Special Experience
Kyoto
Learn to Craft Traditional Japanese Sweets (Manju and Warabi-mochi) at a Historic Kyoto Confectioner
Overview
Sasaya-iori is a traditional confectioner’s shop in Kyoto with over 300 years of history behind it. Visit its Sasaya-iori Bettei Villa Annex location and learn to make two types of traditional craft confections from a professional confectioner: manju and warabi-mochi. Observe the confectioner’s skills up close before getting hands-on with some of the processes yourself. Taste freshly made wagashi sweets alongside a paired selection of teas.
Key Features
・Learn to craft manju and warabi-mochi, traditional Japanese wagashi sweets, under a professional confectioner from a historic sweets maker
・Learn all about Kyoto’s history of traditional wagashi confectionery
・Delight in your freshly-made manju with a cup of matcha in a tearoom on the ground floor of the Hotel Emion Kyoto
*As the store and tea room are located inside the hotel, participants may hear other guests in the lobby, even within the tearoom
*Guests interested in enjoying a tea ceremony experience might be interested in this related plan : Relaxing Tea Ceremony with Exclusive Treats from a Historical Kyoto Confectioner
Kyoto
from
¥30,000 /person
1 - 6 participants
90mins
Available in English
Cancel free up to 11 days before
* If fewer than 2 participants, the minimum fee will be JPY 60,000
Details
Beloved Kyoto Fixture and Traditional Wagashi Maker for Over Three Centuries
Sasaya-iori is a storied producer of wagashi sweets that has been a fixture of Kyoto’s confectionery culture for more than three centuries since its founding in 1716. Over the course of its history, it has won the hearts of the common and the exalted alike, counting temples, shrines, tea ceremony masters, and even the Kyoto Imperial Palace as regular patrons. Today, it’s hard to find a local who hasn’t heard of it.
The venue is Sasaya-iori’s Bettei Villa Annex location: a clean, expansive cafe space with high ceilings and plenty of elbow room, filled with natural light.
A Professional Craft Confectioner Offers a Demonstration and Lively Chat about the Art
At a special reserved counter tucked away in a corner of the shop space, begin with an entertaining talk from a Sasaya-iori confectioner on the history of traditional wagashi sweets.
Kyoto wagashi confections have a distinct visual language, prizing abstract designs aimed at conveying an essence rather than a detailed form – like modern art that leaves itself highly open to interpretation. Dig in with a free spirit and an open mind like you might approach just such an art exhibit.
The wall scroll above the counter is a work by the chief priest of a temple with deep ties to the imperial family, at which Sasaya-iori confections are served as the temple refreshments. Learn all about Sasaya-iori’s history and place in the culture from such interesting stories and bits of trivia.
Get Hands-on Making Your Own Manju after a Close Observation of Professional Technique
With your newly deepened understanding of wagashi sweets, the time has come to give it a go making them yourself. In this experience, you’ll craft a traditional variation known as “joyo manju.” Bundled in an outer layer of soft, carefully steamed dough, the rustic tsubu-an sweet chunky red bean paste at its heart is Sasaya-iori’s signature filling. Working the manju dough requires good technique and an understanding of its properties, so this is a great opportunity to learn both from a professional.
Use your freshly-made dough to wrap the tsubu-an bean paste filling yourself, following the professional’s model and guidance. The thinner the skin, the more elegant the manju, according to Okura, so the thinness and evenness of the rolled dough is a test of the confectioner’s skill. Work with confidence under the guidance of a professional.
Silky, Lustrous Warabi-mochi Made with Top Tier Craftsmanship
While the manju are steaming, your instructor demonstrates how to make warabi-mochi, starting with the highest quality flour of warabi (made from the brake plant, Pteridium aquilinum) and wasanbon domestic cane sugar. The perfect amount of water can only be determined to precision by feeling the texture as you go, so pay close attention to your instructor’s technique and commentary to get a sense of the instinct required.
The trick to a silky texture is constant kneading during cooking. The warabi-mochi will gradually become transparent, and the rising steam will fill with a subtle aroma – subtle sensory aspects of the confectionery process that normally only the confectioner gets to enjoy.
Tea Time with Traditional Treats, Freshly Made
It’s finally time to delight in your creations. Have a seat at the counter for your freshly made warabi-mochi alongside houji-cha roasted green tea. Traditionally, warabi-mochi is topped with kuromitsu brown sugar syrup and kinako roasted soy powder, but participants are encouraged to taste a first bite without them in order to appreciate the delightful mouthfeel and subtle sweetness of the wasanbon cane sugar.
Move next to the facility’s Urasenke school tea ceremony style tearoom. Sliding into the room through the miniature nijiri-guchi guest entrance transports you into a traditional space imbued with Japanese spirit. Delight in your handmade manju and matcha here.
Beginners need not feel intimidated by tearoom etiquette, since the instructor is also a master of tea ceremony and will provide detailed instruction. Enjoy your fresh-steamed manju and delectable matcha tea.
Plumb the Depths of Confectionery Culture with Craft Masters
Wagashi sweets are a cornerstone of Japanese leisure traditions. This experience with artisanal confectioners offers you the chance to delve into the rich history and techniques behind these traditions while enjoying their fruits with all five senses – a fresh new window into the thought, time, effort, and technique that go into these deceptively minimalist delectable munchies.
Fresh-made wagashi confections alongside matcha are sure to brighten your day and set the stage for a joyful chat with your companions. Step through this experience into the rich traditions and aesthetics of Japanese wagashi sweets.
Sasaya-iori
Sasaya-iori
Founded in 1718 and beloved by people by every strata of society for over 3 centuries, Sasaya-iori is a Kyoto fixture that has for generations served as confectioner to shrines, temples, and even the Imperial Palace. Even as it preserves these rich traditions, it works to broaden their appeal and innovate on them.
Location
Sasaya-iori
Shimogyo Ward, Kyoto
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December 2024
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Experience fee
Minimum fee JPY 30000 × 2 participants
JPY 60,000
*Minimum: 2 participants; JPY 30,000 × 2 will be charged for bookings below the minimum.
Price may change after date is selected.
Additional options fee
Interpretation in English
JPY 0
Other
Service fee (5%)
JPY 3,000
Total Price
JPY 63,000
tax & service fee incl.
Extra charges may apply for the following
- ・Interpretation / Dependant on experience schedule and language
- ・Optional add-ons / Souvenirs, delivery, etc.
Kyoto
from
¥30,000 /person
1 - 6 participants
90mins
Available in English
Cancel free up to 11 days before
* If fewer than 2 participants, the minimum fee will be JPY 60,000
Things to know
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