September is here, which means tsukimi season has arrived. Meaning "moon viewing," this is traditionally a chance to look up in the sky and take in lunar beauty, while enjoying Japanese sweets such as dango and soba.
Yet you're reading a column about convenience store foods, so I'm going to assume you are just as interested in the modern manifestation of tsukimi in Japanese food. Now is the time for every fast-food chain in the nation to roll out tsukimi burgers, wherein a fried egg gets plopped on top of a quick-service sandwich of some sort. McDonald's Japan leads the way in this space (they have a whole mascot) but everyone has gotten in on it now.
Lawson is in on it too, with a whole line of special tsukimi items now available across the country. The majority of them follow the standard template for this seasonal offering — something plus egg. That's it, for the most part. I'm sure most of these items are good, but after living through so many tsukimi periods it isn't as exhilarating.
Which is why I'm drawn to the sweet treats in September, which usually use either a sweeter egg flavor or, in the case of Lawson's Tsukimi Man, mochi. This warm speciality combines the sweet and sticky stuff custard and bean paste. It's always a nice combination, but especially so when piping fresh. A welcome change to the tsukimi days.
