Even as we hunker down in the bitter cold, spring is approaching according to the calendar. The basement food floor of Isetan Shinjuku offers a lineup of Japanese sweets associated with the "Peach Festival," fitting for the arrival of spring.

Peach Festival is often associated with girly pink peach confections, but this year's Isetan Shinjuku store is featuring kusamochi (grass mochi) under the theme "Spring Walking in the Green" (Shunyu Tousei).

In ancient China, March 3rd on the lunar calendar was known as "Joshi Day," and on Joshi Festival people celebrated the arrival of spring and healthy living by playing outdoors and stepping on green grass. It's also called "Peach Festival" because it coincides with the time when peach blossoms bloom. It was believed that eating natural foods like kusamochi and peach confections would ward off misfortune by receiving the life of nature.

Kano Shojuan has introduced "Kusa no Mochi" (3 pieces for 648 yen including tax), made with Omi Habutae glutinous rice mixed with fragrant mugwort and wrapped around a bean paste made from red bean paste. It's a dish that can be customized by sprinkling black bean kinako on top to taste. Mukaijima Shiman Kusa Mochi offers an assortment of Shiman Kusa Mochi's soft and fragrant kusa mochi with and without bean paste (4 pieces with bean paste, 3 without, total of 7 pieces for 1,181 yen including tax).

Kanra's "Yukishita Mugwort Mochi" (186 yen including tax) is made with mugwort picked at the foot of the Dewa Sanzan mountains in Yamagata Prefecture. Suzukake's "Kusamochi" (195 yen including tax) and Sasaya Iori's "Kusamochi" (270 yen including tax) are both formed in the shape of clams.

There's also a wide selection of seasonally-inspired buns, Western-style mousse sweets, and peach-themed sweets, making the sales floor even more lively. With sweets inspired by young grass and peaches, it seems like spring is coming a little early.