Over the last 10 years I have been to New York many times, and every time I've been in Manhattan, my impression has been that Japanese cuisine has advanced into the“it” scene. You can find sushi, soba, ramen, as well as sake and the like. This was not so much due to the Japanese residents of New York as to the flourishing support and eagerness of New Yorkers. Nevertheless wagashi were nowhere to be found.
In February 2004 JETRO and the New Wagashi Project began a campaign to spread the word to New Yorkers about the world of Matsue wagashi. This was part of our overall efforts to cultivate Japan as a brand and create a new market for Japanese products overseas with the assistance of national subsidies. Our first reaction was that Matsue was famous for its wagashi throughout Japan and therefore was a natural candidate. To be honest, this idea did not come from the industry itself, which was reluctant to take on this original, unconventional approach and preferred to stay with familiar, traditional markets. I never thought that they would adopt the idea. However, out of 31 proposals from all over Japan, the concept of selling wagashi in New York was the one they selected.
That was around the middle of July 2004, and within five months they had already started to test the tastes of the potential market, making various sample products, getting the opinions of experts and adjusting accordingly. By the time January came around we were feeling the pressure of preparing for a showing in New York−which involved nine wagashi producers from Matsue−so, for our first step, we decided to use the floral symbol of Matsue, the camellia, as our logo.
Starting with our general pre-conception that foreigners dislike an, as they have no tradition of eating squashed beans and they are averse to its sticky texture, we had to decide how to make an−the soul of wagashi −palatable to westerners. Deciding how far we would have to depart from wagashi's traditions to achieve this was the makers' biggest dilemma. Meanwhile, as we argued and debated various trivialities, our January exhibition loomed before our eyes. After considerable hard work and despite the fuss over the final products, the nine wagashi houses pulled together to create fourteen different wagashi goods, which, on the 15th of December, were chilled in preparation for the shipping which would take nearly a month. However, an unexpected challenge arose in the form of America's food laws and regulations. In what I chalk up to the post- 9/11 environment of raised concerns about border control and bio-terror, imports were very tightly restricted, even to the point of regulating foods containing certain red dyes. After surviving US Customs, in the end of January 2005, we hosted the presentation and tasting of our wagashi at the Japan Club in New York. New York in January is cold, normally around -10 degrees, and when we went to the cold storehouse to collect the goods, we found it warmer than outside, which was so cold that we preferred to hide ourselves in the storage room.
That evening, the venue was decorated with camellias and the fourteen products were lined up, accompanied by artful displays of the Japanese sweets created by two specialists we had brought with us. Two wagashi artisans had also come to New York with us and presented the art of making wagashi. In attendance were the American media, buyers, and various people from the food industry. All in all the event was extremely successful, gaining coverage from most of Japan's television stations.
Looking in on the event, my first thought was that it was beautiful and I was proud that we had persevered and completed our jobs well. It was also a relief to find that our preconception and fear that westerners hate bean paste did not come to pass. As this was the first time that the majority of the participants had eaten wagashi, many were a little hesitant about how to describe the taste, but on the other hand their comments that the wagashi were delicious were not disingenuous. Most reassuring was that no one found them disgusting. One person said that all wagashi taste the same but nevertheless was surprised by how good they were.
Now the New Wagashi Project is into its second year, and, this autumn, two specialist pastry chefs visited from New York to share their knowledge and opinions with us−with the objective that we can make improvements to our wagashi aimed at New York and other markets, including those within Japan. Promoting any Japanese food in New York can take extraordinary effort, and we don't expect wagashi to be any different. As a guideline, however, we adopted the opinion of a Japanese restaurant owner in New York who said, “The genuine article at a reasonable price.” I digress a little, but it was at that same restaurant that the wife of a former president took part in a sampling of wagashi, and, smiling sweetly, said they were delicious. We were extremely flattered and to this day I can still recall her delightful facial expression.
Mamoru Naito, Head of the Shimane Wagashi Association and Representative Director of Furyudo, Incorporated.

This year (2005) on the 29th of January, nine wagashi companies from Matsue presented fourteen“New Wagashi”at an event held in New York. Here the company owners heard various voices evaluating the product and, as they listened, the tension they had been feeling began to soften. As it was a product aimed at an overseas market, passing and profiting from this New York test had great significance for them.
