They don’t talk to you but Ningyo-yaki (or doll shaped cookies) have a human quality to them when they display faces as some do.
Japan Airlines Guide to Local Souvenirs of Tokyo describes Ningyoyaki as "baked confectionery with a thin skin surrounding a rich bean jam.
Ningyoyaki are formed in the shape of dolls and they all have different
faces, so seeing various faces is a pleasure as you sample its soft
texture. Ningyoyaki shops are particularly poplular in the shitamachi
areas."
The cakes got their name from the place where they originated, the Nihonbashi-ningyocho area of Chuo City, according to Tokyo Tourism Info who reminds us that "while many ningyo-yaki are in a traditional shape of shichifukujin (seven gods of good luck) or the Asakusa Kaminarimon gate and giant chochin (lantern), the ones in a shape of characters from kids’ TV shows are also gaining popularity".
Characters such as Sazae San ( father pictured above), Doraemon and Astroboy are amongst them offered Mari Kanazawa of Watashi to Tokyo.
You could compare them to customized waffles or pancakes.
My inspiration for this piece came from Ningyo-yaki: Tokyo’s Tasty Dolls on PingMag.
The picture of Sazae San’s father (cookie rendition) is theirs.
A tasty Tokyo Thursdays #28
Previously: 10 Romantic Hotspots in Tokyo and Japan…Add ice to the mix
On Bean Paste and Japanese Cookies: Beans to the Rescue…What is a Summer Sweet in Japan?