Hello everyone,
On November 10th, I held my Wagashi Experience class in Osaka.
The theme for this session was “Autumn.”
The sweets we made were “Momiji” (maple leaves) and “Yamayosou” (autumn attire), both crafted using nerikiri (a type of soft dough). These sweets were inspired by the beauty of autumn.
“I want to do more than just teach people how to make wagashi; I want to share as much as I can about wagashi itself,” I thought.
So, for this session, I decided to display a few of the wagashi tools I personally use.
I displayed the tools near the entrance and, before starting the lesson, I gave a brief introduction to each one, explaining what the tool is for and when it’s typically used.
Since wagashi tools can be hard to identify just by looking at them, I took the time to explain each one in detail.
Although the display was simple, I hope it helped participants learn a little more about wagashi.
Since there were families attending with their children, I made sure to communicate in a way that was easy for the kids to understand during the lesson. Even when explaining the tips for each step, I was careful not to get too detailed, as I thought too many points might overwhelm or confuse them. Instead, I focused on sharing just one or two key points at a time.
Everyone was focused and engaged as they worked.
Each person put their own touch on their creations, and each piece turned out to be uniquely beautiful and charming in its own way.
Even though everyone was making the same design, the individuality of each person really showed in their creations, and that’s one of the wonderful things about making wagashi. I made sure to highlight this aspect during the lesson, sharing how each person can bring their own style to the process.
After the lesson, we had a relaxing time chatting while enjoying the sweets we had made.
I was so happy to hear the children say, “It was fun!” It really made my day.
The adults also shared, “I didn’t realize that wagashi could be so easy to make. This has lowered the barrier for me to try making it myself.” I feel like this helped them feel a little closer to wagashi and see it as something more accessible.
I really want to continue sharing the joy of making wagashi with even more people. I hope to teach not only nerikiri sweets, but also traditional, historically significant wagashi in the future.
Thank you again to everyone who joined us this time. Let’s enjoy another fun wagashi-making session together!
The next workshop will be held on Sunday, January 19th, in Osaka. The theme will be “New Year” (Oshogatsu).
We will be offering two types of workshops: a Wagashi Experience Class and a Handmade Wagashi Class. If you’re interested, please choose the workshop you’d like to attend and sign up via the application form. We look forward to seeing you there!