The first installment of Toyama Prefecture's unique online tourism initiative, "Before you travel, the joy of encounter. Online TOYAMA Travel," features an impromptu wagashi-making session by master wagashi artisan Yasuhiro Hikinami.
Toyama Prefecture is launching a unique online tourism initiative, "Before you travel, the joy of encounter. Online TOYAMA Travel," designed to connect visitors with Toyama's nature, traditional crafts, food, and people.
The first installment, "Wagashi x Traditional Crafts," features Yasuhiro Hikinami, the fourth-generation master wagashi artisan from Hikiami Kōgetsudō, a renowned wagashi shop in Toyama. He will create wagashi on the spot in response to participant requests. Additionally, the Yotsukawa brothers from Takaoka Copperware, boasting 400 years of history, will join to discuss their collaboration with Hikinami on cast aluminum kashikiri (sweet cutters) and Toyama's tea culture with the participants.
■Travel 1. Wagashi x Traditional Crafts: Encountering Yasuhiro Hikinami, Master Wagashi Artisan, and KISEN, Takaoka Copperware
– Create your own unique, one-of-a-kind wagashi
Date & Time: Friday, October 9, 2020, starting at 7:00 PM
Number of Participants: 10
Participation Fee & Method: ¥3,000 – Online event via Zoom
Travel Souvenir: 4 types of Hikiami Kōgetsudō's premium wagashi + KISEN's "Wagashi fork"
Live Broadcast Venue: Hikiami Kōgetsudō, Furusawa Main Store
Application Method: Via the official website below
https://www.online-toyama.jp
*Application Deadline: Wednesday, October 7, 12:00 PM. A lottery will be held if applications exceed capacity.
Travel 1. Guide Profiles
Fourth-Generation Master of Hikiami Kōgetsudō
Yasuhiro Hikiami
Founded in 1919 in Fushiki Port, Takaoka City, the shop is now led by the fourth-generation owner, who is dedicated to sharing the fascinating world of wagashi. The store offers a wide range of sweets, from those served at tea ceremonies to creative and seasonal confections, and currently operates three branches within Toyama Prefecture. He also lectures on wagashi making and conducts demonstrations in Japan and Asia to promote wagashi culture. *Photo bottom left
Yotsukawa Seisakusho
Takaoka City, Toyama Prefecture, is a place where the tradition of craftsmanship has thrived for over 400 years. Yotsukawa Seisakusho is a long-established manufacturer of Takaoka Copperware, located in Kanaya-cho, the birthplace of Takaoka Copperware. They plan, produce, and sell a variety of metal crafts, including items that enrich daily life such as vases, incense burners, ornaments, and iron kettles. The fourth-generation brothers, Motomasa and Susumu Yotsukawa, carry on the spirit of their ancestral artistic name "Kisen," which embodies the desire to bring joy and enrichment to people's lives. They have launched a new brand, "Kisen," tailored to modern lifestyles, and sell their products both domestically and internationally. *Photo bottom right
"Before you travel, the joy of encounter. Online TOYAMA Travel"
Toyama Prefecture is a region blessed with diverse charms and values, where people have lived in harmony with nature and engaged in sincere craftsmanship. This initiative delivers Toyama's unique foods and crafts, embodying these charms, as "travel souvenirs" for each session. The artisans themselves share the passion and techniques embedded within their creations, along with the stories of the natural environment and cultural history of Toyama that nurtured them.
This event series will introduce various collaborations between Toyama's leading industries and the captivating content that emerges from them, presented by guides from each field.
Water and Crafts, Toyama Prefecture West Tourism Association
Tel. 0766-95-5170
https://www.online-toyama.jp