Tokyo Cooking Class
Learn Japanese Desserts (Wagashi) from a chef - with tea ceremony experience

Wagashi Tea Ceremony   Shibuya Tokyo
★★★★★ 47

House

Pick Up

Vegetarian

2.5 hours

Max 5 guests

Market Visiting






Cooking Class Menu

Japanese Desserts "Wagashi" (Nerikiri), Matcha Green Tea

  • Green Tea

    Green Tea

    The astringent constituent in Japanese tea is a type of polyphenol called catechin. Japan has done a great deal with the humble tea leaf. For example some benefits of the catechin in the tea leaf can lower cholesterol in some cases. Roasted over charcoal at a high temperature and grown under shade for at least 20 days are one of the examples. The most popular Japanese tea might be ryokucha. Depending on the timing of picking the leaves, the grade, the price can be noticeably different.

Cooking Class Information

In this experience, you will be able to make beautiful "Wagashi" - traditional Japanese confectionery - and taste them together with matcha green tea. Tea will be served in traditional tea bowls of my collections which I use at the tea ceremony.

You will how to make nerikiri dough from scratch. Then tint the dough and make three types of seasonal confectioneries. After you make, you will enjoy Wagashi with matcha green tea which I will serve in my cozy dining room.

During the lesson, I will teach you not only about creation techniques, but also about cultural stories behind the confectionaries.  Every participant will receive a copy of the recipe in English.

Please visit my IG (@misswagashi) for my Wagashi creations!


What you will do


Meet at the station

1. Meet at the station

I will meet you at the station and we will walk to my home together!

A walk to my home.

2. A walk to my home.

My home is located in a beautiful residential area. We'll enjoy a walk along a nice comfortable street for 10 minutes. You will find lots of greenery and sakura (cherry blossoms) on the way.

Briefing about today's menu

3. Briefing about today's menu

I will briefly explain about what we will make today!

Dough making from scratch!

4. Dough making from scratch!

I will teach you how to make the dough from scratch. You will make the dough first and then learn how to tint the color. Unlike other classes, this class is not just molding and shaping!

Shaping into flowers!

5. Shaping into flowers!

I will teach you how to use the tool first! And then, we will shape the dough into flowers!!

Photo time!!

6. Photo time!!

Let's take photos of your beautiful creations!

It's tea time!!

7. It's tea time!!

I will serve you a bowl of matcha. The bowls I use has been passed generations. Let's enjoy our tea time! As a foodie, I will share about my recommendations on shops and restaurants too! You will receive a copy of recipe.


About Host


host-Mai

Mai

★★★★★ (47)

All cooking classes by Mai



Hi! This is Mai!

I am wagashi (Japanese confectionery) artist, instructor of the largest culinary school in Asia, and write articles on traditional Japanese cuisine as a food writer. Also known as 'Miss Wagashi' on social media.

My passion is to make traditional Japanese confectionery into my original style and share this culture with visitors from all over the world!

As an experienced cooking instructor, I will teach you how to make perfect pieces of desserts step by step! Let's have a great time together at my kitchen in Tokyo!

Instagram (@misswagashi)
YouTube Channel: MissWagashi TV

【講師プロフィール】
入江 麻以
料理研究家・バイリンガル和菓子アーティスト

慶應義塾大学卒業後、外資系証券会社勤務。
東京、香港で勤務のかたわら、柳原料理教室にて日本料理、茶懐石を学び、近茶流講師免許取得。大手料理教室の料理講師として3年勤務。

現在は都内の自宅にて和菓子教室を主宰。
英語で和食や和菓子を訪日外国人にお教えする、ツアーやイベントなども積極的に行う。外部講師、自宅レッスンの他、国内外企業へのレシピ提供、コンサルティング業務等、和食と和菓子の魅力を伝えることをライフワークとしている。

(実績)雑誌掲載、エルグルメフードクリエイター部、web連載
米国NBCテレビ 朝番組 Today 出演等
(SNS)
インスタグラム @misswagashi
YouTube チャンネル: Miss Wagashi TV


Area



The closest station

Yoyogi Uehara Station




How to get to the station?

