[Ichinomiya] Japanese Sweets Making Experience "Okashi Tsukasa Kameya"

​Okashi Tsukasa Kameya is located in Kisogawa-cho, Ichinomiya City, Aichi Prefecture. While preserving the tradition and taste cultivated since its founding in 1932, it reopened in 2021 with a new room and Japanese sweets making experience room.

They are particular about not only the materials but also the water, and all manufacturing methods are handmade. Try your hand at making Japanese sweets at Okashi Tsukasa Kameya, which aims to bring you closer to Japanese sweets by "see," "eat," and "make" traditional Japanese sweets that do not use preservatives.

*Information is current at the time of the interview.
Please check the latest information of each facility and store.

History of “Okashi Tsukasa Kameya”

"Okashi Tsukasa Kameya" was founded in 1933 in Kisogawa-cho, northwest of the Nobi Plain, which was nurtured by the Kiso Sansen River. It is located right next to Aeon Mall Kisogawa.

The store was temporarily closed due to the Pacific War, but reopened in 1963. The traditional "gentle Japanese confectionery" with no preservatives, no additives, and minimal sweetness is popular among both local customers and those who travel from far and wide.

There is a well-kept garden next to the entrance, making it a quaint space perfect for enjoying Japanese sweets.

When you enter the modern store, you will find a selection of elegant Japanese sweets that reflect the seasons.

The artisanal techniques of the chefs at the shop make these seasonal sweets a feast for the eyes, with Santa Claus for Christmas, dolls for the Dolls' (Girl's) Festival, and other flowers, birds, winds, and the moon.

Left: Kazutoyo-kun (120 yen including tax), Right: Dorayaki, the most popular in the store (140 yen including tax).

"Kazutoyo-kun" (120 yen tax included) is named after Kazutoyo Yamauchi, a Sengoku warlord with ties to Kisogawa Town. Tsubuan bean paste is sandwiched between egg and cinnamon raw rice crackers. It is also recommended as a local souvenir from Kisogawa Town.

Shisomaki (130 yen tax included), a steamed bun wrapped in salted perilla (shiso) leaves with a perfect balance of sweetness and saltiness, is popular among Japanese confectionery connoisseurs.

Experience making Japanese sweets

"Okashi Tsukasa Kameya'' was started out of a desire for people to experience Japanese sweets first-hand, and allows visitors to experience making Japanese sweets, which is rare in Japan. You can experience making seasonal fresh sweets, creative Japanese sweets, and shaved ice while witnessing the skills of master craftsmen.

The challenge this time was a beginner course to make three pieces of nerikiri wagashi for parents and children to enjoy together. 
When we were guided to the room dedicated to the wagashi making experience, colorful bean paste as an ingredient and tools actually used by the craftsmen were also prepared. After washing our hands, we were ready to begin.

Japanese sweets making experience (beginner)
[Price] 1,500 yen (tax included)
[Quantity] 3 pieces (approx. 40g x 3 pieces)
[Time] 60 minutes
[Contents] This is an experience of making seasonal Japanese sweets under the guidance of a craftsman using various colors of bean paste.

Nerikiri is a fresh confectionery whose main ingredient is "Nerikiri-an", which is made by adding various ingredients to white bean paste and kneading it. Nerikiri is a type of fresh confectionery that is made by adding colors and other detailed processing, and molding it into the color and shape of your choice. It is often eaten on special occasions such as celebrations and tea parties, and is a highly artistic fresh confectionery.

First, make a "rabbit" using white bean paste. Roll it in your left hand to make a beautiful round shape, then press it gently with your right hand to make it flat.

When flattened, place a small piece of red bean paste on top, turn it over, and lift it up.

The craftsman's skill is mesmerizing as he wraps the sweet bean paste around and around to hide the filling.

Once wrapped, gently shape it into an oval shape, add ears and a tail, and the rabbit shape is completed in no time.

Use a brush to color the inside of the rabbit's ears in a cute pink color.

