Wagashi is an umbrella term that refers to various traditional sweets and desserts. Distinctly Japanese ingredients and flavours are used such as matcha and adzuki beans, making them completely different from their counterparts found in other countries.

They are often eaten as an accompaniment to green tea and seen in traditional Japanese tea ceremonies. A popular sweet is monaka which consists of two mochi wafers which sandwich adzuki bean paste inside.

With such a simple but tasty set-up, these wagashi are perfect for DIY sets that allow you to put the ingredients together yourself. Previously we have seen adorable cat themed monaka sets, but this next offering, which is the result of a collaboration between Nintendo and Kyoto confectioners Tsuruya Yoshinobu, should appeal to the gamer crowd.

Sweet makers Tsuruya Yoshinobu have been in business for over 200 years, since 1803 and with the upcoming Olympics, they want to convey the charms of Japanese culture through this collaboration between wagashi and a Nintendo game character. They chose the adorably round and pink hero Kirby, who's soft edges lend themselves well to the circular wafers.

The Kirby-faced mochi wafers come in a tin with three different cute facial expressions to choose from. The red bean paste comes in a tin with a resealable lid so you can break out the monaka again and again for any occasion.

Since you’re assembling them yourself you have the freedom to add any extra fillings you desire, such as fruit, cream or nuts.

The sets would also make a great gift for any Kirby fan, they come in beautifully designed packaging which incorporates traditional Japanese art with the famous Nintendo character.

There’s two different types of packaging depending on the type of red bean paste included.

The sets will be sold from 7th July online and in three branches of Tsuruya Yoshinobu (two in Kyoto and one in Tokyo). Check out the website for more information.