‘Wagashi’ is a term which refers to all different types of traditional Japanese sweets. Japanese sweets are famous not just for their flavour, as they’re also known for being beautifully presented.

We recently introduced a type of sweet which has been gaining popularity thanks to its magical appearance. It’s called ‘kohakuto’, which could be literally translated as ‘amber sugar’. It is made from Agar Agar ('kanten' in Japanese) and is chewy inside with a crunchy outside. As it has drew some attention overseas, it has been called ‘crystal candy’ or ‘candy gems’ in English, because of the resemblance to precious stones and jewels.

If you want to sample these attractive snacks, there’s a kohakuto specialist store which has just opened in Osaka.

The shop is called ‘Kohakuto Okada’, and they have all kinds of colours, shapes and flavours on offer, to build up your own pile of delicious gems.

One special set they have on offer is even inspired by monthly birthstones. The box can be bought in various sizes from one to twelve pieces. Of course, if you want every birthstone you’ll have to go for the twelve one, which is priced at 3280 yen.

Each ‘stone’ has a different flavour.

The store can be found in the basement 1 level of Hankyu department store in Umeda, Osaka.