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.
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.
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.