As you may already know, there are many different types of wagashi, traditional Japanese sweets. According to the National Wagashi Association, there in fact 16 different types.

尾崎幸子 Yukiko Ozaki, who teaches wagashi classes in Tokyo, conveys the charm of wagashi through her YouTube channel, "Pink's Wagashi Channel."

The amazing art of Nerikiri

She mainly posts instructional videos on 練り切り nerikiri, a soft wagashi made by kneading and mixing sweetened white bean jam, Chinese yam, and glutinous rice flour. Nerikiri can feature a beautiful range of colors and designs, so they are a favorite among wagashi pastry chefs as a way of demonstrating their creativity and skills.

If you have visited Japan, you may have seen them sold in wagashi shops.

Although it may look daunting to make your own nerikiri, Pink's Wagashi Channel shows you how it's done. For example, look at this exquisite fireworks-themed creation:

The gradation formed by the three different colors of paste is so beautiful!

This next video shows you nerikiri that can be enjoyed even more when you cut it with a knife:

As you can see, you can create a realistic watermelon complete with black sesame seeds for the watermelon seeds.

Even if you don't have bean paste, you can create fake sweets using the same idea with clay or putty.

The tools used can easily be found at a thrift shop.

In this video, the artist takes on a more abstract approach to create a dolphin-themed nerikiri.

Why not immerse yourself in the world of Japanese sweets with these fun and informative videos?