Bring Edible Art to Life at This Hands-On Wagashi Workshop

Sweet-tooth cultural treats washed down with tea await in Takamatsu

More often than not, wagashi, Japanese sweets, are exquisitely shaped and colored. Wasanbon, a sugar confection originating from the island of Shikoku and served with green tea, is no exception.

The workshop, presented in English, allows participants to use the master’s painstakingly crafted wooden molds to create sublimely sweet works of art.

The workshop will also shed light on traditional Japanese tea culture, with which wasanbon is synonymous. Rounding off the class, your host will whisk you up a cup of frothy matcha tea so you can savor multiple varieties of wasanbon the way they are really meant to be enjoyed.

Access: From Shin-Osaka Station, take the Tokaido-Sanyo Shinkansen to Okayama Station (about 45 minutes), transfer to the JR train to Takamatsu Station (about 55 minutes), then transfer to the Kotoden Nagao Line to Hanazono Station (about 20 minutes) and walk about five minutes. From Takamatsu Station, you can also take the Kotoku Line to Ritsurin Station (about 25 minutes), then walk about 10 minutes.

By air, fly from Tokyo Haneda Airport to Takamatsu Airport (about one hour 10 minutes), then take the Takamatsu Airport Limousine Bus to the Kawaramachi bus stop (about 13 minutes) and walk about 13 minutes.

Mamehana