Wagashi Sweets Experience with an Artisanal Confectioner at an Arashiyama Luxury Hotel – Includes Fukuda Art Museum Admission

A Hotel that Melds with the Arashiyama Landscape

Arashiyama has long been known as a place where those seeking waterfront tranquility and soothing views gather to enjoy the atmosphere created by the Katsura River and its nearby mountains. Here beside the famed Togetsukyo Bridge sits luxury hotel MUNI KYOTO, which opened alongside the Fukuda Museum of Art in October of 2019. The facility’s layout and use of greenery were designed for maximal continuity with Arashiyama’s historic natural landscape.

The Togetsukyo Bridge is said to have once been surrounded by the homes of aristocrats

MUNI KYOTO strives for a “one of a kind” experience, and to preserve and elevate its Arashiyama locale so that the same harmony between history and nature survives another century into the future. It aims to give its guests unique memories that they’ll never forget, and offers extraordinary dining with cuisine prepared by Ducasse Paris, founded by master of French cuisine Alain Ducasse, along with a luxurious spa, cozy guest rooms, and top tier hospitality.

A building designed for harmony with the Arashiyama landscape

A View of a Master Wagashi Artisan from a Historic Confectioner’s at Work

The MUNI KYOTO experience begins with a confectionery craft demonstration by an artisan from the longstanding Kyoto fixture Oimatsu – a traditional sweetmaker founded in the 1908 in Kamishichiken, the oldest of Kyoto’s entertainment districts.

An Oimatsu artisan demonstrating the exquisite skill the brand is known for

The artisan will create confections right before your eyes from konashi, a soft steamed dough made from white bean paste, rice flour, and wheat flour. Wagashi confections often take the forms of seasonal flowers or other flora, such as Oimatsu’s popular kinton, which changes color throughout the year to match the season while maintaining the same shape and flavor.

Crafting delightful wagashi sweets with traditional tools and delicate technique

Seasonal designs and confections themed to the exhibits of the Fukuda Museum of Art will be specially prepared for participants, with specific designs revealed on the day.

Wagashi, loved for their charming appearance, smooth mouthfeel, and elegant mild sweetness (offerings vary according to the museum exhibits)

A Wagashi Tea Time Collaboration with the Fukuda Art Museum

This lineup of wagashi offerings also includes varieties named after works of art on display at the adjacent Fukuda Museum of Art. Enjoy these beautiful confections alongside fresh-brewed matcha while taking in the expansive view of Arashiyama.

The Fukuda Museum of Art themed confections are exclusive to this plan

Participants are also sure to enjoy the stories of the wagashi artisan during their easygoing teatime. Take this opportunity to ask the confectioner whatever strikes your curiosity. You might learn about how the high humidity of Kyoto leads its confectioners to eschew water-retaining mochi (glutinous rice) flour in favor of normal rice flour, how kamei brands convey a confectioner’s vision, or other stories unique to the traditions of confectionery.

All about wagashi confectionery, straight from an artisanal pro

Deeper Understanding through Viewing of Priceless Works of Japanese Art

Head to the Fukuda Museum of Art after your tea time to see the actual art on which the themed wagashi were based. Admission is included with this plan, allowing you to tour the museum at your leisure. It houses approximately 2,000 works ranging from Edo period (1603-1867) traditional paintings to modern art. Particularly high value pieces are only rarely given public viewings, including some by artists who lived and created in Kyoto.

The gallery space is inspired by a traditional kura warehouse

Both MUNI KYOTO and Fukuda Art Museum were designed by the award-winning architect Koichi Yasuda around the concept of harmony between Arashiyama’s natural landscape and the art world landscape of Japan. Its fusion of traditional and modern Japanese architecture is palpable. In 2023, the museum was included in Time Magazine’s list of The World’s Greatest Places.

The Fukuda Museum of Art showcases an architectural fusion of modern and traditional Japanese design

Four times a year, the museum holds special exhibits, and its collection spans a wide range of history. Depending on your timing, you might see the works of Kyoto painters from the Edo period (1603-1868) such as Jakuchu Ito or Okyo Maruyama, or the Taisho period (1912-1926) poet and painter Yumeji Takehisa. Enjoy taking in these masterpieces of Japanese art at your leisure.

Ito Jakuchu’s Roosters and Hens folding screen, Fukuda Museum of Art collection

Experience Japanese Aesthetics in Arashiyama’s Natural Beauty

This experience offers a layered multitude of inspiring beauty, from the architecture of MUNI KYOTO and the Fukuda Museum of Art to the charming confections of Oimatsu to the museum’s art collection itself and the broader magnificence of the Arashiyama landscape. Whether these aesthetics strike you as familiar or exotic, you are sure to find yourself inspired and cultivated by your visit. Make MUNI KYOTO and the Fukuda Museum of Art a stop on your Arashiyama visit for an exciting experience not found anywhere else.

Masterpieces of Japan that you can experience with all five senses