From Shinjuku Station: 5mins




Free pick up service

This host can pick up you for free from the closest station!



Exact location provided after booking.


Reviews of Cooking Class

Sam, Australia

★★★★★

This was a wonderful experience to tie up my vacation to Japan. The class was very inspiring and I feel eager to learn more about Nerikiri. Mai sensei is a very patient and encouraging teacher and communicates in English very well.

Apr 2023


Alice, France

★★★★★

An amazing lesson. Mai sensei's explanations were clear and easy to understand. She speak english well and answer all your questions.

Apr 2023


Elliot, Canada

★★★★★

I had a great time doing the wagashi workshop with Mai! She explained the steps very well, made it fun and was opened to answering questions. Highly recommend

Feb 2023


ghada belhadj, Canada

★★★★★

Very happy with this class. The host, Mai-san, was very welcoming and friendly. She received my friends and me at her lovely house and made us feel comfortable and safe thanks to all the precautions she took in regards to Covid-19. Her explanations were clear and detailed and it was very easy for us to follow them. It was quite satisfying to be able to make our own wagashis and have them look as great as the ones sold at shops. I highly recommend this class to anyone who's interested in Japanese sweets and Japanese culture in general.

Sep 2020


Elena, Spain

★★★★★

Mai Sensen was such a wonderful, professional and kind teacher! She transmitted perfectly the technique of Nerikiri sweets, it looks so easy to make! The experience was so interesting to make this special sweets and so funny as well. You feel very comfortable in her house all the time. Thanks to Mai for such a good time learning new type of Japanese cuisine. Also, her place looks so nice and tidy, all the cooking process were so clean and safe. Hope to repeat another class again with Mai sensei!

Aug 2020


Sepfitri, Indonesia

★★★★★

Love it very much

Feb 2020


Jun, Canada

★★★★★

This was a very informative, and fun class. Mai-san is very professional, and very knowledgeable about wagashi, and she will walk you through each process step by step.

Feb 2020


Boon Li , Malaysia

★★★★★

Mai is a great instructor her explanation is clear and easy to understand. Will highly recommend

Feb 2020


Grâce, France

★★★★★

Thank you Mai for this amazing experience! It was really great to learn how to make those traditional Japanese deserts from the start, and to know a bit more about the history of it. Your explanations were good and I felt like I could dive deeper into the Japanese culture. My fiancé and I really enjoyed the class, thank you from both of us!

Jan 2020


Robin, New Zealand

★★★★★

The only thing that could have been done better is needing more stars to give! This was the perfect first cooking class experience. Mai was patient, very instructive, friendly and even went through the effort to engage in conversation regarding where we come from with genuine current affairs which shows the great lengths of effort she goes to for a customer. I will one hundred percent recommend anyone to try this class no matter what level of cooking you are at. Because if I managed to do something with 0 ability anyone can under her guidance =). Best part of the trip so far! 10 out of 5 stars for sure! Thank you Mai!

Dec 2019


Myrtle, United States of America

★★★★★

Really enjoyed making nerikiri wagashi with you, Mai. Your excellent English conversation and clear instructions/demonstration made it a wonderful experience. Loved making the dough and coloring it myself instead of simply shaping it. Really appreciated recipe in English and learning that the ingredients we're readily available at the Odakyuu OX store at the Yoyogi-Uehara Station near your house. I bought enough to make more nerikiri for Christmas presents for my friends when I return home to Hawaii. Thank you for sharing.

Dec 2019


Christine BERGNA, France

★★★★★

Cet atelier m'a beaucoup plu. Les explications du professeur sont très précises et j'ai pu réaliser de jolis wagashis.

Nov 2019


Chloe Lambert, United Kingdom

★★★★★

This class was a wonderful experience and Mai was so patient and clear with her instructions. She was also very informative and gave me the names of places around Tokyo where I could buy ingredients and wagashi tools. I would definitely recommend this wagashi class!

Nov 2019


Seiji, United States of America

★★★★★

Never had Wagashi class before? No worry. The host Mai teaches you from scratch and navigate you to a quick Wagashi master! Mai provided everything necessary and explained step by step with perfect English. We U.S. team best enjoyed her class and our own Wagashi!!

