A fair showcasing a wide range of foods from Saitama Prefecture, centered on its celebrated confections, opened on the 9th in the free space beside the main entrance on the first floor of the Palaceside Building. More than 200 varieties of sweets and delicacies are on offer, from Gyoda's famous “Jumangoku Manju” buns to “Soka senbei” rice crackers, now a nationally known brand, and the fair drew a steady stream of customers from day one.
According to the organizers, although Saitama sits right next door to Tokyo, many people rarely make the trip, and quite a few of the products are ones visitors have never seen or tasted. The fair offers a carefully chosen selection of sweets and other foods normally sold at the prefecture's roadside stations and at festivals and other local events.
Sweet-toothed shoppers will find plenty to love, from “Gokabo,” a confection long associated with Kumagaya and nearby areas, to manju buns and castella sponge cakes made with Kawagoe's famous sweet potatoes. Also in ample supply are Saitama's signature nikujiru udon noodles with meat broth, along with Chichibu specialties such as wild yam soba, fresh walnut soba, and somen noodles. The fair runs through Friday the 13th.