We held a monitor tour for the confectionery experience program “The Dialogues of Japanese Sweets -WOKASHI-”

OUGI Inc., in collaboration with the Yamashiro Onsen Tourism Association in Kaga City, developed “The Dialogues of Japanese Sweets -WOKASHI-” an cultural exchange programme for inbound tourism. In this programme, participants worked with Japanese confectioners to create one-of-a-kind wagashi ( Japanese sweets) using the five senses gained through various dialogues at Yamashiro Onsen.

A four-day monitor tour was organized for a total of four participants. This project was selected as a Regional Tourism Promotion Project (New Creation Type) in 2025, and designed to go beyond a simple tourist experience. It aims to deepen it into a cultural retreat where participants become part of the community. The four-day tour focused on wagashi, deeply rooted in Yamashiro Onsen, and involved participants experiencing kashi tsukasa (Japanese confectioners) during their stay. This experience fostered deep dialogues and interactions with local residents and allowed tour participants to immerse themselves deeply in the traditional culture.

[Overview of the Monitor Tour]

• Participants: Total 4 participants (1 American, 1 French, 1 Italian, and 1 Japanese)
• Tour Duration: 4 days (Tuesday 16th to Friday 19th of December 2025)
• Main Locations: Yamashiro Onsen, Kaga City, Ishikawa Prefecture

[Itinerary & Details]

• Day 1: Opening Ceremony, Yunogawa (town) Walking Tour, Wagashi Making (1. My Wagashi)
• Day 2: Wagashi Making (2. Shape), Kutani Ware Kiln Site Exhibition Hall, Wagashi Making (3. Color), Local Cuisine
• Day 3: Visit to Hakusan Hime Shrine (Omizutori Ceremony), Wagashi Making (4. Design & Prototype)
• Day 4: Wagashi Making (the participant’s own one), Special Tea Ceremony, Closing Ceremony

We received the following feedback from the participants:

• I felt that the greatest strength of this tour, “The Dialogues of Japanese Sweets -WOKASHI-” was that it allowed participants to truly “enjoy dialogue (with local people, environment, other participants and myself)”.
• I never expected to forge such strong connections with people in such a short four-day period. It really felt like I was living with and as the local.
• The direction and production throughout the tour was extremely well-crafted. It was a highly polished program that allowed participants to meet local people and understand the history and background of the land through beautifully composed production that combined music, performance, and video elements.

Based on the participants’ detailed reviews, this monitor tour suggested several improving points: how to handle local language support, how to include free time during the stay, which is also related to increasing local spending, how to involve and interact with the local community for each ceremony, and other aspects of the inbound reception system as high-end tourism. We plan to improve and adjust these points in preparation for selling this tour.

This tour is scheduled to be on sale in April 2026. We continue to make every effort to ensure to welcome many participants.