Nov 2019


Gerda Andonian, Austria

★★★★★

Dear Mai, Thank you for making this experience so much fun. We enjoyed everything about it: from preparing the dough all the way to the finished beautiful sweets that also tasted wonderful :) We are looking forward to booking another class with you when we are back in Tokyo in the spring of 2020 :) Arigatou!

Nov 2019


YI HSUAN, Taiwan

★★★★★

We can't believe that we can make wagashi well someday, but we really did it. Thanks to Mai. Mai is a warm ,patient and professional teacher. Also, we can have a chance making wagashi with people who come from different country, it is a very precious and unforgettable experience in life. Mai can speak English well, so you don't have to worry about understanding obstacles. We are from Taiwan and we can learn it well, too. We trust that you won't regret to learn making such beautiful artwork.

Nov 2019


Kelly Graham, Great Britain

★★★★★

I really enjoyed this class, I had such a great time and I learnt so much. I will definitely recommend it to my friends and anyone else who is looking to make beautiful wagashi! Mai was so nice, she explained everything so well and the instructions were easy to follow. I am so happy I found this class! I highly recommend. :)

Nov 2019


Christina, Switzerland

★★★★★

Mai was an absolutely marvelous host - kindly and skillfully she guided us through the whole process of preparing and shaping beautiful wagashi. We recommend this experience to anyone staying in Tokyo!

Nov 2019


Julie, France

★★★★★

Very nice experience! Mai was a superb host!

Oct 2019


Jun Kai, Singapore

★★★★★

Great wagashi making experience with Mai! She was very patient with us and was very helpful and a great teacher. Overall an amazing experience that everyone should try.

Nov 2019


Brayden, United States of America

★★★★★

So much fun! Me and my girlfriend live close by and my Mom was coming to visit, so we wanted to try something new, and I am so glad that we did. Mai is an awesome teacher and super energetic. Awesome experience!

Nov 2019


Greg, Singapore

★★★★★

Amazing and friendly host..highly recommend. Irie sensei was patient and very detailed in her explanations and made the whole experience worthwhile.

Oct 2019


hadas, Israel

★★★★★

Had a great time:) Learned a lot about japan and was really happy to have met such a wonderful person :) Hopefully we will meet again Thanks Hadas

Oct 2019


Ingrid, United States of America

★★★★★

Mai is an excellent teacher! We loved making wagashi with her in Tokyo! I highly recommend this experience.

Oct 2019


Queenie, Hong Kong

★★★★★

We enjoyed the wagashi making class by Mai so much!! She is a patient, caring and cheerful teacher, shared with us the skills of making wagashi and some Japanese culture. Highly recommended if you want a relaxing and fruitful time in Tokyo.

Sep 2019


Nadalia shofia, Indonesia

★★★★★

Mai was wonderful host. She is very informative, warm n gives examples well. I enjoyed the class very much. Its a recommended class while you are in Tokyo.

Sep 2019


Brenda, Canada

★★★★★

Our wagashi class with Mai was perfect. We appreciated her taking the time to meet us at the station and to host us in her home. Mai is a very friendly hostess who enjoys meeting and teaching people from all over the world. It was a special treat, not only how to learn to make the candies, but to enjoy with matcha tea which Mai prepared for us. This was a fabulous way to spend 2 hours and learn something new and different. Thank you, Mai!

Sep 2019


May, Singapore

★★★★★

I had so much fun learning wagashi from Mai-san! She is patience, helpful and cheerful. Love this exclusive experience in her cozy apartment, would love to come back for other classes when I am in Tokyo again!!! Recommend this to anyone who is interested in making wagashi :)

Sep 2019


Debora, Ecuador

★★★★★

My cooking experience with Mai was truly exceptional. Her skills are impressive and she is also a wonderful person, extremely kind and patient. I really recommend this class.

Aug 2019


benedetta, Italy

★★★★★

I really had a nice class with Mai-san! She speaks fluent English and she she is a very good teacher! I had so much fun making nerikiri.. it was definitely a good idea to attend this lesson. She also gave me some useful tips about tools, ingredients and where to find them in Tokyo! Thank you so much!

