Wagashi
Japanese sweets shaped by the seasons
Wagashi are traditional Japanese sweets created to be enjoyed with more than just the sense of taste.
Their colours, forms and motifs often reflect the changing seasons: a flower beginning to bloom, autumn leaves, the moon, snow, or a moment in the Japanese calendar.
At Biyori, wagashi becomes a way to experience Japanese seasonality with your own hands.
Nerikiri
A delicate art in your hands
Many of our workshops focus on nerikiri, a traditional wagashi often served together with matcha.
Made from a soft, delicate dough, nerikiri can be shaped and coloured into seasonal forms using simple tools and hand techniques.
A single piece may represent a flower, a landscape, a festival or even the feeling of a particular time of year.
The beauty of nerikiri lies in its simplicity: small details, gentle colours and a strong connection to the season.
Wagashi Workshops
Learn, create & experience
Biyori offers hands-on wagashi workshops for beginners and anyone curious about Japanese culture.
You will be guided step by step as you shape and decorate your own seasonal sweets.
Depending on the workshop, you may discover:
- the cultural background of wagashi
- Japanese seasonal motifs
- basic nerikiri shaping techniques
- traditional tools and hand-forming methods
- colour combinations and finishing details
- how wagashi is enjoyed together with matcha
No previous experience is required.
The aim is not to create something perfectly identical.
It is to understand the idea behind the sweet, work with your hands, and enjoy the process.
The Seasons in a Small Sweet
A reflection of the seasons
Seasonality is an important part of Japanese culture.
Japan is traditionally understood not only through four seasons, but through smaller seasonal changes that appear throughout the year.
Wagashi often captures these fleeting moments.
A sweet may appear only for a short period before being replaced by another design that reflects the next flower, festival or change in nature.
This makes wagashi something more than confectionery.
It is a small expression of time.
Wagashi & Matcha
A natural pair
Wagashi and matcha naturally belong together.
The sweetness of wagashi balances the bitterness of matcha, while the appearance of the sweet often complements the season expressed through the tea setting.
Some Biyori experiences therefore combine wagashi making with a table tea ceremony or hands-on matcha preparation.
This allows you to experience not only how wagashi is made, but also how it is traditionally enjoyed.
Private experiences
For special occassion
Wagashi workshops can also be arranged privately for small groups.
They are suitable for:
- birthdays and private gatherings
- cultural groups
- clubs and associations
- special occasions
- small group experiences
The theme and seasonal design can be adapted depending on the time of year and occasion.
For events & Companies
Meaningful cultural experiences
Biyori also creates wagashi experiences for cultural events, festivals and companies.
Formats can range from a focused hands-on workshop to a larger Japanese cultural programme combining wagashi, matcha and seasonal storytelling.