This was their first time to take part in cultivating Japan as a brand name, a job whose inherent difficulties come from trying to retain special regional characteristics while increasing the product's merits for both domestic and international markets. JETRO and its international and domestic network are utilized for the purpose of helping Japanese companies break into new markets. For instance, with Hiroshima's famous Kumano brushes, we helped to market a brush that would also serve the purposes of Westerners with their strong brush strokes and horizontal writing style. With Ishikawa Prefecture's Kutani ceramics, we introduced ceramics with lead free glazes that could pass strict foreign guidelines. JETRO works to create a plan that will make the products more competitive by distinguishing and promoting their special regional features. Furthermore, we propose ways the products can serve the needs of customers in other countries.
Promoting a region's traditional goods, foodstuffs or agricultural products is by no means new. For the new Wagashi Project, which attempts to give Shimane its first brand-name export, we took advantage of the interest in Japanese culture as well as consumer confidence in the high quality of Japanese goods paired with the widely held perception that Japanese food is healthy. The strengths of wagashi notwithstanding, we weren't especially optimistic about its merits for continuous exportation considering all of the risks and the work it would take to address them. For example, there were still issues concerning the length of time for shipping and maintaining its freshness, and, above all else, we needed to quickly establish and set up a system to maintain Matsue's image as an appealing brand.
In their normal operation, the companies involved were rivals, so we strived to unify them, but, naturally, differences of opinion still occurred. Thus, the New Wagashi were born out of a melding of various techniques and expressions; however, when it comes to packaging and the like, whether the companies will be able to work as a single Matsue brand is yet to be seen.
When considering a foreign market, the logistics of exporting the product is just one element. Ideally, progress and development within that prefecture's industry should instigate and propel the desire for international growth, and when this happens, it means positive attitudes and energies drive the whole enterprise. I always felt that we had many great products within Shimane that could be successful overseas, and that belief in the products and industry themselves provides the opportunity for regional rejuvenation and pride.
The wagashi industry in Matsue, long protected by tradition, has decided to present its graceful sweets to the rest of the world and, by doing so, overcomes a tapering local demand. To hear a local wagashi artisan exclaim that, by taking on the New York market, the wagashi houses of Matsue had evolved filled me with great hope for the upcoming presentations and exhibitions of wagashi. The countdown has begun to the day when the wagashi that we all know and love will bring joy to people who eat them all over the world.

On the 5th and 6th of October, in the latest step of the New Matsue Wagashi Project, nine of Matsue's wagashi houses played host to “New Matsue Kashi Exchange Meeting 2005." The event's aim was to create an exchange of ideas and techniques between Matsue's wagashi artisans and two of New York's finest exponents of western style desserts and pastries. These chefs were Nancy Olson of the Peacock Alley restaurant in the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, and Sam Mason of the critically acclaimed restaurant wd-50. Nancy's style has been described as heart-warming and evocative of both modern and traditional America, whilst Sam's style has been described as combining traditional ingredients and techniques from around the world to create visually appealing and unique desserts to excite the palate. When asked why they had wanted to participate, both Nancy and Sam exclaimed that it was professionally exciting and a great opportunity to broaden their knowledge through a fantastic and unique experience.
On the opening day, artisans from each of the wagashi houses displayed their art with expert skill and grace, while coaching the visiting chefs through the various stages of creating wagashi. Whilst Sam and Nancy seemed to lack confidence in their attempts, one of the Matsue artisans noted they obviously have skill and enjoyed doing it, which is fundamental. Sam said, “It is really an art form, highly technical with a long tradition. It requires a long time to master and is very hard to start doing it without any experience." Both New York chefs commented on the expertise of the wagashi makers, and Nancy likened watching them at work to a dance. Sam said he found the work of making wagashi as, or more, difficult than I had thought. “The ease with which they make the sweets makes me feel even less competent."
When asked their opinions on wagashi, Nancy answered, “At first they were totally alien-all the forms, flavours, techniques and textures. I was afraid to try them". This is probably a familiar experience for anyone who first encounters wagashi. Sam said, “I like them a lot, a little sweet perhaps, but you have to remember that it is made to be served with a bitter tea so the flavours are complementary. It is a functional sweet. I think that people feel the beauty."
On the second day of the event, both students and masters of wagashi in the Matsue area studied the techniques and ingredients that comprise Sam's and Nancy's traditions. As they worked under the instruction of their New York tutors, the Japanese artisans, surrounded by assistants, were a picture of harmony. Afterwards, all participants sampled the desserts, and the wagashi masters were extremely satisfied with their counterparts' creations. After considering the implications of interchange between modern and traditional, and western and eastern influences, Sam said, “This is the New Wagashi Project, but I hope we don't lose sight of the old." On the other hand, Nancy summed up the international exchange best when she said, “The thing that both wagashi and western sweets have in common is that they make people happy."