Wagashi are traditional Japanese sweets often enjoyed with Matcha. In this workshop, we learned how to make a type of Wagashi called Nerikiri from scratch with Tomoko Yagi from Cha-An Teahouse. The white bean paste used for Nerikiri was prepared by Ms. Yagi beforehand. Participants made their own original Wagashi by shaping and coloring the Nerikiri to their own desires. Many original Wagashi were made such as ones that used motifs of seasonal flowers or a swan. Participants enjoyed their own creations with a bowl of Matcha prepared by tea master, Yoshitsugu Nagano.
Participants commented, “I’ve always wanted to make my own Wagashi. My dream finally came true.” “This was the first time I’ve made Wagashi but it was very difficult to shape it the way I wanted to. I understood what amazing skills traditional Wagashi makers have.”
