Delicious

New Sweets Inspired by Lafcadio Hearn’s Ghost Stories Launch in Matsue

Courtesy of Kenasun
“Snow woman ice” is shaved ice topped with edible Japanese cypress coal powder and sold for ¥1,200. The sweet, which turns your mouth black, is offered at Kenasun, a parfait and dessert salon in Matsue.

By Ryo Kato / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

16:30 JST, November 16, 2025

MATSUE — Several new sweets have been launched in Matsue, where Lafcadio Hearn, a Meiji-era (1868-1912) writer known for his ghost stories, and his wife Setsu met, in conjunction with the start of NHK’s new serial morning drama inspired by the couple. The city, which is famous for its wagashi Japanese sweets, has been promoting itself for tourism as the “hometown of ghost stories.” Expectations are growing for tie-ups between the serial drama and local sweets.

25 sweets

Hearn, also known as Koizumi Yakumo in Japanese, is famous for his work “Kwaidan,” a collection of Japanese ghost stories and folklore such as “Miminashi Hoichi” (Hoichi the earless) and “Yuki-onna” (Snow woman). He was born in Greece in 1850 and worked as a newspaper reporter in the United States. In 1890, he arrived in Japan and began working as an English teacher in Matsue. It is said that he heard local ghost stories from Setsu, who had been hired to assist him, and this experience led him to engage in creative activities and share Japanese ghost stories with the world.

The Yomiuri Shimbun
“Kappan,” right, is sold for ¥300 each. The bread is made using matcha powder and contains anko red bean paste and whipped cream. “Mujina pan” is bread containing fig jam and is sold for ¥290. Both are available at the Pandokoro Yamaoku bakery.

The celebration of the 120th anniversary of the publication of Kwaidan in April 2024, along with the announcement of the production of the morning serial drama “Bakebake” (“The Ghost Writer’s Wife”) in June 2024, spurred the creation of new sweets in the city. Matsue is considered one of Japan’s three major confectionery centers, along with Kyoto and Kanazawa, and Japanese confectionery stores and other businesses have launched new sweets related to Hearn one after another. As of the end of September, the Matsue municipal government is aware of 25 sweets being launched.

Courtesy of Saneido
Saneido’s “Yuki-onna no Oyatsu” (Snow woman’s sweet) kohakuto jelly candies use ginger produced in Shimane Prefecture and are sold for ¥864

Saneido, a long-established Japanese confectionery store, released “Yuki-onna no Oyatsu” (The snow woman’s sweets) on Sept. 1. Each product contains 25 pieces of kohakuto jelly candy inspired by the character of the Yuki-onna and sells for ¥864 including tax. The sweet is characterized by an icy shine and a pale blue gradation meant to remind consumers of the frozen air, along with a crunchy texture.

Saneido President Eisuke Oka, 42, said, “As a representative of confectionery culture, I would like to take advantage of ‘Bakebake’ as an opportunity to boost Matsue.”

Strong sales

The Yomiuri Shimbun
A set of cookies and other sweets inspired by characters from Lafcadio Hearn’s ghost stories, made by Ichimonjiya and sold for ¥1,200

Sales of ghost story-inspired sweets have been strong even since before the start of the serial drama. Nakaura Hompo, a souvenir shop located in JR Matsue Station, set up a special space selling products related to Hearn in August 2024. The sales at the space from Sept. 1 to 20 exceeded ¥500,000, five times as much as the same period of the previous year. “We offer locally produced products and hope that the space will become a regular location,” said Junichi Kono, 50, the manager of the shop.

Shinji Sasaki, 65, who was visiting the city on business from Soka, Saitama Prefecture, bought “Hoichi no Mimi Manjiu” (Hoichi’s ear manju buns), which are ¥540 including tax for a box of 4, on Sept. 24, just before the serial drama started.

Courtesy of Nakaura Shokuhin
“Hoichi no Mimi Manjiu” (Hoichi’s ear manju buns), manju buns shaped like ears, are produced by Nakaura Shokuhin and cost ¥540 for a box of 4.

“Since ‘Bakebake’ will be starting soon, I thought it would be fun to buy sweets related to a ghost story,” he said with a grin.

Bon Koizumi, 64, a great-grandson of Hearn and the director of the Lafcadio Hearn Memorial Museum in Matsue, said, “I will be happy if the sweets bring back good memories for tourists and get them interested in Hearn’s works.”

Since 2013, Matsue has been promoting itself as the “hometown of ghost stories.” With the start of “Bakebake,” tours to places related to the ghost stories have been developed in the city.

About 7 million tourists from outside Shimane Prefecture visited Matsue in 2024. “Until now, many tourists stayed overnight in the Izumo Taisha shrine area and visited only Matsue Castle in Matsue,” said Emi Oshima, 54, director of the Koizumi Yakumo/Setsu drama support office of the city’s tourism promotion division. “We hope that the drama will help change tourism-related consumption behavior, such as increasing the number of tourists who visit places related to Hearn in Matsue and stay at local hot spring resorts.”