Japanese sweets

We tasted all sorts of unusual - and sometimes unidentifiable - food when we were in Japan, all of it beautifully presented. But the displays of sweets and desserts were truly magnificent.

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Here is one of the many courses we were served for dinner [yes, that's a fish].... and a tray of dishes brought to our room at the ryokan for breakfast.

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LEFT: You can buy many things from a vending machine in Japan, including beer and sake. Here's a line up of cold coffee drinks packaged in cute little juiceboxes ready to be dispensed when you insert your yen. CENTER: We called these "temple treats" because you can buy them on the street near various temples; it's very much like a pancake with sweet bean paste as a filling. Yum! RIGHT: Our favorite little pre-packaged sandwich from the corner quickie market: two slices of bread crimped together with extra sweet peanut butter filling in the middle. We especially loved the little peanut drawing stamped into the bread.