I was a Japanese Strawberry Shortcake

When I was a little girl, I remember going to Little Tokyo with my grandmother and begging her to buy me one of the strawberry shortcakes in the Japanese bakery. We used to go to the one in the old Yaohan (turned Mitsuwa) plaza.

I loved the buttery cake, light cream and fresh strawberries... and always felt so much better after a couple of bites. There's just something about them that makes you feel like a little princess.

So during our Japan trip, I drooled over the many pastry and dessert counters... and begged MS to indulge me as I purchased not one, but multiple strawberry shortcakes that were in season for the Christmas holiday.



At every large train station, food and merchandise stands could be found (along with shopping centers and department stores at the very large stations like Tokyo and Kyoto).

As we hopped on to the bullet trains with our JR Passes, MS gladly shared these sweets with me during our rides. They were wonderful treats that kept me smiling through the cold, the rain, and the entire trip.

And yes, I even dressed up as Strawberry Shortcake when I was a girl... or maybe that was Rainbow Brite? Either way, these pastries take me back to those days of my youth and I am once again, a little princess.