Wagashi-Making Experience(Tuesday, June 10)

On Tuesday, June 10, 2025, a wagashi-making experience was held for international students. The event was led by Ms. Mari Uchiyama, who runs the "nico nico time" wagashi class in Mito City. Participants not only learned about the history and cultural significance of traditional Japanese sweets, but also enjoyed hands-on experience making their own.

During the workshop, students created nerikiri sweets inspired by ajisai (hydrangea) and yohira (a four-petal variety of hydrangea), both symbolic of the early summer season in Japan. Although they found the process of shaping and coloring the sweets to be quite intricate, the students were deeply engaged and proud of their final creations.

As a part of the reflection process, students created posters to showcase what they had learned. Feedback included comments such as:

“It was my first time making nerikiri, and I could really feel the beauty of Japanese seasonal traditions,” and

“The idea of otoshibumi was fascinating—I learned a lot about Japanese culture through wagashi.”

 

You can view the posters summarizing the students’ learning outcomes at the link below.