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Junichi Mitsubori Masterclass
This June, we are honoured to welcome Japanese Wagashi master Junichi Mitsubori back to Hong Kong! Jointly organized by Hong Kong New Oriental Culinary Art and Blossom Cakes, this special event features two intensive 2-day hands-on Nerikiri Wagashi Masterclasses.
Designed for Wagashi enthusiasts, private dessert chefs, and professional confectionery artists alike, these courses provide a rare opportunity to learn directly from one of Japan’s most celebrated Wagashi artisans. Both Elementary Comprehensive Class and Advanced Comprehensive Class are open for registration — perfect for beginners and experienced artisans eager to refine their skills and elevate their craft!
Junichi Mitsubori is a world-famous wagashi master, a third-generation wagashi artisan of traditional Japanese sweets store Izumiya (いづみや) and the director of the Association of Japanese Sweets. He was born in Yokosuka, Kanagawa, in 1974. In 1995, he graduated from the Seika Sweets College in Tokyo. Mitsubori first gained attention when he won TV Tokyo's "TV Champion R" dessert artisan competition in 2010". Still, his popularity grew when he initiated a daily photo project on Instagram called "Wagashi of the Day" in 2015 to promote his preferred style, "Nerikiri" work, to a broader, younger audience. The image-centric platform became the perfect stage for Mitsubori's elaborate creations, and his followers have now reached over 300,000.
Mitsubori turns the wagashi presentation into a new art form. In 2016, he founded his school Kado Ichikaryu. Kado (way of wagashi), a term that echoes the meticulous care and preparation involved in Chado (way of tea), uses bespoke utensils and calculated gestures to produce a highly stylized wagashi experience. Sophisticated wagashi like Nerikiri originated were naturally made by artisans' hands, and the wagashi are perfect in appearance and taste.
To Mitsubori, the beauty of the performance is as crucial to Kado as the artistry of the dessert itself. He is currently performing and teaching Kado overseas. As a master of Kado, Mitsubori does not merely make food, he instead wants the audience to appreciate the performance and his subtle movements. You can see more of Mitsubori's works on his Instagram page. https://www.instagram.com/junichi_mitsubori/
Ichika Style 2-Day Nerikiri Wagashi Comprehensive Class (Elementary)
Date: June 18 - 19, 2026 (Thursday - Friday)
Time: 9:30am - 6:00pm
Venue: Hong Kong New Oriental Culinary Art (Fortress Hill MTR Exit A)
Instructor: Junichi Mitsubori
Language: Japanese with Mandarin interpretation
Tuition Fee: HK$6,800
Special Combo Offer (Both Classes): HK$13,580 (Save HK$720)
This introductory class blends traditional Japanese confectionery tools and century-old techniques with Mitsubori’s signature Ichika style artistic approach. Students will learn authentic Japanese scissor techniques, Mitsubori’s evolved and original cutting methods, and essential “chopstick techniques” practiced by professional Wagashi artisans. The class also introduces Mitsubori’s innovative chopstick needle technique, a hallmark of his unique style.
Participants will create 12 Wagashi designs, including demonstrations with newly developed tools. Over the two days, you will learn key Nerikiri dough preparation methods — revisiting fundamental techniques while discovering fresh design inspirations that reflect contemporary aesthetics. Experience authentic Japanese Wagashi craftsmanship without leaving Hong Kong!
🌟 Course Highlights
✅ Introduction to Nerikiri fundamentals
✅ Dyeing and colour gradation techniques (colour presentation for different shapes, thread-like smudging, colour blending)
✅ Proper handling of scissors and basic cutting techniques
✅ Needle-cutting tools introduction
✅ Proper handling of chopsticks and chopstick-needle fundamentals
✅ Chopstick-needle techniques for various petal shapes
📌 Tuition includes all materials and a certificate of completion.
📌 All tools and ingredients used during class will be provided.
📌 The end time is a rough estimate and will vary depending on actual progress.
📌 Enrolment in the advanced class requires prior experience in Wagashi making.
Ichika Style 2-Day Nerikiri Wagashi Comprehensive Class (Advanced)
Date: June 20 - 21, 2026 (Saturday - Sunday)
Time: 9:30am - 6:00pm
Venue: Hong Kong New Oriental Culinary Art (Fortress Hill MTR Exit A)
Instructor: Junichi Mitsubori
Language: Japanese with Mandarin interpretation
Tuition Fee: HK$7,500
Special Combo Offer (Both Classes): HK$13,580 (Save HK$720)
This advanced course focuses on refining mastery of scissor and needle-cutting techniques, guiding participants toward a deeper artistic understanding of Wagashi design. Building upon the foundations of the elementary class, students will explore high-level professional skills and experience the process of creative expression through authentic Japanese craftsmanship.
The program includes advanced demonstrations of traditional scissor skills and the Ichika style's diverse needle-cutting methods, along with specialized training on large-scale Wagashi production for better structural and colour balance control. In addition, Junichi Mitsubori will exclusively teach his iconic creation "Red Ranju" (Red Scattered Chrysanthemum) in Hong Kong, offering direct insights into the artistic elements and layered expressions behind this signature work.
Over two intensive days, students will create 6 sophisticated, large-scale Wagashi designs, challenging their boundaries and achieving new creative heights.
🌟 Course Highlights
✅ Precision mastery of advanced scissor and needle-cutting techniques
✅ Advanced colour blending and multi-tone composition
✅ Expressive leaf shaping (single, double, and triple-leaf structures)
✅ Three-sided chrysanthemum technique and creative variations
📌 Tuition includes all materials and a certificate of completion.
📌 All tools and ingredients used during class will be provided.
📌 The end time is a rough estimate and will vary depending on actual progress.
📌 Enrolment in the advanced class requires prior experience in Wagashi making.