By MARI YAMAGUCHI and AYAKA MCGILL, Associated Press

NINOSHIMA, Japan (AP) — Baumkuchen originated in Germany but has become a wildly popular sweet in Japan, where a prisoner of war on a small western island started making the treat that has thrived in its new homeland.

Today, the confectionery known as “tree cake” because of the resemblance to a trunk with rings is considered a symbol of longevity and prosperity in Japan, where Baumkuchen festivals are regularly held.

Staff make Baumkuchen, a German layered cake, during a workshop of Juchheim Ninoshima Welcome Center and Outdoor Activity Camp Monday, July 7, 2025, at Ninoshima island in Hiroshima, western Japan. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Japanese adaptations, including those using maccha and sweet potatoes, are popular gifts at weddin

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