Traditional sweets shop with over 70 years of history handcrafts Risu.

Okamedo is a confectioner based in the town of Toyohashi, Aichi Prefecture, whose name comes from kame, the Japanese word for turtle, and which was founded more than 70 years ago. And as those aspects would lead you to expect, there’s a stylized drawing of a turtle on the noren entrance cloth hanging at Kamedo’s main shop, and the company puts quite a lot of effort into not only making their sweets taste good, but look beautiful too.

For their newest treats, though, a different animal is serving as Okamedo’s muse, and while you could call them beautiful, the first word that’s going to spring to mind upon seeing them is “Cute!”

OK, so maybe “cute” will be the seventh word, as in “Oh my God, those are so cute!” But still, “cute” is definitely going to be part of the mental reaction when people see Okamedo’s Risu, which went on sale this month.

Risu, as you might have guessed, is the Japanese word for “squirrel.” Don’t worry, though, Kamedo didn’t use delicious dark magic to transform actual woodland creatures into sweet snacks. These are actually nerikiri, a type of traditional Japanese dessert made by blending white sweet bean paste with mochi for a mixture that’s soft and chewy but also shapeable. As for the Risu’s shiny little eyes, those are bits of yokan, a gelatin made of sweet red bean paste and agar.

The Risu are detailed individually by hand, with Okamedo saying they’re filled with excited anticipation of them arriving at customers’ homes and giving them joy and comfort, which the company says is the true purpose of their desserts.

The Risu are sold in boxes of five for 3,100 yen (US$22), and as an autumn-only item they’re only available until September 30, but they can be ordered through the Okamedo online shop here.

Source, images: PR Times
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