A single, dimly-lit display case will greet you when you walk in, and a sweet old lady will greet you. Have cash on hand and don't be cheap.
Order everything you can, but no more than you can finish. This stuff is made fresh every morning, and it's flash-fare; the fresher the more fantastic. Orange Mochi is like a Hi-C but less sweet with that same satisfying pseudo-citrus.
Kiku Manju is a surprise favorite, a thin, sweet pancake, red beans and white mochi within. Kuri Manju is sweet simplicity, a flour bao with white bean paste.
It's all beautiful, it's all amazing, but it's the namesake Sakura Mochi that is truly spectacular. Gooey grains of flower-pink encase a silky red bean, surrounded by a salty blossom leaf. The salt makes the sakura sing, releasing a new rush of tongue-tantalizing bliss.
Chikara is only a few blocks away, but Sakura-Ya has the goods. Less fancy, far from frills, but full of real substance.
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