Gluten-free

Vegan

Family-friendly

With green tea

With recipe

The making of handmade sweets in Japan is a long-standing tradition built on skill and craftsmanship of delicate textures and flavors, as well as an appreciation for aesthetics. Translating to “Japanese sweets,” wagashi are traditional sweets treats made from plant-based ingredients, which are vegan and gluten-free.

Associated with the traditional Japanese tea ceremony, wagashi are known for having a simple yet sophisticated flavor that complements matcha green tea, but also elevates the humble tea ceremony through with its beautiful seasonal motifs. To make a perfect wagashi treat, the process takes time, requiring patience and careful handiwork, although the results are inevitably satisfying. Mochi is also a quintessential sweet in Japan; a type of rice cake that’s often paired with sweet azuki red bean. Delicate and colorful, wagashi reflects the beauty of nature in Japan, and is seen as one of the most detailed desserts, incorporating elegant artistic characteristics.

Learn how to make your own traditional Japanese wagashi and mochi during this Tokyo Wagashi and Mochi Making Class. You’ll make three different types of Japanese sweets where you’ll mix the doughs, beautifully shape them, and decorate your sweets using traditional tools and techniques. Learning about the wagashi and mochi, you’ll make your own traditional Japanese sweets, then enjoy it with a complimentary bowl of matcha green tea (which you will also learn how to make). At the end of class, you can take the rest home with you, a snack for later!

This class is all about traditional Japanese sweets! Learn to hold, mold, and artistically create some delicate Japanese desserts like mochi and wagashi in Tokyo.

Traditional Japanese Sweets: Wagashi & Mochi Class | byFood

Home to the futuristic capital of Japan, the Tokyo Metropolitan Area is the most populous metropolis in the world and the largest in the country. The bustling central city area of Tokyo consists of 23 wards, while the Greater Tokyo Area spills out onto its prefectural neighbors of Saitama, Chiba, and Kanagawa. Needless to say, Tokyo is simply enormous, separated into pockets of unique communities that bring the city together as a whole. Step out of the train at a different station and step into a new world, be dazzled by the vibrant city rush of Shinjuku, or wander the open park spaces and galleries of Ueno. From the top of Tokyo Tower, buildings stretch as far as the eye can see, as if the city goes on forever. Yet, every corner is interconnected by Tokyo’s impressive network of subways and train lines, a futuristic marvel that somehow moves millions of people every day. That’s 9 million, to be exact, totaling to 30% of Japan’s entire population living within the Tokyo Metropolis. 

Divided by waterways like the eastern Edogawa River and the Tama River to the south, unique districts with their own subcultures bubble beneath the city’s surface. Whether it's shopping in Shibuya or partying in Roppongi, neon lights and towering skyscrapers are deeply integral to Tokyo’s identity. With a number of big company headquarters producing the latest high-tech toys and creative designs, Tokyo represents a symbol of the future. Science meets outlet shopping on the manmade island of Odaiba, with a view overlooking the sparkling waters of Tokyo Bay. Have the happiest day on earth in Disneyland, or immerse yourself in one of the city’s major museum institutions. All things kawaii in Harajuku contrast the humility of traditional Asakusa, while salarymen help the economy go round, crunching numbers in offices throughout the city. 

Fueled by long nights of drinking sake and eating every type of food your heart could ask for, Tokyo’s fast-paced energy is undeniably infectious. However, the Greater Tokyo Area offers moments of bliss on beaches and mountains amidst the chaos of urban life. As exciting as it is overwhelming, with access to both high and low culture Tokyo offers the best in traditional sights, nightlife, and shopping. And of course, with mouthwatering Japanese food and world cuisine at every turn, it would take multiple lifetimes to explore Tokyo’s thousands of bars and restaurants.

Browse cooking classes, tastings, dining experiences & food tours in Tokyo, the city with the most Michelin stars in the world and tasty Japanese food at every turn!

Best Food Experiences in Tokyo | byFood

Tokyo

Spreading as far as Kanagawa, Chiba, and Saitama, the mega-metropolis of the Greater Tokyo Area functions as the country’s futuristic capital, featuring the latest in art, technologies, food, and pockets of every subculture imaginable. 

Traditional Japanese Sweets, Wagashi and Mochi Class

Wagashi are small traditional Japanese sweet treats made from plant-based ingredients (the main dough is a mix of beans and rice powder). Literally meaning “Japanese sweets,” it’s an edible art form that you’ll find almost everywhere throughout Japan, and which are often seen as an element used in traditional tea ceremonies. Wagashi sweets pair well well with a bowl of matcha green tea and can be eaten as an afternoon snack or as a beautiful dessert. Handmade wagashi are crafted with careful attention to detail, with references to the stunning nature found in Japan. Wagashi making takes time and patience, but the end result is satisfying for its deliciousness and thoughtful aesthetics. Considered to be a historical dish that is deeply tied to Japanese culture, traditional wagashi sweets are delicate and colorful and are a must-eat when visiting Japan.

Create your own wagashi during a Wagashi Making Class in Tokyo, where you’ll learn how to make the beautiful Japanese sweets from traditional ingredients and techniques. You’ll make sweet dough typical of wagashi, then color and shape it, forming it into decorative and tasty wagashi. In this special wagashi making class in Tokyo, you’ll learn how to hold, mold, and create your delicate Japanese desserts made from vegan and gluten-free ingredients. You’ll be making nerikiri wagashi, with motif designs that change depending on the season of the class. Enjoy your 4 beautifully handcrafted pieces of nerikiri wagashi with a complimentary bowl of green tea that you will learn how to make yourself.

Create your own traditional Japanese sweets from scratch during this Wagashi Making Class in Tokyo, learning how to make 4 beautiful pieces of nerikiri wagashi.

Wagashi Making Class in Tokyo | byFood

Wagashi Making Class in Tokyo

Vegetarian

Pescetarian

With dessert

With lunch

Japanese food is known for being simple yet complex, with flavors and textures that are sincere but still artistic. Japanese people take the utmost care when it comes to the preparation and making of their food. With every slice, roll, or garnish, they put their heart and soul into each aspect, always refined and considered in their method. The result is always beautiful food, whose dishes are texturally challenging but aesthetically pleasing, and of course, delicious every time! During this Intensive Japanese Home Cooking Class, you’ll have the opportunity to learn in-depth about Japanese food, discovering essential ingredients and traditional cooking techniques, tasting as you go. This class series is ideal for beginners who want to learn more about Japanese home cooking.

Over 5 days of classes, you’ll learn about Japanese home cooking as you make rice, soup, a main, two side dishes, and a different dessert each day. You’ll learn about everything, from ingredients to tools to serving the dishes, everything you need to know about basic Japanese cooking for beginners. What’s unique about this Japanese home cooking class is that you get a glimpse of how Japanese people cook their food with such passion, something that you’ll surely bring home with you after your trip to Tokyo. Get your hands and tummies ready because these will be the best cooking classes you’ll ever attend, for its in-depth information about Japanese cooking, variety of tips and tricks, and breadth of knowledge you’ll gain. 

Vegan & Gluten-free options are available.

Schedule: 

LESSON 1: Supermarket Tour + An Introduction to Essential Japanese Condiments
LESSON 2: Using the Almighty “Banno” Sauce
LESSON 3: Tofu 101
LESSON 4: Miso Masterclass
LESSON 5: Japanese Home Cooking Recipes Upon Request

From shopping to serving, this one-of-a-kind intensive cooking class in Tokyo teaches basic techniques and styles of Japanese home cooking in 5 different classes!

Intensive 5 Day Japanese Home Cooking Class | byFood

Intensive 5 Day Japanese Home Cooking Class 

Nerikiri is a type of wagashi, or Japanese sweet, made from a dough of sweet bean paste and soft mochi. It is a very malleable dough, which is easily molded into different shapes, like flowers and animals which represent the seasons. Nerikiri is an incredibly cute (kawaii) and simple art form that, with the right instructor, can be mastered by anyone. This Intensive Nerikiri Wagashi Course is perfect for people who want to learn how to make nerikiri starting from the basics and will lay the foundation for professional-level nerikiri making if you choose to pursue it. Usually paired with a cup of tea, nerikiri wagashi should be appreciated slowly and savored, a reminder to yourself to take it easy during an otherwise busy day. They also make beautiful gifts!

Over the course of 6 classes (2 hours each), you will learn nerikiri wagashi making techniques and make popular seasonal designs for spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Classes begin at 10:00 a.m. and you may take a maximum of three classes in a day if it is available. If you do multiple classes in a day you will be allowed a one-hour lunch break between classes where you can explore the local area. And upon completion of the course, you will receive a certificate to prove your wagashi-making chops. 

Schedule:
 
CLASS 1:  Anko Making
CLASS 2: Nerikiri Dough Making
CLASSES 3 to 6: Seasonal Nerikiri Motifs

Over six 2-hour classes in the Intensive Nerikiri Wagashi Course, learn all about the art of making traditional nerikiri wagashi, a type of Japanese sweets.

