Wagashi Sweets Making & Tea Ceremony in Hida Takayama, Gifu
Make a variety of traditional Japanese wagashi sweets, including regional specialties like genkotsu and mitarashi dango, and enjoy your sweet creations with freshly made matcha tea.
Highlights
Craft traditional wagashi sweets by hand from scratch, including regional Takayama delicacies like genkotsu and mitarashi dango, led by a local instructor
Make matcha pudding and nerikiri confectioneries using ingredients and techniques that are easy to replicate at home
Learn the basic etiquette and techniques for making matcha tea in a beginner-friendly tea ceremony
Enjoy sweets and tea with a local host and learn more about Takayama cuisine and culture
10 meals
Experience Details
Scenic Hida Takayama, the jewel of Gifu Prefecture, is a great place to experience many aspects of Japanese culture, including its centuries-old confectionery-making heritage. In this experience, a local host will teach you to make several traditional Japanese sweets (wagashi), including some local Hida Takayama specialties, and perform a table-style tea ceremony.
Your cooking class will start with a bold and decadent dessert: matcha pudding. Your host will guide you step-by-step and provide tips for making sweets with matcha. Next, you'll learn to make genkotsu ame, a local Takayama specialty. Meaning “fist candy” due to its size and shape, this simple and captivating delicacy with a distinct nutty flavor has only three ingredients: soybean powder (kinako), brown sugar and starch syrup.
Another local specialty, you'll boil and skewer mitarashi dango dumplings — but made Takayama-style, brushed with a rich coating of soy sauce for flavoring, striking a nice contrast with the other sweets.
To finalize your delightful array, you'll make nerikiri, a moist confectionery made with white bean paste and glutinous rice flour. While there are several ways of making nerikiri, your host will walk you through a recipe that’s easy to recreate at home.
Once all your sweets are ready, it’ll be time to make matcha. Japanese tea ceremonies are precise rituals consisting of several steps, but your host will present a simplified version at the table that retains the essence of this practice. Enjoy your assortment of traditional sweets with an exquisite bowl of matcha.
Inclusions
Ingredients and utensils to make 1 matcha pudding, 5-6 pieces of genkotsu, 1 mitarashi dango, 2 pieces of nerikiri
Cooking class
Tea ceremony and matcha
English-speaking host
Exclusions
Transportation to and from the venue
Meeting Point and Meeting Time
The meeting point will be at Takayama Station’s West Gate. A Google Maps link will be shared upon booking confirmation.
Remarks
Adults accompanying children under 12 years of age must also book the experience.
All underage participants must be accompanied by an adult.
Please note that smoking is not allowed at the experience venue.
If you have any food allergies or restrictions, please inform your host upon booking.
Please arrive at the venue at least 10 minutes before the start time.
Cancellation Policy
Cancel your booking at least 72 hours before the experience start time to receive a full refund minus a 3.2% transaction fee.
Experience Location
Gifu Prefecture is home to well-preserved historic villages, mountainous landscapes, and scenic open-air hot springs, with a proud culinary heritage spanning centuries.
| Su | Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | 31 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
| 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
| 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
10 meals
Make artistic sushi rolls with nature-inspired designs in Mitake, Gifu. Mitake was one of the post towns along the famous Nakasendo trail that connected Kyoto and Edo (modern-day Tokyo). Learn about this historic town while crafting colorful sushi.
Explore Takayama's regional cuisine in this cooking class at an izakaya restaurant near Takayama Station. Led by Don, a chef and business owner, you’ll make signature Takayama dishes: hoba miso yaki with Hida beef, tsukemono steak, and gohei mochi.
From regional Takayama ramen to beloved makizushi, this cooking class in the heart of Gifu’s quaint Hida Takayama will introduce you to local cuisine in a fun, hands-on cooking class that includes a simple tea ceremony.
Known for its rural beauty and cultural heritage, Hida Takayama is the perfect place to make popular Japanese foods and enjoy a beginner-friendly tea ceremony. Cook onigiri, tamagoyaki, and takoyaki, then enjoy with fresh matcha.