The Gourmet Salon in the basement of Wako Annex, which is renowned for its exquisite Japanese sweets such as castella and monaka, is now offering limited-edition, cool, summer items that are perfect for mid-year gifts to show your appreciation.

First of all, we would like to draw your attention to the "Mizu Yokan" made for Wako, supervised by Yamaguchi Hikoyuki, the fifth generation owner of "Kuya," one of the most well-established Japanese confectionery shops in Ginza. The nine-piece set, which allows you to enjoy three flavors - the rich-tasting "Matcha," the "Azuki" that simply conveys the deliciousness of Hokkaido-grown azuki beans, and the "Yuzu" that adds a refreshing coolness to white bean paste - is perfect as a summer gift.

The refreshing-looking "Kuzu Manju Jelly" is a masterpiece made by wrapping kuzu manju made with domestically produced kuzu starch and Hokkaido-produced Dainagon adzuki beans in agar jelly. Its smooth texture will blow away the heat. In addition to the slightly sweet koshian, there is also a richly flavored matcha koshian in the lineup.

Wako's Anmitsu is a summer staple that has been refined with high-quality ingredients, allowing you to rediscover the deliciousness of agar. The agar that forms the base of the flavor is made from high-quality domestic agar with a faint sea scent. There are two types of bean paste available: flavorful red bean paste from Hokkaido, and white azuki bean paste made from rare white azuki beans. The fillings are individually packed, so you can enjoy them fresh without the flavors mixing.

At this time of year, when the heat tends to dampen appetite, a gift of Japanese sweets with their cool texture and gentle sweetness is sure to be well received.