During a tea gathering or tea ceremony, in the tea room, the elements of the Shitsurae (tea, calligraphy, flowers, ceramics, incense, etc) are carefully chosen by the host to subtly communicate the emotion of a unique encounter with the guests.

When living outside of Japan, while it is possible to have access to most of these elements of the tea ceremony, one element is harder to come by: the wagashi sweet that precedes the matcha. On my travels to Japan this year, I was able to learn more about wagashi and to try some of the finest in Japan.

Wagashi is composed of ‘wa’ (Japanese) and ‘gashi/kashi’ (sweets) so broadly, it refers to all Japanese confectionary. This is also the term used to refer to the sweet that are served alongside the bowl of matcha. They are typically made from simple vegetal ingredients such as white and red bean paste, rice flour, chestnuts, and seasonal fruits. They are classified in countless different types depending on ingredients, techniques and shapes, but the main categories are as follows:

Namagashi: Fresh sweets, often made with nerikiri (white bean paste and mochi), shaped into seasonal motifs. These are commonly served in formal tea gatherings and traditionally paired with a thicker type of matcha.

Higashi: Dry sweets made from sugar and rice flour, often paired with lighter matcha.

Yōkan: A firm, jellied sweet made with red bean paste and agar, sliced with precision.

The type of sweet, its design, and its poetic name are all selected in accordance with the season, the theme of the tea gathering, and the host's personal expression.

Wagashi reflect Japan’s reverence for nature, impermanence, and aesthetic harmony. They are very delicate and people will often say that they’re too pretty to eat!

Each sweet is designed with the five senses in mind:

Hearing: the poetic name of the wagashi is chosen by the wagashi maker for the occasion. It can be playful or give more interpretation hints to be deciphered by the guests.

Sight: the colors and shapes of wagashi evoke the seasons and nature, the occasion and the intentions of the host
Touch: taken in the hand or gently sliced with a wooden pick, the soft texture of the wagashi doesn’t stand out.
Smell: the powdery smell of rice flour and bean paste evoke the traditional Japanese flavors.

Taste: wagashi usually have a simple taste and a sophisticated sweetness that will coat the mouth before the matcha, pairing well with the slight bitterness of the tea.

Wagashi are not just sweets, they’re a playful piece of edible art. Every wagashi is given a poetic name, often drawn from classical literature, nature, or seasonal references. For example, a name like “Hatsuyuki” (First Snow) or “Tsuki no Shizuku” (Moon’s Dew) evokes emotion and enriches the tea experience. It’s a moment of shared imagination between the host and the guests. Kyōto, as the ancient Japanese capital and cultural capital of tea ceremony, naturally stands out in the world of wagashi. There are dozens of traditional wagashi shops, some of which have existed for several centuries. Over the years, each shop has created a variety of designs that come to enrich this ever-expanding field, reflecting the cultural trends of each period.
"A Kyōgashi (Kyōto-style wagashi) is a three-dimensional artistic form weighing 50 grams, to which a name is given, making it the most minimal form of literature.” - Professor Ōta, a wagashi and tea ceremony specialist and president of Oimatsu, a traditional Kyōto sweets shop

Professor Ōta is conducting various activities at Koudoukan, a space with a close connection to the tea ceremony world and that aims to “regenerate knowledge through culture and the arts by consciously drawing on the profound wisdom and spiritual appreciation for unparalleled beauty contained within Japanese tradition”. While I was in Japan, my friend Juliette Doutreleau, who received the Grand Prize at the 2024 Kyōgashi Exhibition, was holding her own exhibition at Koudoukan on the creative process and poetic inspiration in wagashi, with the support of Ms Aoyama, a wagashi artisan. Juliette has trained as a pastry chef in France, and she introduces new flavors and techniques into her wagashi. She considers wagashi to be an edible language and explores the potential of wagashi and tea pairings in a context broader than Japanese tea ceremony.

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