Japanese confectionery artisan, Yasuhiro Hikiami will be specially visiting Sachi here in London from Toyama to create his incredibly intricate wagashi sweets. Chef Hikiami will be crafting the confectionery live at the Sachi x Toyama wagashi pop-up on the ground floor of Pantechnicon from 2-5 November.
Wagashi are works of edible art that change with the seasons. For example, in spring you’ll see delicate pink cherry blossom and nightingale shaped wagashi; morning glories and goldfish in summer; and camellias, snow and rabbits in winter. Chef Hikiami will be in London crafting his creations in autumn, so expect to see colourful autumn leaves, chrysanthemums, pumpkins, mushrooms and an array of cute animals. Yasuhiro’s wagashi are perfect for vegan and gluten-free diets as they are made from rice flour, kuzu starch, beans, Japanese agar (a seaweed-based gelatine substitute) and sugar.
Yasuhiro is the fourth-generation owner of Hikiami Kogetsudo, a renowned Japanese wagashi confectionery shop in Toyama, Japan, with a 100-year history. He is ranked the top wagashi artisan in Japan’s Hokuriku region by Japan’s National Wagashi Association. The tea ceremony is deeply rooted in Toyama Prefecture, with the second largest number of tea ceremony enthusiasts in Japan (2.49 per 100 inhabitants; neighbouring Ishikawa Prefecture is number one). As a result, many tea utensils and Japanese sweets are produced by traditional artisans in Toyama.
Don’t miss this rare chance to try authentic Japanese wagashi in London. There’s no need to book in advance – simply drop in to the Sachi x Toyama wagashi pop-up at Pantechnicon from 14:30-17:30 daily from 2-5 November while Chef Hikiami will be in-residence making Japanese sweets.
