Top 5 places to enjoy mouth-watering Wagashi in Tokyo

Food is an integral part of travel and Tokyo offers truly unique culinary experiences through its traditional teahouses and wagashi sweets. Wagashi are traditional Japanese confections and these pretty and colourful sweets are crafted with precision and care. They are appreciated for both their taste and their beauty and each handmade confection represents a different season or Japanese festival, which adds to the enjoyment.  

Visiting a teahouse in Tokyo is an opportunity to experience the artistry and tradition behind wagashi-making while also enjoying moments steeped in Japanese tea culture. Here’s our list of the top 5 places to enjoy mouth-watering wagashi in Tokyo.

Wagashi are more than just sweets - they are carefully crafted confectionaries and their intricate designs are just as important as their taste. Skilled wagashi-makers pay close attention to every detail when creating these small, beautiful treats. Wagashi are known for their balance of shape, colour, and texture. Natural colours from plants and flowers are used to replicate the seasons, and different moulds give them intricate, seasonal designs. 

Here are just a few varieties to try but there are literally hundreds of different kinds of wagashi:

• Namagashi is known for its soft, moist texture and is often made from red bean paste or jelly and is designed to pair with matcha tea

• Higashi are dry and delicate and are made using ingredients like rice, red bean, or soybean flour

• Hanabiramochi (meaning flower petal mochi) is a special type of wagashi usually enjoyed during the first tea ceremony of the New Year

• Daifuku is made by filling mochi, Japanese pounded rice cake, with a sweet red bean paste

• Seasonal wagashi varieties include springtime Sakura mochi which is wrapped in pickled cherry leaves, a summer treat is chilled kakigori topped with mochi balls and in autumn you will find Dango, skewered Mochi rice cakes covered in a sweet, sticky soy sauce glaze

If you are interested in learning how to make wagashi, join an interactive wagashi-making class The class includes a tea ceremony and you will learn to make nerikiri wagashi, daifuku mochi and dango mochi.

Located in a residential neighbourhood near the Meguro River, Miyabian offers beautifully made wagashi. Despite its modest exterior, inside this small café you will discover miniature works of art, crafted by Chef Norimasa Minagawa. His wagashi masterpieces, inspired by the seasons include kinako mochi (soybean rice cakes), dorayaki (castella sponge cake filled with azuki bean paste) and pretty flower shaped, pink nerikiri (white bean paste dough). A standout wagashi is the soy sauce daifuku rice cake which is lightly grilled on the outside and filled with a smooth red bean paste. 

Saryo has a few locations across Tokyo, but the original teahouse tucked away on a quiet street in Kagurazaka, offers Wagashi-lovers a traditional experience. Kagurazaka was once a prominent Geisha area. It is known in Tokyo as “Little Paris” because of its cobbled streets, bakeries, alleyways and hidden cafes. Sit out on Saryo’s scenic terrace and enjoy matcha and slices of yoken, a soft jelly-like wagashi with an azuki bean flavour. Or visit at night when the terrace is lit with fairy lights and enjoy wagashi while taking in the neighbourhood vibe. 

Sakurai located in Omotesando offers a modern tea experience. This small teahouse serves a variety of fragrant Japanese teas and tea infused cocktails. Each tea and cocktail tasting is accompanied by a wagashi treat. Participate in a classic tea tasting which offers a blend of tea appreciation, discovery, and education. Explore a range of local teas which include fermented teas and Furicha (whisked) teas.

Located in the Hama-Rikyu Gardens in Ginza, Nakajima Teahouse appears to float in a large lake. Sip matcha and eat delicious bite sized wagashi while sitting on traditional tatami mats. Or sit on the benches outdoors and take in the tranquil Japanese gardens. Traditional Japanese gardens, much like wagashi, favour aesthetics but instead of being paired with tea they are accompanied by philosophical ideas. 

Also in Ginza is Akebono, a sweet shop that was first established in Tokyo in 1868. Over the last century Akebono has evolved from making traditional wagashi to experimenting with different textures and flavours. The store now offers more modern interpretations of wagashi. Contemporary flavours include miso, yuzu and even chocolate. A house specialty is Akafuku - a pillow soft mochi filled with red bean paste and topped with a layer of white miso.

When planning your trip to Tokyo choose to stay at a Mercure hotel for both comfort and convenience. The Mercure Tokyo Hibiya is a classic yet modern hotel located in a quiet area of Ginza. The hotel is situated near to Tokyo’s transportation network with easy access to twelve train lines and Ginza’s shopping district, making it a great base while exploring the city. The Mercure Tokyo Haneda Airport's convenient location lets you maximise your time in the city without having to endure long commutes. Get a jumpstart on your wagashi experience as the hotel’s Restaurant and Bar blends classic teahouse traditions with contemporary design.