During tea ceremony, it’s customary to enjoy a sweet wagashi with the bitter matcha tea. Among these, especially the nerikiri style of wagashi, motifs of flowers, birds, and plant life are the most remarkable features. These artful, detailed designs invite tea ceremony guests to savor and reflect on not only the ceremony but the beauty of the season in which it takes place,  as well.  

Although nerikiri come in many stunning shapes, there are four flowers that best represent the traditional seasonal shifts of Japan: plum blossoms, the royal chrysanthemum, sunflowers, and of course, sakura. During this experience, you’ll learn to make all four and enjoy a simple table-top matcha-making demonstration! These four classic flower nerikiri make use of a variety of techniques and wrap each lovely time of year in Japan into a lovely and expressive parcel of bean paste and art.  

This all-inclusive experience comes with expert instruction and pre-prepared nerikiri dough to make it easy to form beautiful wagashi even for complete beginners! No matter what time of year you visit Japan, you can enjoy its four seasons in this lesson.  

The simple tea ceremony will allow guests to fully appreciate wagashi as it was meant to be, with a few sips of refreshingly bitter matcha. During the lesson, you’ll learn how to make nerikiri wagashi and the process of making ceremonial matcha. Plus, you’ll be able to take home the rest of your sweets to enjoy and show off to friends and family.