Each and every spring in Japan there is a flood of all things “Sakura” when it comes to food and drinks. Seasonal food is a big deal in Japan. Each and every spring Sakura (cherry blossom) snacks, confectionaries, drinks, etc., are sold all over Japan.
Just a few days ago I read about the Sakura pancakes that would be for sale at the Lawson chain of convenience stores. They went on sale on February 23rd and would be around for a month or more.
The other day I ventured out to my one of the Lawson shops near my house, but discovered it was closed for renovations. I immediately went to another one nearby and that too was closed for renovations (having just undergone surgery I wasn’t able to explore Lawsons far and wide). I told my wife about these mysterious Sakura Pancakes and she went to two other Lawsons, but they didn’t have any.
A few days later I was able to find a shop that had loads of them. I picked up two packages. After tax one package cost 135 yen. Each package came with two pancake sandwiches, one for each member of my family for a Friday afternoon snack.
The 5-year-old member of the JustJapanStuff reporting team opened up the pancakes and plated them for the family. They had a mild “flowery” smell. Upon further examination we discovered that between the pink pancakes was crème and anko (red bean paste).
They were more than a little tasty. They had a flowery taste and the inside was sweet and delicious. My wife compared it to a sakura mochi flavor.
It is unanimous in the JustJapanStuff household that the Lawson Sakura pancakes are delicious and will be purchased again in the very near future.
When our 5 year-old reporter was asked for a review, specifically, “Can you describe the taste?” He answered with a very descriptive, “Good!”
If you are in Japan right now, run out and get some! They’re worth it.
Just Japan Stuff 
I appreciate the interesting food items in Japan, but I am of two minds on their fleeting availability. As you mentioned, it is probably a good thing that they won’t be around forever due to their effect on your waistline. It is also good that the ever-changing rotation of food provides a good amount of variety. You might find a winner, or you might find a loser.
On the other hand, it used to really bother me when I lived in Japan because more often than not something I liked would just disappear. In those days there were no internet sites to tell me how long the things would stick around for. One day they would be there and the next not. All the clerk could say was, “chotto nain deskukedo”. It was rather frustrating.
Here’s hoping you get your fill of pancakes before they disappear.
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