Private Wagashi Class in Yokohama: Make Mochi & Nerikiri

Japanese confectioneries (wagashi) play a key role in tea ceremonies and charm with their delicate sweetness, seasonal designs and intricate presentation. In this private casual Japanese sweets-making class, you’ll learn to shape and design several wagashi sweets, helped by a certified instructor and wagashi expert. After a warm welcome into her home, your host, a certified wagashi instructor with the Wagashi Promotion Association, will first give you a presentation on mochi and its role in traditional Japanese ceremonies. A mom of three, she’s lived abroad in China and the US and is passionate about cultural exchange. She knows how to make learning new cooking skills fun! After the presentation, you’ll make three-colored dango (a popular snack during cherry blossom viewing season in the spring). Next, whip up the popular fruit daifuku, another type of mochi confection that is one of the most popular desserts among participants in this class. After that, you'll make two nerikiri wagashi with seasonal motifs. The main sweet served in Japanese tea ceremony, nerikiri is made from white bean paste and mochi. Finally, relax and enjoy your wagashi with a fresh cup of matcha green tea of your own making as you get to know your host and ask her all your pressing questions about the sweet world of Japanese confectionery. Experience flow: - Listen to a presentation on mochi and traditional Japanese ceremonies - Make three-colored dango - Watch a mochi demonstration for daifuku - Make fruit daifuku - Watch a demonstration on making nerikiri - Make nerikiri using seasonal motifs - Whisk matcha green tea - Take photos - Enjoy your sweets and tea