛いおまんじゅう屋さん∞ (@okashi_mansaku) November 11, 2022
カワイイ仲間たちのクリスマス8個入箱詰め
ワクワク楽しく和菓子でクリスマス🌟⛄🎵
❄🐧♡🐷♡🐱♡🐶♡🐥♡🐵❄
☆minne:https://t.co/J9xnlm5LJM
☆Creema:https://t.co/dHQJRXEVsF
❄🐧♡🐷♡🐱♡🐶♡🐥♡🐵❄ pic.twitter.com/E90goVC9RO
A Message for Any Occasion
And, just released this year, is the special manju message set. You can choose from hamsters, pugs, cats, and shiba inu manjus, as well as customise your one-worded message. The examples they gave are nice words like “hope”, “peace”, “cute”, “love”, but names would work just as well too.
Writer's Pick
Custom Order-Made Original-shaped Manjus
Okashitsukasa Mansaku also accepts custom orders. They have made original designed manju for both businesses and private events. Have a look at some of them.
Kotori Cafe Collaboration
Kotori Cafe is a bird cafe in Tokyo. They collaborated with Okashitsukasa Mansaku to make manjus for their cafe. There are 2 design sets; one of Kotori Cafe’s characters, and one of shimaenaga (シマエナガ), a sub-species of long tailed tits native to Hokkaido.
はい、そうです!ことりカフェ様とコラボさせて頂いております🐣
— 御菓子司まんさく∞可愛いおまんじゅう屋さん∞ (@okashi_mansaku) February 27, 2023
ありがとうございます♡
お楽しみ頂けて良かったです🥹✨ pic.twitter.com/HYg9AezKct
Pug & Peace “PAGFES 2022” Collaboration
Pug & Peace is a Japanese apparel brand for pugs. They are a regular customer of Okashitsukasa Mansaku’s, this is their latest collaboration.
Manga “Ojisan wa Kawaii Mono ga Osuki”
Ojisan wa Kawaii Mono ga Osuki is a manga about an old man who has a hidden secret, he loves cute things. The collaboration is to celebrate the manga’s drama adaptation.
Jack Russell Terrier
Okashitsukasa Mansaku received a custom order request for Jack Russell terrier manjus. Turns out, the customer wanted manjus that look like her own dog! How adorable! I would also like manjus made in the image of my cats.
ジャックラッセルテリアのオーダーメイドオリジナル饅頭をご利用頂きましたお客様のインスタ投稿がとってもステキなのでシェアさせて頂きます🥰
— 御菓子司まんさく∞可愛いおまんじゅう屋さん∞ (@okashi_mansaku) February 25, 2022
ありがとうございます✨#御菓子司まんさく#可愛いおまんじゅう屋さん#オーダーメイドオリジナル饅頭#ジャックラッセルテリア pic.twitter.com/LVYNWBDlxL
Sudachi (すだち), A Store Original Sweet
Although manjus are Okashitsukasa Mansaku’s bestsellers, they also have another popular product. Introducing Sudachi, the store’s original recipe. Sudachi is an egg yolk pastry coated in white chocolate. It goes well with coffee and tea.
Its white colour makes it a great gift for White Day (March 14), which is coming soon. As a special White Day present, why not give a sudachi and manju set.
To Close
Planning a gift or souvenir for friends and family? Here’s a great choice to consider to make it an extra special one. These adorable animal-shaped manju are not just cute to look at, they are also delicious and pair excellently with green tea.
Follow Okashitsukasa Mansaku’s social media for their latest cute manju designs, and visit the online shops to make an order now!
Photos provided courtesy of Okashitsukasa Mansaku 御菓子司まんさく (Official Website, Creema, Minne, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook).