wagashi (Page 2)
Edo period confectionery store learnt the secret recipe from a monk on a mountain in Kyoto.
A long-established Kyoto confectionery shop is selling these do-it-yourself kits with simple video instructions.
Turns out you don’t have to look very far to collect all seven dragon balls – just go to your local Family Mart.
This is a one-of-a-kind sweet that you’ll never be able to get anywhere else, for a limited time only!
One of Japan’s best katana-collection museums recreates its swords in miniature form for you to cut up your desserts with.
Signs of the seasons, from rainbows to cherry blossoms, have never looked as good, or tasty, as these breathtaking nerikiri desserts.
Japanese sweets and teas every bit as elegant and colorful as Kyoto itself.
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Mickey and Minnie have been turned into sweet Japanese confections this winter, and one thing’s for sure: they’re way too adorable!
Tanabata, also known as the Star Festival, is once again on our doorstep and now with this “how to” video you can make your very own Raindrop Cake to celebrate!
After hearing that traditional Japanese sweets now come in the shape of lovable robot cat Doraemon, our food-loving writer Meg just had to give them a try!
How well do you know your wagashi (Japanese sweets)? If you’re struggling to put a name to any of the traditional delectables pictured above, there’s a store in Kyoto that can help.
By creating decorative embroidered versions of some of Japan’s most popular confections, Kyoto-based Kyototo is giving us an education in the names and background of the hand-crafted treats that are often seasonal but always delicious. Come with us as we take a look at twelve of the most beautiful wagashi you can find in Japan.
Remember those beautiful edible “jewels” that we shared with you a couple of weeks ago? Made simply from sugar, agar-agar, and a beverage of your choice, the jewels are both pretty to look at and make a cool – in both senses of the word – summer treat.
They’re still all the rage right now on Japanese social media, so our Japanese reporter Shimazu decided to try making some jewel flavor combinations for herself. She even experimented with three different manners of preparation–serving them right away, freezing them, and letting them sit for a few days to harden.
Which method of making them do you think she enjoyed the most?
If you’re someone who enjoys making treats like cakes and pastries, then perhaps you have first hand knowledge of how baking can sometimes be a tricky affair. Well, in Japan, we have a whole category of wagashi, or traditional Japanese sweets, that aren’t baked at all, called namagashi (literally, “raw confectionaries”). Namagashi are typically made from various colorful bean pastes and often crafted into delicate seasonal-themed shapes.
Earlier this month, we participated in a seminar to experience what namagashi-making is like. Join us as we see how a master chef creates beautiful flowers from bean paste, and then try our not-so-expert hand at creating our own confections!




















Japan may add Japanese language proficiency, lifestyle classes to permanent foreign resident requirements
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