Japanese strawberries are characterized by their high sugar content. This requires careful cultivation and a long growing period, so some varieties cost thousands of yen per pack.

Here are three produced in Kansai:

■ Asuka Ruby
Produced in Nara Prefecture, Asuka Ruby strawberries are characterized by large fruits with an appetizing bright red appearance. Overflowing with juice they are sweet with moderate acidity.

■ Marihime
From Wakayama Prefecture, Marihime strawberries have a rich, tart flavor. Firm and crunchy, they pair excellently with condensed milk or cream.

■ Yume Amaka
Hyogo Prefecture’s Yume Amaka variety is called the “phantom strawberry” due to its rarity. Both fragrant and sweet, they are not readily available in the market, so if you really want to try them, picking them on site is the best option.

The Japanese strawberry season is from December to spring and desserts featuring well-known strawberry brands are readily available at cafes and fruit parlors.

Just a five-minute walk from JR Osaka Station, Torkuchen Patisserie offers a special parfait menu available only during strawberry season.

Torkuchen has six different parfaits, all of which are photo-worthy with their bright red strawberries. Due to their extreme popularity, the parfaits often sell out, so orders can be made via phone or online(https://ssl.xaas3.jp/s0572017/login/inquiryedit )．

The recommended “Strawberry and Pistachio Flower Parfait” (1,490 yen excluding tax), is decorated with seasonal strawberries like the Sachinoka variety from Wakayama Prefecture. This beautiful arrangement of fresh strawberries made us drool just looking at it!

Strawberry jelly, pistachio cream, strawberry slices, maple chiffon, almond slices, and yogurt are layered on top of vanilla ice cream. The fragrance of pistachios, the fresh strawberries, the sour yogurt, and the light sweetness of the maple chiffon combine to make every bite irresistible. Torkuchen’s strawberry parfaits are sold from November to May every year.

Shortcakes made with other Japanese fruits are also popular. Fruit tarts with a crisp crust topped with strawberries or muscat grapes have the perfect match of buttery aroma and fruity freshness.

Take the express train from Nankai Namba Station and get off at Sakaihigashi Station - the third stop. Walk about ten minutes west and you’ll come to Rosier, a fruit parlor owned by true fruit lovers. Desserts featuring many kinds of fruit are on sale, but one of the most popular is the “Japanese Strawberry Sandwich” (500 yen, excluding tax), available only during strawberry season.

The Japanese Strawberry Sandwich is made using the variety of domestic strawberries that are considered to be the most delicious at the time of production like Tokushima Prefecture’s Sachinoka variety.

The Japanese strawberry sandwich filling is a combination of fresh cream and yogurt, and the slightly salty bread serves to enhance the strawberries’ sweetness. It’s an exquisitely refreshing taste that’s unforgettable!

Rosier’s “Strawberry Parfait” (1,500 yen, excluding tax) is also excellent and is made using an entire pack of sweet, juicy strawberries! This easy-to-eat dessert also features pistachio ice cream, pudding, fresh chocolate, fresh cream, and granola.

From Hankyu Osaka Umeda Station, ride the Hankyu Senri Line for about 25 minutes and get off at Yamada Station. After a 30-minute walk to the southeast, you’ll arrive at Shochikudo. While not easily accessible, this popular Japanese sweet shop is still crowded with customers.

The shop’s specialty is “fruit mochi,” made by wrapping fresh fruit from around the world and white bean paste in soft rice cake for both an outstanding taste and appearance.

“Fruit Mochi Ichigo” (270 yen, excluding tax) is available from December through spring. Using Japanese strawberries such as the “Kotoka” variety from Nara (the production area and varieties used change depending on the season), the first bite overflows with juice.

The outer mochi (rice cake) is very thin and soft enough to melt in your mouth, while the moderately sweet white bean paste enhances the flavor of the strawberries. When eating this dessert, you’ll first experience the sweetness of the strawberry, then the gentle white bean flavor, and finally the mochi’s elegant finish. You’re sure to want more than one of these delicious Japanese sweets!

Shochikudo also has six other types of fruit mochi, including melon and a fun snowman-shaped version that features slices of banana and muscat grape.

If getting to the main Shochikudo shop is too difficult, a set of six fruit mochi is available on Tuesdays in the first basement floor of Osaka’s Takashimaya department store directly connected to Nankai Namba Station.

These three sweet shops produce desserts that are not only aesthetically pleasing, but their parfaits, Japanese strawberry sandwiches, and rice cakes have a flavor like no other.

While two of the shops are a bit far from typical sightseeing spots in Umeda and Namba, they’re worth visiting if you’re in Osaka during the December through June strawberry season!

Text by:WESTPLAN