On Thursday, November 6, 2025, as Waku Paku moves from the successful completion of its Kickstarter campaign toward the official sale of its book, we held a Nerikiri (traditional Japanese confectionery) hands-on workshop for local university students at Rutgers University in New Jersey, USA.
At the invitation of an academic group with a strong interest in Japanese culture, our company’s representative, Mr. Yamamoto, served as the instructor. The lecture covered the historical evolution of the Japanese confectionery industry, recent trends, challenges facing traditional industries such as the shortage of successors, and the importance of cultural preservation and transmission.
Following the lecture, the Nerikiri workshop encouraged lively interaction among participants, creating an energetic and engaging atmosphere throughout the session. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to everyone who provided us with this valuable opportunity.
The event was also featured in the local free newspaper, Weekly NY Seikatsu.
■ About Waku Paku
Waku Paku is the international edition of our hands-on Nerikiri craft kits, “Touch, Create, and Eat Picture Book” and “Wagashi Clay.” These kits allow users to experience Japanese culture and history through all five senses by creating traditional Japanese Nerikiri sweets in a clay-like, playful manner.
The product was pre-launched on Kickstarter this past summer, where it received high praise from international users for its combination of “learning + hands-on experience.” General overseas sales of the international edition are scheduled to begin in January 2026.
For more detailed information, please visit here.
