Wagashi strike me as the equivalent of edible poems: A single one can simultaneously mark an occasion, reflect a shift in nature and allude to a work of literature.

WSJ: The Sweet Way of Wagashi

But before partaking of the deep-green elixirs, guests are offered tea sweets known as wagashi: beautiful, bite-size confections made with ingredients ranging from red bean paste to green tea itself.

WSJ: The Sweet Way of Wagashi

Shoppers could spend a fortune on the finest shade-grown green tea from Fukuoka and seasonally-themed wagashi (traditional Japanese sweets), or simply roam the maze of shops for a feast of the visual variety.

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"The function of the sweet is to set the aesthetic stage for that particular event, " said New Jersey-based Marybeth Welch, who has been making wagashi by hand for more than 20 years and is one of few expert practitioners of that labor-intensive art in the States.

WSJ: The Sweet Way of Wagashi