Japan Travel Reports: Wagashi in Kyoto

Travel Reports by jioruji

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July 31, 2016 - Wagashi in Kyoto

There is a lot to see in Kyoto. Impressive temples and shrines dot the city and the suburbs are surrounded by beautiful nature for those who want to take a stroll.
A little bit out of place maybe is the Nijo Castle, the sole castle in Kyoto. Also, for those who expect turrets and a keep, you might be somewhat disappointed: the keep burned down in the 18th century and was never rebuilt.

The remaining grounds - which are huge - are all original buildings though, being maybe the only castle structures within the second wall of defense remaining. In other words, the main thing to see in Nijo Castle is not the last point of defense, but the Ninomaru Palace where the Tokugawa shogun used to reside and receive visitors. It is interesting for its sheer size and its mural paintings, but very honestly, it�fs a lot of the same; huge tatami rooms with barely lit fusuma paintings. There are also more interesting gardens to be found in Japan which make Nijo Castle a bit of a letdown.

Freezing still doesn't make you vanish, you know.

Anyway, visiting Nijo Castle was not our main goal; that was the making of wagashi. Wagashi are traditional Japanese confectioneries, most of them consisting out of any sort of bean paste and sticky rice-like wrapping. The question whether wagashi are tasty I leave unanswered. In general though foreigners and a lot Japanese alike don�ft really like the bean paste. Beyond doubt though is the difficulty to make the various appearances of these confections. Just like a lot of other things Japanese tend to transform a simple thing into an art: almost all of these confectioneries are made beautiful for the eye.
In Yoshihiro, a local wagashi factory near Nijo Castle one can try and have a go at making wagashi. The chef explains very clearly how to proceed and shows it as it is a child�fs play�c but then it�fs up to you and you�fll notice how difficult it really is.

We got to make 2 different pieces, and keep these together with the samples, so in total 4 pieces per person. On top of that the session ended with a traditional green tea and an additional, seasonal treat. But really, the best of the workshop is the experience itself. I didn�ft expect it but I had a lot of fun and can definitely recommend this to everyone ? whether you like wagashi or not.

Samples of the wagashi with our own creations next to them. Do you know which is which? (probably, yes)

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List of Posts:
2017/03/11 - Reversible Destiny at Yoro & Ogaki
2017/01/28 - Miyama - Kabuki-no-Sato -
2016/11/26 - Yatsubuchi-no-Taki
2016/11/23 - Takeda Castle Ruins
2016/11/19 - Menfudo Limestone Cave
2016/07/31 - Wagashi in Kyoto
2016/07/23 - Norikura Heights
2016/07/01 - Hakodate
2016/06/30 - Onuma Park
2016/06/29 - Exploring part of the Shikotsu-Toya National Park
2016/06/28 - To central Hokkaido
2016/06/27 - Historic Village of Hokkaido
2016/02/03 - Himeji: the real castle and the fake one
2015/09/25 - Izu Peninsula: Atami, Shimoda & Cape Irozaki
2015/07/23 - Sendai
2015/07/22 - Mount Zao
2015/07/21 - Matsushima
2015/05/30 - Climbing Mount Iwawaki
2015/03/22 - Beppu
2015/03/21 - Kunisaki Peninsula
2015/03/20 - Takachiho
2015/03/19 - Kumamoto
2015/01/12 - Satsukiyama - Minoh hike
2014/11/01 - Aizu-Wakamatsu
2014/10/31 - Sadogashima
2014/10/30 - Kurobe Gorge
2014/01/25 - Fushimi Inari hike
2014/01/04 - Hidden Nachi Falls