I participated in Hiromi-sensei’s Nerikiri Wagashi Making Lesson in Tokyo while I was in Japan last month. She is from Kobe, Japan but she flew to Tokyo and held her special lesson for her students.

This was taken in Asakusa, Tokyo.

Hiromi-sensei👆

Nerikiri Wagashi is a type of traditional Japanese sweets. Nerikiri Wagashi is often served at a traditional Japanese tea ceremony with a bowl of matcha.

This sunflower-shaped Nerikiri was made by me last Summer. hehe

There is so much to tell about Nerikiri Wagashi, but one unique thing about this sweet is its design emphasizes the sense of the changing of the seasons, and each design of Nerikiri Wagashi has its own unique name (Kamei) that is named after poems, old history, or even memories you experienced.

Hearing the sweet’s name, Kamei, thinking and imagining the sense that is expressed within the small sweet and enjoying the cup of tea… I think it is a beautiful way to experience Wagashi.  

In 2022, Bunkacho, the Japanese Agency of Cultural Affairs recognized Nerikiri that have Kamei as an intangible cultural heritage.  

During Hiromi-sensei’s lesson, I learned how to make three different designs of early spring-themed Nerikiri Wagashi. The names of each sweet are the following:

Sakiwake (咲き分け）

Sakiwake is a type of Japanese plum tree that blooms pink and white flowers from mid-February to March. The little green and white piece of Nerikiri represents Uguisu, a bush warbler, which is known as a spring bird.

Haru Kasumi (春かすみ)

Haru Kasumi is one of the spring season words that is often used in haiku. Haru Kasumi evokes a scenery of the morning glow with wispy clouds as the spring season approaches in Japan. By expressing the scenery’s image on the small Nerikiri Wagashi, it also represents welcoming the spring season.

Usui （雨水）

Usui is a seasonal word that expresses early spring. It also brings to mind how plants start sprouting after the snows melt and becomes rain, ice becomes water and joins the rivers, etc. 

I was so excited to make the beautiful Nerikiri Wagashi designs, but it was so hard to make them since I hadn’t practiced making Nerikiri for a while… It reminded me that practice makes perfect.

I was staying at an Airbnb in Tokyo so I didn’t have nice plates, Kuromoji, which is a special toothpick that is used for eating traditional sweets, and I couldn’t even do a nice table setting for the sweets that I learned from Hiromi-sensei.

But my daughter was so excited waiting for me to come back from the lesson, and to bring the Nerikiri Wagashi home. When I arrived home, she said “Mama! Show me what you made! I want to try!” So, we sat down and enjoyed the Nerikiri Wagashi on the small table at our Airbnb together. She said, “Aww, these are so beautiful to eat…”

Thank you so much, Hiromi-sensei for coming to Tokyo from Kobe, and giving me a chance to learn in person about your beautiful Nerikiri wagashi.

Thank you for reading my blog. ☆彡