This post is about Children’s Day (Kodomonohi) which takes place on May 5. On Children’s Day, a common sight is carp-shaped windsock called Koinobori. The carp-shaped windsock come in various colors, a big black one representing the father, a red one representing the mother and often a smaller blue one representing the child. In Hotarunosato located in Mitaka-shi, Tokyo, they had a nice addition to the typical Koinobori display – lots of beer cans! The organizers cut beer cans so that they resembled wind-chimes. A very impressive use of beer cans indeed!
A typical desert on Children’s Day is Kashiwamochi, a sticky rice cake filled with red beans and wrapped in an oak leaf. I paired the Kashiwamochi with Sapporo Black Label Beer. I would have liked to say that the pairing was exquisite, but perhaps a cup of green tea would have been even better.
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Drinking Japan 