Water and its role in the Kansai diet Water and sweets Sweets made with famous waters, sweets whose origins involve water Kuzu manju The water that wells up from the ground is pumped to fill a water tank, and manju, a doughy, often filled, sweet, stuffed into a small bowl is chilled and hardened therein. To be sure, the well-known chilled Wakasa Bay area sweet called Kuzu manju is a veritable poem of nature indicative of summer in Obama, Fukui Prefecture. With its flavor made fresh by this excellent water and the smooth feel of the sweet as it goes down the throat, eating it has become a popular summertime custom in Obama. Obama Municipal Tourism Association TEL 0770-53-1111 Tansan senbei Arima in Hyogo Prefecture is said to be Japan's oldest hot spring town, and it is here that a clear spring with naturally carbonated water bubbles up from the ground. Tansan senbei, a thin cracker, is made using this naturally sparkling water, and its appeal comes from its simple flavor and its lightness and pleasant crunch. It is still made by hand today using time-tested methods. Tansan senbei: Hyogo Products Association TEL 078-361-8063 Taki-no-yakimochi Kinryu'sui is the name of the spring water that comes forth from the foot of Mt. Bizan in the center of the city of Tokushima, Tokushima Prefecture. The feudal lords of the Awa (Tokushima) clan were assigned authority over water supplies and thus controlled this renowned source. The sweet taki-no- yakimochi ("toasted rice cakes from the waterfall") that is made with this water, which itself is still favored today by locals for drinking, is familiar to many as a delicacy from Tokushima. Taki-no-yakimochi: Tokushima City Hall Tourism Department Jelly from the waters of Kibune Kibune Shrine in Kyoto is dedicated to the worship of the deity that oversees water. The holy water from this shrine is said to have a curative energy that is good for the eyes and for relieving women's ailments. This holy water is also used to make jelly at Hon-Tachibana, a sweets shop in Kyoto, and the resulting treat is the object of much interest. Hon-tachibana Kyoto-style Sweets TEL 075-241-0770 Mitarashi dango Mitarashi dango, a dumpling-style sweet known throughout Japan, originally comes from Kyoto's Shimogamo Shrine. It is said to take its distinctive shape from the foam and bubbles produced at Mitarashi ("cleansing" or "purifying") Pond on the shrine's grounds. These dumplings come in a line of five, with the one at the top separated slightly from the rest. The origin of this practice dates back to the days of Emperor Godaigo (1288-1339). It is said that one time when the emperor ladled water from the pond, a single bubble appeared followed by four in a row. This occurrence became known as gotai, or the five (go) parts of the body (tai), also the entire body. Mitarashi dango:Kamo Mitarashi Chaya TEL 075-791-1652 Akafuku Akafuku, a ball of mochi covered with a red bean jam called an, has long been associated with water. This sweet is a delicacy of the Ise region, familiar to many who have made their pilgrimage to the great shrine there. The white of the mochi rice dough ball represents stones at a river's bottom, while the jam is said to represent the current of the Isuzu River. Akafuku TEL 0596-22-2154 BACK NEXT All images Copyright. 1997 Kansai International Public Relations Promotion Office. All Rights Reserved.