Intensive 6 Class Nerikiri Wagashi Course | byFood

Intensive 6 Class Nerikiri Wagashi Course

Halal

Made with simple ingredients (sweet white bean paste and glutinous rice flour), wagashi can be enjoyed by vegans, vegetarians, and Muslims alike! And don’t be fooled by the name “glutinous rice flour” because this Osaka wagashi class is actually gluten-free! 

A delicious and aesthetically-pleasing plant-based treat, wagashi are very traditional Japanese sweets that pair best with a cup of tea, and often accompany the Japanese tea ceremony. This Osaka Wagashi Making Class includes making matcha tea, a simple method which is easy to do at home with the right tools. Learning to make wagashi is a beautiful way to connect to Japanese culture and create something that is steeped in centuries of history and traditions. Often, wagashi reflect the current season with motifs such as cherry blossoms and maple leaves. It’s almost too beautiful to eat, and as an added bonus it’s naturally vegetarian, vegan, and Halal!

Learn to make 2 types of traditional wagashi Japanese sweets during this Osaka Wagashi Making Class, which includes learning how to prepare matcha to go with them.

Osaka Wagashi Making Class | byFood

Osaka Prefecture proudly stretches itself across the Kansai region, a modern metropolitan area with some of the best food in Japan. In the wake of Japan opening up to foreign trade, Osaka Prefecture operated as an essential trading hub, where the boisterous capital city of Osaka still overlooks the industrial Osaka Bay to the west. Once a port town but now the third largest city in Japan, the glittering city of Osaka is like Tokyo’s rowdy younger sibling, famous for its laidback nature and slower pace of life. Far less serious than their Tokyoite counterparts, the people of Osaka harbor a widespread love for comedy shows performed in the Kansai dialect, matched with a wild party culture that seems to never sleep. Osaka Prefecture is also the center of the Osaka-Kyoto-Kobe regional trifecta, collectively known as the Keihanshin metropolis area. 

As the capital of Kansai, Osaka is proudly attributed with the creation of two classic Japanese food favorites: okonomiyaki (savory Japanese pancake, “grilled as you like it”) and takoyaki ( molten balls of batter filled with octopus pieces and topped with savory-sweet sauce). Lovingly nicknamed the “Nation’s Kitchen,” Osaka has a loud reputation for high-quality food and so much of it. The region’s obsession with food fuels the local motto, kuidaore, meaning (and encouraging) “to eat yourself into ruin.” You’re spoilt for choice with street food on every corner (kushikatsu deep-fried skewers is a must-try) and izakayas offering all-you-can-eat dining; let alone the number of high-class restaurants serving fresh fugu (pufferfish) and premium wagyu beef. Osaka Castle lies in the heart of the city, while the colorful characters of Universal Studios live on the city’s outskirts, plus all kinds of business, shopping, and nightlife from Namba to Shinsekai, with pockets in-between and beyond.

Browse cooking classes, tastings, dining experiences, and food tours in Osaka! Lovingly nicknamed the “Nation’s Kitchen,” Osaka has a loud reputation for good food.

Best Food Experiences in Osaka | byFood

Osaka

Osaka Prefecture is the birthplace of Kansai-style okonomiyaki and many classic Japanese street foods. Centered around Osaka (the prefectural capital), the clash of trade, traditions, and modern technologies contributes to the dynamic energy of this prefecture overlooking Osaka Bay.

Osaka Wagashi Making Class

Wear kimono

Higashi candies are typical Japanese wagashi sweets made from high quality sugar from Shikoku island. They're colorful and chalky, and very cute! With intricate handmade designs, higashi are both delicious and beautiful, making them the perfect sweet to be used in a Japanese tea ceremony. The dry quality of these candies perfectly counteracts the refreshing and bitter taste of matcha green tea. 

For those who are visiting the beautiful island of Miyajima, this higashi making sweet class would be a perfect activity to break up the day! Learn how to make your own higashi sweets during this Sweet Higashi Making Class in Miyajima, where you’ll make these delicate sweets from scratch, and then eat them with a delicious cup of green tea. 

Plus, you’ll wear a kimono while you’re at it, as this class includes a Japanese kimono wearing, an opportunity to try on a beautiful kimono before you join the higashi making class. Join this Sweet Higashi Making Class in Miyajima for a fun double activity.

Join this higashi making class to learn how to make your own Japanese higashi sweets while wearing a beautiful Japanese kimono during your trip to Miyajima Island!