Finally, add the eyes with melted yokan (sweet beans jelly). It's very hot, so leave this work to the craftsmen.

The second choice was pumpkin because the time for the interview was close to Halloween. You can enjoy the experience with cute motifs according to the season so that children can also enjoy it.

As with the rabbit, the orange bean paste that forms the outer layer is first stretched flat and wrapped around the filling.

Even small children can concentrate on the work, as they will teach you carefully while making it right in front of you.

This time, use a cloth to squeeze. Lightly squeeze it to create a pumpkin shape.

Use a special tool to mark the lines and face of the pumpkin, and finally add the stem to complete the pumpkin.

The craftsman will talk to you one by one in a gentle tone, so you can relax and proceed with the work.

The third one is nerikiri with a chestnut motif. First, make the green bean paste to represent the thorny part.

The bean paste is pressed against a colander-shaped tool, and the pressed out shape becomes the thorn.

My son, who loves working with clay, also had a serious expression on his face. When he received compliments such as "You're doing really well," he became even more motivated to work on his work.

The pressed bean paste is carefully placed on the top with chopsticks so that the shape of the bean paste does not fall off. Finally, the sweetened chestnuts are placed on top.

In about 40 minutes, we created three pieces perfect for autumn: "Rabbit," "Pumpkin," and "Chestnut."

Each completed Japanese sweet can be boxed and taken home. It looks like it would be a great gift as a souvenir. The Japanese sweets I made myself have become so cute that I feel like it's a waste to eat them.

At the end, visitors can take a break with Japanese sweets and tea, which can be prepared separately from the souvenirs in the tearoom.

It melts in the mouth smoothly and has an elegant and gentle taste. He was very satisfied with his first experience of making Japanese sweets, smiling and saying, "Let's make wagashi (Japanese sweets) again!"

"Okashi Tsukasa Kameya" also offers courses where you can try making creative Japanese sweets with your own ideas, such as bean paste cakes, as well as a shaved ice making experience.

●Japanese sweets making experience (intermediate)
[Price] 3,000 yen (tax included)
[Quantity] 1 piece (approx. 500g x 1 piece)
[Time] 180 minutes
[Contents] This is a nerikiri experience where you can make your own creative Japanese sweets (bean paste cake) using bean paste of various colors.

 

●Japanese sweets making experience (Advanced)
[Price] From 5,000 yen (tax included)
[Quantity] 10 to 15 pieces
[Time] 180 minutes
[Contents] This is a fully custom-made Japanese sweets making experience where you can learn Japanese sweets making techniques such as making Japanese sweets dough and filling.

●Shaved ice making experience
[Price] From 800 yen (tax included)
[Quantity] 1 piece
[Time] 30 minutes
[Content] This is an experience where you can make your own shaved ice by scraping ice by hand using an old-fashioned shaved ice machine and adding your favorite syrup.

Popular cafe
You can enjoy shaved ice all year round!

This is a cafe where you can select Japanese sweets from the showcase and have them with matcha green tea (600 yen tax included). There are four counter seats and two tables for two people, where you can enjoy zenzai (red bean paste soup), warabi-mochi (bracken-starch dumpling), and other sweets in a relaxed atmosphere.

Shaved ice Amaou strawberry 700 yen tax included

Shaved ice special matcha 700 yen tax included

Shaved ice, which is available year-round, is especially popular at the coffee shop. At the time of the interview, the seats were always filled with customers ordering shaved ice one after the other. In addition to strawberry and green tea, there is also a limited shaved ice menu in summer, which is definitely worth trying.

Through this experience of experiencing Japanese sweets for the first time, he seems to have come to love Japanese sweets. It was a great experience, as the owner wanted people to experience Japanese sweets up close.

At Okashi Tsukasa Kameya, you can also order Japanese sweet cakes that people with egg or wheat allergies or who don't like fresh cream can enjoy. For his next birthday, he was giddy to have a Japanese cake with his favorite character.