The Story of Konpeito, the Colourful Sweet that’s Adored All Over Japan

Konpeito is a traditional sweet can be found on tables at parties and other celebrations. This little colourful, star-shaped sweet actually comes from Portugal. It was first introduced in Japan in 1569 by Portuguese missionary Luis Frois, when sugar refining techniques had yet to be established on a large scale in Japan.

Konpeito were one of the gifts offered to Oda Nobunaga, an important figure in the Sengoku era (1467-1615). These little coloured sweets, named ‘confeitos’, were stored in a glass bottle and were thought of as a luxury.

Since then, the popularity of konpeito has never waned. Artisans use a base of sticky rice transformed into granules, irako, mixed with sugar. The process is repeated several times. It takes 2-3 weeks of hard work to produce the sweets. The craft recalls that of artisans who specialise in amezaiku, Japanese sweets that look like sugar sculptures.

In Kyoto, there’s a place that specialises in konpeito: Ryokujuan Shimizu. The shop offers 50 different flavours, from cherry to soda via chocolate and coconut. It respects seasonal produce and showcases a different fruit or vegetable every month.