wagashi

Wagashi are traditional Japanese confections prepared to be enjoyed with tea, and are commonly exchanged as gifts during festivals and seasonal events. They highlight seasonal motifs, natural ingredients, and skilled craftsmanship, often reflecting the time of year in color, shape, and texture.

Wagashi are typically made from plant-based ingredients such as azuki bean paste, glutinous rice, rice flour, sugar, agar, chestnuts, and fruit; many confections are free of dairy and eggs. They are divided into several styles, including nama (fresh) wagashi, which are soft and shaped by hand; higashi, which are dry or crisp and enjoyed with tea; and nerikiri, a category in which dough of sweetened white bean paste and flour is sculpted into intricate seasonal forms.

Common examples include mochi-based items such as daifuku and other mochi sweets; manjū, steamed buns with fillings; dorayaki, two pancake-like cakes with anko filling; yokan, a jelly confection flavored with red bean or chestnut; and nerikiri and other pressed or molded sweets. Regional varieties include Kyoto’s delicate kyo-gashi and Tokyo’s Edo-style wagashi, each with distinctive techniques and motifs.

In cultural practice, wagashi accompany tea ceremonies and are used to mark holidays such as New Year, spring festivals, and harvest observances. Modern wagashi makers experiment with flavors, colors, and shapes while preserving traditional methods and seasonal symbolism.