Sweet Higashi Making Class in Miyajima | byFood

The capital of Hiroshima Prefecture, Hiroshima City, was completely destroyed by the tragic bombing of 1945, but has since grown out of devastation into a modern city, with only the memory of the Peace Memorial Park remaining. Backing onto the Chugoku Mountains, Hiroshima is now a modern city with six rivers flowing through its heart, sometimes called the “City of Water.” Across from the island of Shikoku, Hiroshima Prefecture and the beautiful Hiroshima Bay opens out onto the Seto Inland Sea with a smattering of smaller islands in-between. The iconic UNESCO World Heritage site of Miyajima Island, formally known as Itsukushima, is home to the huge red torii gate rising from its glorious waters. 

Shelter from Shikoku and gentle wind from the inland sea makes the climate in Hiroshima Prefecture mild all year round, with great weather for producing the country’s highest quality lemons. Hiroshima Bay also grows Hiroshima’s famous oysters, enormous and succulent; they’re delicious served inside a slab of Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki (a savory Japanese pancake with layered ingredients). With over 50 breweries, the city of Hiroshima proudly owns the Saijo sake brewing district, protecting a fierce reputation as one of the top three sake-producing areas in Japan. Hiroshima Prefecture is also known for its delicious salt water eel, anago, drenched with a sweet soy glaze. There are also a number of local specialties within Hiroshima Prefecture. Onomichi is famous for its namesake ramen, and for being a picturesque filming location for a number of popular Japanese period films, while the ship-building port city of Kure is famous for its kaiji-kare, a special Japanese curry eaten every Friday by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force stationed along the inland sea. With access to mountains and sea, Hiroshima Prefecture is a less-traveled destination featuring a bounty of fine local foods.

Browse cooking classes, tastings, dining experiences, and food tours in Hiroshima. Try Hiroshima’s famous oysters, Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki, and specialty sake!

Best Food Experiences in Hiroshima | byFood

Hiroshima

Tucked to the south of Honshu between the Chugoku Mountains and the Seto Inland Sea, the humble Hiroshima Prefecture is known for its oysters and freshwater eel, as well as local okonomiyaki and sake produced in the revitalized capital of Hiroshima. 

Sweet Higashi Making Class in Miyajima

Learn etiquette

Tea experience

Delicate, beautiful, and delicious, Japanese wagashi sweets are a quintessential part of Japanese culture and a part of the ritual of any Japanese tea ceremony. On your next trip to Nagoya, Japan’s industrial capital city, why not learn how to make your own Japanese sweets? Join a Nagoya Sweets Making Class with Tea Ceremony to do just that. This class offers the opportunity to learn how to make a range of Japanese sweets from scratch, diverse in their flavors and textures, and then enjoy them with a humbling Japanese tea ceremony experience. 

You’ll be welcomed into the traditional wooden-style Japanese home of your cooking instructor, complete with tatami straw mats on the floor as well as traditional architecture and decor. You’ll be cooking your Nagoya sweets in a renovated Japanese storehouse (a “kura”), a traditional building which is over 105 years old. Before you make your sweets, you’ll explore the vegetable patch and peaceful Japanese garden on-site. Next, you’ll learn all about different types of Japanese sweets, ingredients, and processes in a demonstration, before jumping in to make your own by hand. It’s traditional, delicious, and aesthetically-pleasing! 

After making your Nagoya sweets, you’ll enjoy them with a Japanese tea ceremony. Your instructor for this immersive cooking class is qualified, and holds a tea ceremony certificate. She also has a wide range of knowledge, including information on Chinese herbal medicine and health benefits of herbs, macrobiotic dishes, and macrobiotic sweets. Your friendly instructor is not only well-informed about Japanese sweets, but Japanese cooking and health as well, and is more than happy answer questions you might have! Enjoy the ambiance and ritual of a tea ceremony, and then take any delicious sweets home with you as a beautiful souvenir.

Immerse yourself in a Nagoya Sweets Making class to learn how to make local-style wagashi sweets in Nagoya and enjoy them with a traditional Japanese tea ceremony.

Nagoya Sweets Making Class with Tea Ceremony | byFood

Aichi Prefecture is located in the heart of the Chubu region of Japan, with its port city capital of Nagoya trailing down to meet Ise Bay in the west. A major transit hub, Nagoya is a powerful economic player in Japan’s industrial production, hosting the headquarters of car mogul Toyota, keeping the economy thriving as one of the strongest in the country. Nagoya is the birthplace of the pachinko parlor and some of Japan’s most famous feudal leaders, but the city’s technological expertise and futuristic downtown Sakae area are balanced by the traditional culture of Atsuta Shrine, Osu Kannon Temple, and Nagoya Castle. Alongside the Chubu International Airport, Tokoname is a famous pottery town filled with artist studios, galleries, and shops selling local wares. To the north, Inuyama is home to Inuyama Castle (a national treasure) and the open-air architectural museum of Meiji-Mura, a village filled with Meiji Era style buildings. 

