A short introduction to the traditional Japanese sweets you'll meet around Ginza.

Wagashi are traditional Japanese confections — mochi, dorayaki, nerikiri and more — often made with rice, red-bean paste and seasonal fruit. They're less sugary than Western sweets and prized for their delicate looks.

Many are shaped to match the season — a plum blossom in spring, a maple leaf in autumn — so they're as much a small artwork as a treat.