Hagi no Tsuki

萩の月 - Hagi's Moon

"A treat that's loved not only by tourists but also by the local people for its never-get-tired-of-it deliciousness."

Kasho Sanzen

Historical Background

Historical Background

Hagi no Tsuki is a traditional sweet that originates from Sendai, Miyagi that was created in the 1970s. "Hagi" translates to "Japanese clover", a type of flower common in the Miyagino area of Sendai, and "Tsuki" translates to "moon". It is locally believed that the confectioners that created the sweet did so to reflect the natural beauty of miyagi, such as beautiful views of the moon and of the Japanese clover plant. In the late 1970s, the sweet started to be offered with tea to passengers of Toa Domestic Airlines flying between Sendai and Fukuoka, which spread the popularity of this confection throughout Japan. Hagi no Tsuki is relatively new, but it is known as a sweet that represents the 20th century.

Kasho Sanzen

Characteristics

Hagi no Tsuki, otherwise known as "Hagi's Moon", is a sweet often bought as a souvenir from the Miyagi region. It is a manju-shaped confection inspired by castella and cream puffs, made from a mild-flavoured custard cream wrapped in a soft, fluffy castella dough. Because of the use of cream inside the sweet and the moistness of the bun on the outside, Hagi no Tsuki is classified as a moist sweet. It is round and has the appearence of a full moon, hence the name "Hagi's Moon".

This sweet was the first in the country to use an oxygen absorber, which allows the sweet to last longer without the use of preservatives. Because of the cream filling, this allows tourists to take home this sweet as a souviner from Sendai without any worry.

To know more

A short video showing the packaging, outside and inside of the sweet.

A video showing how to make a sweet similar to Hagi no Tsuki. (Japanese and English)

A short video showing a person trying the confection.

A vlog about exploring Sendai and trying Hagi no Tsuki from around 13:00 minutes. (Japanese with English subtitles)

Direct Voice

I visited Sendai in August 2024 with some friends just to sightsee. We went around many of the different tourist attractions, and tried a few of the local confections as well. I tried a zunda shake, which was very cooling and refreshing, and paired it with a small sweet called Hagi no Tsuki. The sponge was light and airy, and the filling was smooth and creamy. I had heard that there were many ways to enjoy this sweet, for example cooling it in the fridge before hand, or warming it up in the microwave. I found it was quite lovely just as was this day, as the coolness of the cream contrasted nicely with the hot summer weather.

Kathryn Steele