A Japanese Confectionery Artisan Brings the Art of Autumn to Los Angeles
Third-generation artisan Masaya Eiyo leads a hands-on workshop at JAPAN HOUSE Los Angeles on October 18, sharing the seasonal artistry of wagashi, Japan’s traditional sweets.
Edible Artistry | A Fall Wagashi Workshop
Sunday, October 18, 2026
10:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
2:00–4:00 p.m.
(Both sessions will be the same program.)
The program includes a live demonstration, hands-on instruction, discussion of wagashi history and culture, a tasting of wagashi with matcha, and a Q&A with Eiyo. English interpretation will be provided.
JAPAN HOUSE Los Angeles, Salon, Level 5
6801 Hollywood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90028
Admission: $65
LOS ANGELES, Oct. 1, 2026 — For Masaya Eiyo, a third-generation artisan of wagashi, Japan’s centuries-old confectionery, even the shade of red in a single sweet calls for careful thought. “We consider exactly which shade feels right for the time of year,” he says. On Sunday, October 18, 2026, Eiyo will bring his craftsmanship and artistry to Los Angeles for the first time with a hands-on workshop at JAPAN HOUSE Los Angeles, located at Ovation Hollywood. Born into a family-run confectionery business in Wakayama, Japan, he has devoted more than 25 years to making the seasonal sweets, traditionally paired with matcha.
During the workshop, Eiyo will demonstrate jōyo nerikiri, a refined form of fresh wagashi made with Japanese yam and white bean paste, which he carefully shapes by hand. Participants will create two autumn designs under his guidance: Teruha (“autumn leaves glowing in the light”) and Karanishiki (“richly colored brocade”). “Each sweet is made with thought and intention: what meaning we want it to convey, and what occasion someone might serve it for,” he explains.
Eiyo will share this attention to the seasons with workshop participants. He points to sakura mochi appearing in shops before the cherry blossoms bloom, offering an early taste of spring and the pleasure of anticipating it. “These sweets anticipate the seasons. They make us pause and realize, ‘Oh, it’s that time of year already.’ I think that enriches our lives.”
In recent years, Eiyo has been offering similar workshops in Japan. Through workshops he spends more time with customers than he would if he only sold finished works. “In a workshop, we spend about two hours together. That gives us time to talk about the stories and ideas behind wagashi, which is rewarding for me,” he says.
The workshop concludes with participants enjoying their handmade wagashi with matcha. Each participant will also receive a take-home wagashi specially handcrafted by Eiyo, a 20 g (0.7 oz) tin of Kagoshima matcha from Matcha Nagomi, and an original booklet introducing the history and culture of this confectionery.
The event also takes place on the final day of JAPAN HOUSE Los Angeles’ “WASHOKU | Nature and Culture in Japanese Cuisine” exhibition. The exhibition explores traditional Japanese food culture recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage, and its relationship with nature and the seasons. Wagashi shares this sensibility through seasonal colors, forms, and designs.
His visit comes as Japan’s confectionery retailers face rising costs, labor shortages, and declining demand for traditional gift purchases. According to Tokyo Shoko Research, 45 confectionery retailers, including cake and wagashi shops, failed between January and July 2026—the highest January–July total in 30 years. The tally covers businesses with liabilities of ¥10 million (approximately $64,000) or more.
Against that backdrop, Eiyo is thinking about the next hundred years of a craft that has shaped his family for a century. “I wonder what place wagashi will have in people’s lives a hundred years from now, and what it will mean for future generations to make a living from this craft,” he says. Whether or not his own children enter the profession, his concern extends to the generations who will follow. For him, that means both training younger artisans in Japan and exploring what would allow them to build livelihoods abroad—from introducing wagashi to new audiences to finding reliable ways to source ingredients and produce the sweets overseas. “I want wagashi to remain something people can simply buy in their neighborhood shops,” he says. “In fact, I want people to be able to buy wagashi all over the world.”
ABOUT MASAYA EIYO
Masaya Eiyo is a third-generation wagashi artisan from Wakayama, Japan. Born into a family-run confectionery business established in 1925, he has spent more than 25 years in the craft. He founded Tokyo-based Wagashi Momofune in 2022. Through his workshops, he seeks to carry the craftsmanship, seasonal sensibility, and traditions of wagashi forward for future generations.