Why is the oak in “Kashiwa-mochi” said to symbolize the prosperity of descendants?（Kashiwamochi)
red bean pasteChildren’s Day (national holiday; May 5th)springBoy’s Day celebration (May 5th)
A Japanese confectionery made from rice flour, flattened into an oval shape, filled with azuki bean or miso bean paste, wrapped in an oak leaf and steamed. Chimakis are eaten on the same day, but chimakis are eaten mainly in the Kansai region, while kashiwa-mochi is eaten mainly in the Kanto region.
The oak tree has long been considered a sacred tree, and since the old leaves do not fall off until new shoots appear, it is considered a symbol of “prosperity of offspring” and spread mainly in Edo (Tokyo) as an auspicious food on Tango-no Sekku (May 5).
