Celebrate the beauty of the season with your ‘wagashi’ creation
“Make your Japanese Sweets” Workshop held in the Hoshino Tea Museum lets you make traditional confectionaries with the help of a local confectioner.
Hoshino-mura is a Pristine Village Known for Natural Beauty and Top-Quality Tea
Located in the pristine little village in the countryside, known for stone bridges, fireflies, beautiful stars, and the top-quality tea, “Hoshino Tea Museum” is the special place in Fukuoka where you can refresh your soul by immersing yourself in the goodness of Japanese tea culture while fully satisfying all of your five senses.
In the “Make your Japanese Sweets” Workshop you can create two pieces of traditional confectionaries that visually reflect the beauty of the season in Hoshino-mura (星野村) with the help of a local confectioner and enjoy your creations with your choice of Shizuku-cha(しずく茶- Gyokuro “Dew Drop” Tea) or Matcha (抹茶- powdered green tea).
Each Creation Reflects the Natural Beauty Observed in Hoshino-mura at the Time of Your Visit
What is more interesting than the experience of making wagashi (和菓子-a traditional Japanese confectionary) itself in this workshop might be the chance for you to meet local ladies whose love for the village drove them to master the art of wagashi making.
Although none of the ladies who teach the workshop knew anything about making wagashi before the museum opened in 1994, the need to serve something sweet that complemented the delicate taste of the Hoshino tea motivated them to travel to Kyoto to learn the craft. Since then, their appreciation for the seasonal beauty of this village named “star field” helped them develop hundreds of original designs inspired by nature.
So, what you are going to make in the workshop will be determined by what bounty of nature will be observed in the village at the time of your visit. In the picture you see wagashi my friend and I made that represent a bell flower and Rose of Sharon; those are the flowers that were in bloom when we visited the museum in August.
These are called ‘Nerikiri’—a kneaded mixture of rice flour, white bean paste, and granulated sugar, with added coloring.
It All Begins with a Ball of Bean Paste
In another picture of what you will see is a ball of red bean paste and balls of what is called Nerikiri (練り切り) dough. Nerikiri here, according to Ms. Ishibashi I interviewed, is the kneaded mixture of rice flour, white bean paste, and granulated sugar with coloring.
This is where you will get started in making wagashi with this workshop; you will turn those balls into work of art with the help of the local ladies. The process itself is not that complicated, but if you want to photograph good looking wagashi at the end of the session, you need to be focused and pay close attention to each small detail.
But, please remember….even if you fail to make the perfect looking wagashi in the end, you will still have the memory of working together with the local to create something that shows appreciation for all the wonderful things this village offers. That, my friend, is what makes your trip to Japan unforgettable.
Ms. Ishibashi is pointing out the details.
The Wagashi Ladies of Hoshino: Sharing Sweet Traditions Near and Far
Today, these wagashi–making ladies call their group by the formal name of “Four Seasons Club (四季の会),” and they have shared wonderful things of Hoshino-mura by visiting high schools in the region. More recently, they have travelled overseas to Korea to exchange ideas with a Korean-sweets-making club.
In addition to making wagashi, Four Seasons Club produces yōkan (羊羹- a thick jellied dessert made of red bean paste, agar, and sugar) in three flavors: matcha, yuzu(柚子-Japanese citrus), and blueberry as well as unique, East-meet-West creations like Gyokuro (玉露- fine green tea) jam you can spread over bread or yogurt and manjū (饅頭- sweet bun) called chamu (茶夢) with buttery, matcha taste. You can ask more about their products when you meet them.
An Experience to Remember: Express the Joy of the Season with Hoshino-mura Locals
You are probably aware by now that this workshop is not merely about learning how to make a different kind of sweets, but rather it is more about learning how to express the joy of the season and appreciation of nature with a local of the Hoshino-mura.
In this village where good old days of Japan are still alive and well, your truly harmonious experience will only be complete after you are touched by the serene beauty of nature and the warm hearts of the local people at this workshop.
Hoshino Tea Museum (Hoshino-mura, Yame City, Fukuoka)
- Address: 10816-5 Hoshino-mura, Yame City, Fukuoka 834-0201, Japan
- Hours: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- Closed: Tuesdays (Open on public holidays, during May, and summer vacation periods)
- Admission: Free
- Parking: 30 spaces available
- Phone: +81-943-52-3003 (Available 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM)
- Website: https://www.hoshinofurusato.jp/tea/
- Make Your Japanese Sweets” Workshop:
Available by advance reservation only. Please call the museum directly to make an appointment (appointment required).