Two peninsula points wrap around the waters of Mikawa Bay with views of the sea from Mount Horaiji to Aichi’s east, featuring cedar-lined hiking trails leading to its 8th-century temple. Atsumi Peninsula in particular hosts some popular surfing spots like Akabane Beach, and of course, plenty of tasty seafood. The hard-working culture of Aichi Prefecture is fueled by a collective love of all foods flavored with miso, where the city of Okazaki pays homage to soybean paste with its very own miso museum. Aichi Prefecture boasts unique spins on traditional dishes like tonkatsu topped with red miso sauce and miso-flavored hot pots such as miso nikomi udon, alongside a specialty of thick, flat noodles called kishimen. With a long-established work ethic (fueled by morning breakfast sets with coffee) and a knack for making things (monozukuri), Aichi offers a number of cultural and delicious destinations plus well-connected access to greater Japan.

Browse cooking classes, tastings, dining experiences, and food tours in Aichi Prefecture, known for cooking up everything with local miso, from hot pot to tonkatsu!

Best Food Experiences in Aichi | byFood

Aichi

Home to the economic powerhouse and port city of Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture backs onto mountainous landscapes that overlook the two peninsulas surrounding Mikawa Bay and famously fuels its hard-working people with miso, complimentary breakfasts, and more miso. 

Nagoya Sweets Making Class with Tea Ceremony

Learn to make stunning edible pieces of art! Wagashi are traditional Japanese confections that are often served during the Japanese tea ceremony. These gorgeous sweets are made in a variety of shapes, reflecting the beauty of the seasons. Blush-pink sakura blossoms, for example, are evocative of the spring, while vibrant orange momiji leaves represent autumn. 

During this class, you will join a Japanese cooking instructor, Mai, and learn how to craft these beautiful Japanese confections at her Tokyo residence. Located just 5-15 minutes away from the Shinjuku and Shibuya areas, this class is very conveniently located for those who are visiting the major hotspots of Tokyo. 

First, Mai will go through the recipe and all the steps to making nerikiri wagashi. Then, you will get hands-on in the kitchen, starting by making the wagashi dough from scratch. Wagashi is made with bean paste and no animal products, so this wagashi cooking class is perfect for vegans and vegetarians. With the guidance of an experienced teacher, your sweet treats will turn out wonderfully, and taste just as good as they look! Even beginners can hand-craft bite-sized masterpieces! At the end, these traditional desserts will be served alongside high-quality matcha green tea, the luscious foamy texture and slight bitterness contrasting beautifully with the sweet handmade morsels.  

With step-by-step instructions and insights into the Japanese food culture, this is the perfect experience for those who are interested in the more traditional side of Japan.

Learn to make beautiful traditional Japanese sweets with a wagashi artist as your teacher! Roll up your sleeves, because this wagashi making class is 100% hands-on!

Wagashi Class in Tokyo with Matcha Green Tea | byFood

Nerikiri Wagashi Class in Tokyo with Matcha Green Tea 

This is your chance to become a candy sculpting artist! Make your very own Japanese candy art during this Amezaiku Candy Sculpting Workshop in Tokyo. Held at a candy art studio in the busy cultural district of Asakusa, you will learn how to sculpt your own candy rabbit during this exciting candy art challenge.

Using a type of soft candy called “mizuame,” you will use scissors and tweezers to sculpt the candy into an “usagi,” the Japanese word for rabbit. This class allows you to practice 2 times before creating your final candy rabbit. After your practice attempts, a skilled craftsperson will demonstrate carefully how it is made. Once you have made your final candy rabbit, you will be able to decorate it with food coloring, and then viola; it is complete! You can indulge yourself by eating your kawaii candy creation, or else package it up to take home as a souvenir.

Amezaiku, traditional Japanese candy sculpting, became popular in Japan during the Heian period, where candy sculptures were given up as offerings at local temples in Kyoto. This traditional craft evolved into a form of street art, too, for its theatrical side and technical skills needed to sculpt the candy carefully into intricate shapes. The candy is warmed to 200 degrees Fahrenheit (90 degrees Celsius) which makes it soft enough to sculpt. This is done using techniques of cutting, pulling, and bending the candy, which is attached to a stick. 

Try traditional Japanese candy sculpting during this Amezaiku candy sculpting workshop in the heart of Tokyo’s cultural district, Asakusa. Book now on byFood!

COOKING CLASSES (9)