Mayumi Osuga: A Path with Wagashi

2025/02/19

After graduating from the Juku, I was studying to become a lawyer, but I ended up helping with the family business and put that dream aside. Since the business got on track within a few years, I handed over management to my younger brother and pursued a career in confectionery and bread-making, which I had been interested in since childhood. My family has run a Japanese restaurant in Akasaka since the Taisho era, and I believe being exposed to cooking and the world of food from a young age influenced me.

I studied at confectionery and bread-making schools and was fortunate enough to receive the Principal's Award and the Grand Prize. After graduation, while gaining practical experience, I developed a strong desire to understand what ingredients are healthy for Japanese people and to create things that everyone can eat safely and enjoyably. Through repeated trial and error, I became fascinated by the ingredients of wagashi and enrolled in the Wagashi Department of Tokyo College of Confectionery to seek further learning. While still a student, I trained at a long-established wagashi shop to hone my skills.

Currently, I am independent and, in addition to making wagashi to order, I strive to promote wagashi through lectures and workshops. The year before last, I obtained the Level 1 Wagashi Skills Certification (a national exam), and I am now working hard every day to obtain the "Selected Wagashi Artisan" title, the most difficult qualification, while seeking guidance from my seniors.

Also, last year I published "A Book for Making Authentic Anko" (Sekai Bunka Publishing), and this March, I plan to publish a new book on wagashi from the same publisher. Leveraging my experience so far, I aim to create content that people of all generations can enjoy. In my 20s, I never imagined such a future. However, when I think about how I arrived at my current path as a result of valuing the joy of pursuing something, I feel glad that I continued to take on challenges.

Recently, the number of children who have never eaten wagashi is increasing. Since they were born in Japan, I have a strong wish for them to enjoy their own country's culture more. Japanese culture, including wagashi, has many intertwined elements and a charm that shows great breadth. A culture that has lasted for hundreds of years is not just something old, but the "ultimate classic" that continues to be loved across eras.

I hope to continue collaborating with Japanese culture to convey its richness to many people and connect it to the future.

*Affiliations, titles, etc., are as of the time of publication.