IkkoAn

Inside the Wonderful World of Japanese Wagashi - AFAR

"Hidden behind a noren and a wood-paneled sliding door in Bunkyo, this tiny shop is run by fourth-generation confectioner Chikara Mizukami, who is celebrated for exquisitely crafted seasonal nerikiri that honor the traditional 72 micro-seasons. The shop specializes in wagashi for the tea ceremony, favoring high-quality ingredients and refined flavors; offerings change with the seasons (go early in the year for hanabira mochi and in spring for sakura mochi). Many of the sweets—especially nerikiri made from white bean paste and rice flour—are ephemeral, with high water content that requires consumption within a day or two. Mizukami’s work emphasizes a spiritual, tea-supporting role for wagashi and incorporates deliberate, human touches (for example, blowing plant-based powders through a muslin-wrapped straw to create subtle, uneven coloring) to evoke a sense of imperfect beauty." - Nancy Singleton Hachisu