Wagashi, a term meaning traditional Japanese sweets and desserts, are often used as an accompaniment to tea, as seen in Japanese tea ceremony. A popular sweet which complements tea is monaka, which consists of two mochi wafers that sandwich red bean paste or other fillings inside.

With such a simple and tasty set-up, this particular type of traditional Japanese sweet is popular for DIY sets (as we’ve previously seen in the adorable Kirby wagashi set that came out). Since you add the filling yourself, the outside wafer will stay crisp and the fragrant paste will stay wrapped up fresh until you use it. Now another character has been recreated as a monaka, Sanrio’s queen of cuteness herself, Hello Kitty.

To make these authentically traditional treats, Sanrio have even teamed up with a historical Nagano prefecture confectioners called 'Kurianfumido' which was founded in 1864, during the Genji era of Japan.

There’s two flavours to be had and both come in adorable boxes. One comes with a chestnut paste filling (397 yen), while the alternative is red bean paste (378 yen).

But it’s not just the DIY aspect, or the traditional sweets makers’ expertise that makes these treats special. Japanese sweets are often paired with tea, and these Hello Kitty shaped monaka can actually be hung off the rim of your teacup, making them an adorable teatime companion.

These sweet snacks can be found in Kurianfumido's main store, as well as their branch in Karuizawa and online store. They can also be found in various Hello Kitty souvenir stores such as Sanrioworld Ginza, Hello Kitty Japan (Diver City, Tokyo Skytree, New Chitose Airport), Sanrio Gift Gate (Asakusa and Ueno), Sanrio Gallery Kyoto among others.