Okamedo (お亀堂), a wagashi shop in Toyohashi, Aichi Prefecture, founded in 1950, will sell two jo-namagashi (上生菓子) that capture an autumn forest, for a limited time starting Thursday, October 1, 2026. They are "Risu" (りす, squirrel) and "Akebi no Sato" (あけびの里), and both are on sale in October only.
Risu is a nerikiri (練り切り) squirrel that holds a kanoko bean (かのこ豆), meant to look like an acorn, close to its chest. Even the curled tail and round eyes are finished one by one by the shop's artisans. Akebi no Sato turns the akebi (あけび), a fruit that colors autumn hills and fields, into a small wagashi. White nerikiri is layered inside the purple skin, and nerikiri mixed with black sesame reproduces the black seeds that akebi are known for.
Both are sold at Okamedo's directly operated stores in the Higashi-Mikawa (東三河) area and in the online shop.
Online shop: https://okamedo.jp/online-shop/
Risu: A Small Squirrel Holding an Acorn
Risu captures a moment in an autumn forest: a squirrel has found a shiny acorn.
The wagashi is made by wrapping smooth koshi-an (こし餡, smooth bean paste) in nerikiri made from white koshi-an of tebo beans (手亡豆, white kidney beans) mixed with soft mochi. It has a plump, egg-shaped body and a large tail curled into a swirl. Vertical stripes suited to a squirrel are added, and the round eyes are made of black yokan (羊羹).
What it holds to its chest is a kanoko bean standing in for an acorn. The round shape and cute expression bring to mind a small story from an autumn forest.
Akebi no Sato: A Real Akebi in a Small Wagashi
The other autumn scene is Akebi no Sato.
The outside is purple nerikiri, with white nerikiri layered inside it, to show the akebi's characteristic purple skin and white interior.
The nerikiri that wraps the koshi-an is generously mixed with black sesame, which stands in for the akebi's black seeds. Finally, an artisan cuts into the purple skin with a knife and opens it, completing the look of a ripe akebi that has split open.
It looks like a real akebi shrunk down to a small size. The toasty flavor of black sesame layers with the koshi-an and the refined sweetness of nerikiri, so it is meant to be enjoyed for its taste as well as its looks.
Two Autumns in Wagashi: "Cute" and "Nostalgic"
Okamedo made these scenes of a Japanese autumn into palm-sized wagashi. Risu holding an acorn is the "cute autumn," the kind of sweet you will want to photograph. Akebi no Sato is the "nostalgic autumn," reminiscent of autumn hills and fields. Both are autumn, but one is an encounter with a small animal, and the other is a fruit that ripens in the season.
Okamedo says it keeps making wagashi that let people see, taste and feel the season while valuing traditional wagashi techniques. In October, the shop offers Risu and Akebi no Sato as a way to enjoy the deepening Japanese autumn.
Product Details
Jo-namagashi "Risu" (上生菓子「りす」)
- Release date: Thursday, October 1, 2026
- Contents: nerikiri, koshi-an, kanoko bean
- Sale period: October only
- Price: ¥500
- Where to buy: Okamedo stores, online shop
Jo-namagashi "Akebi no Sato" (上生菓子「あけびの里」)
- Release date: Thursday, October 1, 2026
- Contents: nerikiri, koshi-an, black sesame
- Sale period: October only
- Price: ¥500
- Where to buy: Okamedo stores, online shop
Online shop: https://okamedo.jp/online-shop/
Quantities are limited, so items may sell out.
