Fun dessert-making experience with lovely host - I’ve enjoyed matcha with wagashi nerikiri, the delicate sweets that they are often served with, at a few gardens in Japan. I was curious how they were made so I signed up for this class together with my sister. Satoko-san, provides clear directions to her home in the Tokyo suburbs. The class begins with an overview of the history of mochi and nerikiri followed by hands on mochi making from scratch. For nerikiri, Satoko-san had prepared the white bean paste filling and nerikiri dough in advance. It’s a rather time consuming process. She taught us how to wrap the filling in dough and use the triangle stick to create a cute hydrangea and leaf with ladybug design. At the end we enjoyed swishing our own matcha and eating our creations. Satoko-san is a lovely host and teacher and shared helpful information on where to get supplies for wagashi. My sister, who doesn’t cook much, enjoyed the class a lot and we enjoyed getting to know the two other lovely travellers that day. Satoko-san was very generous with her time and helped us all figure out how to get to our next destination. When I returned home to Singapore I had no problem replicating the dango mochi as I could recall the correct texture from the hands-on part of the class. I have yet to try the strawberry daikfuku. I was inspired to try making nerikiri too, but found that more challenging as I had to watch several videos to understand how to make it on a stove top. The recipe links provided in the class give instructions for using a microwave. However, after some research and trial and error, I managed to make something similar and even had a fun day making wagashi with a friend. Now, she’s going to get the supplies to try it on her own! So all in all, this class was a great inspiration to kick off my Wagashi journey. Thank you Satoko-san for your warm hospitality, patience and advice!

A wonderful, instructive, and delicious class in Japanese sweets - Satoko's mochi and nerikiri wagashi making class was one of the best things we did in Tokyo. The class is in her house, in an interesting typical residential neighborhood, that you otherwise might not see. Satoko is an excellent teacher and while making sweets we learned a lot about Japanese life and culture. You see mochi and nerikiri wagashi all over Japan, so it's wonderful to know how they're made and the symbolism behind their design. Satoko has lived in several countries so speaks excellent English and we were able to have an interesting discussion with her and really learn about the country. And afterwards you get to eat what you've made! Highly recommended.

Super fun experience! Learned a lot about Japanese culture and wagashi - The class was so fun! Ogawa sensei was a great instructor—very kind, patient, and organized. She explained everything in a way that was easy to follow and understand; I learned a lot about wagashi and Japanese culture. After the lesson, she even had a cute setup to take photos of the finished sweets.

Review of mochi class - I completed the mochi class taught by Satoko Ogawa at the anktopia WAGASHI School in January. It was an excellent experience, taught by a professional who is passionate about making mochi. The class begins with an introduction about the history and cultural background of mochi making and their use, which was fascinating. From there it is hands on, learning the various steps in making mochi. Satoko-san was patient, knowledgeable and personable, throughout the process. Learning how to make different styles of mochi was especially enjoyable, seeing how different ingredients or amounts of ingredients can transform the taste and texture. Satoko-san speaks excellent English and even though I speak some Japanese, which was helpful, it was not necessary for the course. At the end of the lesson you can take photos with the mochi you have made and of course eat them alongside some tea. It was such a beautiful and memorable experience. I thoroughly recommend taking the mochi class and any of the classes taught by Satoko-san.