The Art of Making Japanese Traditional Confections, Taught by a Kyoto Artisanal Confectioner

The Art of Japanese Confectionery at Tokiya

Enmachi, in Kyoto City’s Kamigyo Ward, is positioned near such attractions as the Kyoto Imperial Palace and Nijo Castle. Tokiya confectionery opened here in June of 2023. Its proprietor Yusuke Nishizawa is a skilled Kyoto craft confectioner trained at the legendary Kameya Yoshinaga, a historic Kyoto confectionery with over 220 years in business – among other storied institutions.

The Tokiya shop was designed with careful attention to material choices

Tokiya’s interior is a cozy space built and furnished with locally-sourced materials like bamboo and cedar, designed to maximize natural light. Its minimalist aesthetic, eschewing overdecoration, bespeaks an earnestness of approach and provides an undistracting backdrop frame for the real stars of the show: the sweets themselves. 

A showcase of traditional, seasonal Japanese confections lined up like works of art

Here, you’ll find elegant displays of delicate fresh and dried confections in their showcases, embodying both the seasons of Kyoto and Nishizawa’s own values. On sight alone, the master’s creations convey a sense of excitement, tradition infused with playful creative expression.

Tokiya’s owner, Yusuke Nishizawa, who holds confectionery classes to bring his passion to other sweet-tooths

This is a Wabunka limited experience, and it offers a unique chance to not only learn the craft of traditional Kyoto sweets, but the philosophy and values behind them too. Nishizawa describes the Kyoto aesthetic approach as conceptually abstract, de-emphasizing realism and centering on three principles: “round framing,” “three colors or less,” and “appetizing to look at.” Color is of special importance, and it is traditionally used alongside naming conventions to imbue sweets with a feeling of seasonality. Seeing this delicately delectable craft from the master’s perspective will open your eyes to a whole new layer of enjoyment.

The captivating sight of Nishizawa’s delicate, gorgeous creations never gets old

Learning the seasonal terms and themes behind the sweets will bring them to life in your imagination even before you begin the process of creation.

Fresh Confections that Revel in the Changing Seasons

Create two types of fresh sweets and one type of dry on the day, following Nishizawa’s demonstrations and using his finished product as your models. The specific sweets introduced will be matched to each month according to the motifs of the season, for maximum delectation and delight.

Following along, imitating each of Nishizawa’s movements

Nishizawa will be by your side throughout the sweet-crafting process, offering guidance and demonstrating each movement with his hands for you to follow. Even beginning with the same amount of the same material in the same color, it’s very interesting to notice the variations in thickness and shape of the finished product. This is when it really hits you just how masterful is Nishizawa’s ability to reproduce the same size and shape time after time.

Teruha (left) and Cosmos (right), fresh autumn nerikiri confections

Dried sweets tend to be a bit easier to make than fresh. Pack the wasanbon into Nishizawa’s original mold, tap it free, and watch a beautiful dried confection emerge.

The trick is to really pack the wasanbon tight

After you’ve finished creating, you can enjoy your dried confections right away. Compared to commercially produced versions available at any shop, you’ll be surprised at how deliciously Tokiya’s wasanbon melt in your mouth. Delight in their rarified and exquisite texture.

Adorable dry confection rabbits, a Tokiya original design – Tokiya’s shop name derives from the kanji characters for “Rabbit” and “Turtle”

Japanese Confections and a Calendar in Colors

Uniquely in the Wabunka plan, enjoy a live demonstration of kinton-making from Nishizawa. Kinton is a fresh confection made from pureed sweet bean paste with a delightful crumbly texture. It is colored to match the seasonal fabrics of each of the traditional calendar’s 24 solar terms on display in the shop. Develop a new understanding of the traditional reckoning of the Japanese calendar, alongside the relationship between Kyoto’s sweets and its culture of seasonality in colors – which Nishizawa holds dear.

Kinton confections are colored to match the seasonal cloth on display in shops

Afterward, enjoy the kinton alongside equally fresh matcha, both prepared by Nishizawa. Luxuriate in the slow moments and delight in the visual feast before you begin to eat and drink. Kinton is made with tsukune-imo, an uncommon tuber grown in Hyogo Prefecture’s Mount Tanba region and highly prized as a delicacy for its dense rich flavor. (The ingredients may be subject to change depending on the season.) If this kind of detail interests you, this tea time is a great chance to get your questions answered by Nishizawa himself.

A moment for scrumptious tea and exquisite kinton

As a souvenir, take home your handmade nerikiri confection and dried sweets, alongside other exclusive designs of dried wasanbon sweets to take with you, and enjoy the delights of rarified sweets and excellent tea in the comfort of your own home.

Enjoy a taste test of Nishizawa’s creations against your own

Enter the Kyoto Confectionery World

This particular Wabunka experience was born from Nishizawa’s dream of “bringing the philosophy of Kyoto sweets to the world.” Not only is it a unique chance to get hands-on with authentic traditional Japanese sweets, but it is also a rare expert-guided look into the storied confectionery heritage of Japan’s old capital. Get immersed in the abstract design concepts and philosophy behind them. Develop deeper discernment and acquire appreciation for the way these enchanting creations engage your eyes and your imagination alike.

A deeper look at Kyoto’s confectionery traditions

Kyoto’s confectionery culture comes through in simple minimalist shapes and colors. The unadorned simplicity of the designs leaves room for the beholder to attach their own associations, concepts, and memories, lending a personalized aesthetic resonance to the unparalleled flavor. Let Tokiya open your eyes.