Soft, chewy, and impossibly satisfying — daifuku is one of Japan's most beloved sweets, a delicate ball of pounded rice dough wrapped around a filling. The name means "great luck," and eating one feels exactly that way.

In this fun, hands-on class, Kumi of Atelier WA teaches the full process behind traditional wagashi-style daifuku mochi, starting from scratch. You'll begin by making anko, the sweetened red bean paste at the heart of classic daifuku, before moving on to the mochi dough itself — kneading and steaming it into the soft, elastic texture that makes daifuku so distinct. Once the dough has cooled, you'll wrap your own daifuku by hand, learning the technique that gives each piece its smooth, rounded finish.

Along the way, Kumi will walk you through the history and meaning behind mochi and daifuku, and demonstrate the art of preparing Japanese tea — the traditional companion to any wagashi. The class wraps up with a tasting of your handiwork alongside a cup of tea, and you'll leave with four freshly made daifuku mochi to take home.

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Kumi was born and raised in Japan and moved to Toronto in 2024 by way of the UK, where she launched Atelier WA in 2025, offering wagashi workshops and bespoke sweets. Her approach draws on time spent living in Tokyo, New York, and London, and she trained under Momotose Yukako Yasuda in wagashi, holds a nerikiri teaching certification from the Japan Salonaise Association, and is a certified Japanese tea advisor, alongside a Vegan Natural Chef Diploma from the UK's College of Naturopathic Medicine and cake decorating training from Le Cordon Bleu London. Kumi brings a sense of seasonality and natural beauty to her sweets, favouring local, organic ingredients whenever possible — many of her wagashi are naturally plant-based and gluten-free, making them a treat suited to a wide range of diets. @tokyo_plantcakery