JSA Mizugashi Art Instructor Certificate Course

Originally "Mizugashi" was used to describe fruits. However, in recent years, it has also been used to refer to water-rich jelly or Arrowroot-starch Mochi with high water content or having a refreshing look.

Although most people think that Wagashi is something you buy at shops, as long as you learn step by step, even beginners can make beautiful Wagashi just like the one in the shop. This course will produce 16 works in 12 hours and teach 40 techniques for MIZUGASHI. Even inexperienced beginners can learn from the basics and master the necessary skills to become an instructor through 6 lessons.

This course focuses explicitly on Mizugashi among Wagashi. In six lessons, you will learn how to make Yokan, Kuzumanju, Kingyoku Kan, Yoshino Kan, Mizore Kan, Awayuki Kan and a method of perfectly presenting the four seasons and traditional culture of Japan in a refreshing and "cool" way.

To enable students to learn the traditional techniques from the basics, understand the origin and background of Wagashi, and be confident and active in this field after graduation, JSA specially invited Mr Takayuki Naito, a craftsman with traditional techniques and knowledge, to jointly design this course.

This course is supervised by Mr Naito Takayuki, a long-established Japanese confectionery shop founded in Ashiya in 1918, "Okashiji Kuchiya Toyomitsu". He sympathized with JSA's association philosophy and policy and cooperated with JSA with the desire to convey the tradition, beauty, and splendour of Japanese sweets to the future and overseas. He assisted in the design of this course.

Mr Naito said that the works in this course range from traditional Mizugashi to uncommon materials in Wagashi making. The design is more focused on showing the four seasons and artistry. Since the course uses conventional wagashi ingredients and traditional techniques, the work is exquisite in appearance and delicious in taste, making it an enjoyable course to learn. Please join hands with us to allow more people to teach, make, and taste the Wagashi that represents the unique traditional Japanese culture, connect the past and the future, and carry forward and pass on it.

Course Details:

Lesson 1 - Raindrop～Goldfish Bowl Jelly～

You will learn how to use Agar, how to make raindrop cake, how to make yokan, how to colour, how to use mould, how to inject, etc.

Lesson 2 - Shaped Candy ～Butterfly・Ayu・Sakura・Leaf～

You will learn four kinds of Han Namagashi with refreshing taste and bright colours: Cold Ice, Bright Dried Kingyoku, Mijin Kan, KohakuTo. In addition, you will learn how to add lemon, sakura and matcha flavours to the Kashi.

Lesson 3 - Summer Festival～Japanese Round Fan・Water balloon・Summer Night Sky～

You will learn how to make Kuzimanju and Yoshino Kan by using Yoshinohonkuzu.

Lesson 4 - Early Summer Flowers～Water Peony・Peony・Hydrangea～

You will learn how to make Awayuki Kan and Mizu Yokan and use various techniques to express the flowers of early summer.

Lesson 5 - Four Seasons～Spring・Summer・Autumn・Winter～

In this lesson, four different patterns will be made in a single piece of yokan mould. The Yokan will change into a series showing the transition of the seasons, which will look like a piece of artwork. In addition, you will learn how to make small parts, how to stick them, how to make Kingyoku Kan with high transparency, etc.

Lesson 6 ～Graduation Work～

This lesson will use the techniques learned in the last five lessons to make an original design Mizugashi.

Since the work is also an exam for graduation, several requirements will follow. By attending exams in the course, you can start classes as an instructor immediately after graduation. (Including the Mizugashi Art Certificate course).

​Course Duration: 6 lessons (12 hours in total)

Course Fee: HK$12,400, including

- Tuition Fee: HK$8,500

- Ingredients, Tools & Coursebook: HK$2,400

- Certification Fee: HK$1,500 (Certificate, free recipe for your own class x 3)

Annual Membership Fee: HK$300 (pro-rata charges for the first year, no additional fee is required for current JSA members)

*The coursebooks are available in Chinese only.