Jul 2019


Philippine, Netherlands

★★★★

The wagashi class with Irie Mai was nice. She is lovely and welcoming.

Jun 2019


Tara, Australia

★★★★★

Mai was a fantastic host. Her class was informative and entertaining. She is a lovely person. The steps were easy to understand and achievable. Definitely a great Japanese cultural experience.

Jun 2019


HELEN, Australia

★★★★★

Mai was a wonderful host, it was a very fun and informative class, the step by step instruction was very clear, I didn't realize I could make pretty things. The wagashi was delicious together with the green tea and we got to take the rest home. Thanks Mai!! I highly recommended this class.

May 2019


Priscilla, United States of America

★★★★★

I loved it! Wishing for more!!

May 2019


Christina, United States of America

★★★★★

Mai is an excellent host! From meeting us at the station, to going into detail with every step on making the nerikiri, providing us with matcha tea to eat the sweet with, and finally having the recipe, containers, and carrying bags prepared! Nothing could go wrong under her watchful eyes! She had such a sweet personality and made the experience fantastic! Would do it again in a heartbeat!

May 2019


Yvonne, Australia

★★★★★

Mai was an absolutely lovely host, even picking us up from the train station. The wagashi session was very practical and we managed to produce delicious wagashi and were able to take some home. Mai gave us a detailed recipe and I am looking forward to making them at home soon. :) Thank you again, Mai!

Apr 2019


Aurea, United States of America

★★★★★

Mai is a wonderful host! Her instructions were always clear, the class was fun and the Wagashi was delicious. She also gave us great recommendations on where to find the tools and materials to take back home.

Apr 2019


Tiphaine, United Kingdom

★★★★★

We had a fantastic experience making wagashi with Mai! We all ended up with good-looking and delicious wagashi at the end to enjoy together with matcha, and have a recipe to keep too. Would recommend to anyone!

Mar 2019


Ksenia, Russia

★★★★★

We had wonderful time with Mai at her cozy kitchen! Wagashi were not easy to cook but under Mai's careful guidance we were able to complete the task and later we all had tea in a traditional Japanese style with matcha tea and delicious wagashi=)))

Mar 2019


Sharlene, Singapore

★★★★★

We enjoyed our Wagashi class with Mai-San very much! Thank you for being such a great teacher.

Feb 2019


{{item.guest_name}}, {{item.nationality}}


{{item.comment}}

{{item.month}} {{item.year}}


host-Mai

Response from Mai
{{item.host_review_reply}}


FAQ about Learn Japanese Desserts (Wagashi) from a chef - with tea ceremony experience | Cooking class by Mai

  • How to get to the place where Learn Japanese Desserts (Wagashi) from a chef - with tea ceremony experience being held?

    Please go to Yoyogi Uehara Station which takes 5 mins from Shinjuku Station. Then Mai (host) will pick you up there!

  • How long is this cooking class by Mai?

    Duration of this cooking class is 2.5 hours.

  • Is Learn Japanese Desserts (Wagashi) from a chef - with tea ceremony experience available for vegetarians?

    Yes, Learn Japanese Desserts (Wagashi) from a chef - with tea ceremony experience has a vegetarian option.

  • How much does it cost to join Learn Japanese Desserts (Wagashi) from a chef - with tea ceremony experience?

    It costs 10000 per person.

  • What is the maximum capacity of Mai's cooking class?

    Up to 5 people can join Mai's cooking class.

  • Is Learn Japanese Desserts (Wagashi) from a chef - with tea ceremony experience available for vegans?

    Yes, Learn Japanese Desserts (Wagashi) from a chef - with tea ceremony experience has a vegan option.

Additional cooking class information

  • Confirmation

    You will receive the confirmation within 24 hours.

  • Payment

    We accepts these cards on airKitchen.

  • Cancellation

    Cancellations up to 48 hours prior to the class begins will be fully refunded by the airKitchen cancellation policy.


All Cooking Classes in Tokyo

All Wagashi Making Classes in Tokyo