Japanese sweet treats

There aren’t many original Japanese confectionaries (or wagashi shops) left in California. So, what are the odds that we have one here in Sacramento? Very good, actually. Those meandering downtown in search of something sweetly interesting should stop into Osaka-Ya, where they’ll find a colorful selection of mochi (small, sweet cakes made out of glutinous, rice flour), daifuku (mochi dumplings filled with sweet, bean paste) and manju (filled, steamed cakes). Osaka-Ya’s been making fresh mochi treats ($1.50) since 1963, and their flavored snow cones are also a neighborhood favorite. 2215 10th Street, osakaya-wagashi.com.