Narrator: For over 400 years,
one family in Japan has been shaping rice flour,
beans, and sugar into tiny edible sculptures.
These sweets are called wagashi,
and making them is a precise and delicate art.
Confectioners have to be quick, and their hands have to stay
at just the right temperature, or the dough is ruined.
Narrator: Kiyoaki Maegawa is the 17th-generation owner
of his family's shop in Kyoto.
Narrator: So how did this dainty art go from a delicacy
only a few enjoyed to a national dessert?
We went to Kyoto in Japan to find out
how these traditional sweets are still standing.
Narrator: Kiyoaki learned to make wagashi from his father
when he was 22 years old.
At 68, he trains all the workers
at the family's confectionary shop, Kameyakiyonaga.
Narrator: They specialize in kyogashi, a type of wagashi
made only in Japan's ancient capital of Kyoto.
Narrator: Most recipes start with simple ingredients
like rice flour, sugar, and beans.
Pastry chefs heat and mix it all into a paste.
Narrator: They strain the paste for about five minutes
to remove any lumps.
Wagashi comes in many shapes,
but there are three main varieties.
Namagashi are soft and moist.
Han-namagashi ranges from gooey to dry.
And higashi are dry and have a longer shelf life.
Here, they're making a namagashi shaped
like a chrysanthemum flower, a symbol of fall.
Just a few drops of dye will color the dough
to the right hue of pink.
Narrator: Getting the perfect color is essential for Kiyoaki.
Narrator: Timing is everything.
Pastry chefs have to sculpt the confectionary
in about two minutes.
If they work too fast,
the design will look sloppy.
Too slow, and the sweets absorb body heat
and won't turn out well.
This simple wooden stick, called a sankaku-bera,
is the only tool they use to sculpt the petals.
If one line is out of place,
they have to start the process again.
Narrator: Chrysanthemums are a Japanese national symbol
and represent longevity and rejuvenation.
The country's changing seasons shape the sweets.
Pumpkins are made only in the fall,
and cherry blossoms in the spring.
Narrator: Kiyoaki is involved in every step.
Narrator: He mostly follows old recipes and styles,
but he's also added newer ideas to the menu.
Narrator: He mixes yellow and pink food dyes to create
the perfect orange hue.
Designing each piece
is all about using the right tools and techniques.
Narrator: Records show that Japanese envoys brought
wagashi-like sweets from China around the seventh century.
Sugar was a rare commodity, and only aristocrats
and the wealthy could afford it.
Kiyoaki's ancestors learned how to make wagashi
from a priest and opened their shop in 1617.
It was one of only 28 shops chosen to cater
to the royal family.
They delivered their sweets to the palace in boxes
inlaid with mother-of-pearl shells.
Narrator: Western confectionery began arriving in Japan
during the late 19th century
after the country opened its ports to foreign trade.
Wagashi literally translates to "Japanese sweets,"
and it became the term used
to differentiate between the two.
Kameyakiyonaga offers a wide variety
of confectionery every season.
The shop also makes yokan, a han-namagashi type.
Confectioners make the base with red adzuki beans,
brown sugar, and agar, a gelling agent.
Once everything is boiled, they pour it into a mold
and mix in walnuts.
The name of this yokan is tsukikage,
which translates to "moonlight."
It cools for at least two hours before it's ready to serve.
To contrast the moist desserts,
the shop also makes higashi, the dry sweets.
Workers press the dough in traditional wooden molds.
This one translates to "good fortune" in Japanese.
Higashi sweets are small in size
and have bright colors and detailed designs.
Narrator: Wagashi comes in numerous shapes and styles,
influenced by each region's unique history and geography.
Each piece is named after a season
or a reference from Japanese classical literature.
But when it comes to enjoying the treat,
Kiyoaki says simplicity is key.
Narrator: Zen Buddhist monks introduced tea ceremonies
in Japan in the 12th century.
The practice evolved into a social gathering for friends
and became a ritual that represents harmony and respect.
Wagashi's sweetness made it the ultimate dessert
to serve in these ceremonies
to complement the bitter tea.
Narrator: Today, wagashi is sold across Japan,
from specialty shops to department stores to street vendors.
Despite the competition,
Kiyoaki never cuts corners when it comes to the materials
and production methods.
Narrator: He knows he has a long history to live up to.
Narrator: He is working to pass this tradition on
but says the hardest part is securing workers.
Narrator: For now, his best strategy is to keep sales stable.
One way of doing this is to appeal
to the younger generation.
Narrator: But long before social media,
Kameyakiyonaga's place in history was documented
in this 300-year-old book
listing all businesses in Kyoto.
Narrator: Kiyoaki's past is what motivates him
to look forward to the future.