​The hanging scroll displayed the characters “Zu-i-un” (瑞雲), meaning “auspicious clouds,” which are said to herald the arrival of good fortune. In the tokonoma, a decorative hagoita paddle was displayed.

The tea bowls themselves featured classic New Year motifs such as old pine trees and cranes. However, the most eye-catching piece was a tea bowl inspired by this year’s imperial poetry theme (歌会初) - The character  (明/Mei) which means bright, 

Utakai Hajime refers to the Imperial New Year's Poetry. and each year’s theme character—known as the chokudai（勅題）, theme given by the Emperor—is often reflected not only in poetry, but also in tea ceremony scrolls, utensils, and even used as a New Year's motif for  wagashi. 

​This particular tea bowl depicted a scene of light shining through a window. 

Other auspicious motifs included butsukan (仏手柑) - Translated to Buddha’s hand citron also associated with good fortune and expansion of its shape, Decorations of cranes and turtles, pine trees symbols of longevity, were also displayed throughout the room.

Candied eggplants inspired by “Ichi Fuji, Ni Taka, San Nasubi” （一富士二鷹三茄子）—the three lucky things said to appear in one’s first dream of the year: Mt. Fuji (safety and immortality), a hawk (height and nobility), and an eggplant (to achieve or accomplish things). ​ we also displayed which was something I have never seen or heard of before.

Happy New Year to all our readers of the Simply Oishii Blog!
As I look back on 2025, I can honestly say it was a challenging year—both personally and professionally.
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I suffered three bone fractures during the year, including a serious bicycle accident in August, which greatly affected my daily life. For nearly two months, I was unable to use my hands at all. During that time, my instructors truly held the fort. Thanks to their dedication and professionalism, we didn’t have to cancel a single class. I am deeply grateful to them.

Although it was a difficult period, I am thankful simply to be here today—and I’ve learned that I must be much more careful when riding my bike in the future.

In October, I also lost my mother. She had been living in a nursing home for the past three years and passed away peacefully. I am sincerely grateful to the carers who took such wonderful care of her—they even cried for her when she passed. I believe she is now reunited with my father, whom I’m sure missed her dearly.
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These experiences reminded me how deeply my life and work are supported by the people around me, and how important it is never to take that support for granted.

Looking Back on 2025: Our Business Journey
From a business perspective, I believe 2025 was still a strong year—especially considering the challenges we faced. Unfortunately, our Google and YouTube advertising accounts were suspended after being incorrectly flagged as a phishing site (to this day, we don’t know why). Despite submitting appeals, the accounts were never reinstated. As a result, even with government funding, we were unable to use our advertising budget effectively, which was certainly disappointing.
That said, we achieved an important milestone by participating in our first overseas event in Barcelona. It was a fantastic learning experience, and we gained valuable insights. We hope to take part in many more international events in the years to come.

Looking Ahead to 2026
In 2026, my goal is to complete projects that had to be postponed in 2025—most notably the Nerikiri Master Course, an advanced program following our Nerikiri Basic Course. I am currently in the process of creating detailed tutorial videos for this course.

We also plan to take on more corporate events and large group workshops. With the experience we’ve built and the strong team we now have, we feel confident expanding in this area.

Another important ambition is to create more YouTube content. Video is a powerful way to share the beauty and depth of wagashi with people around the world, and we’re excited to grow in this space.
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While our main studio remains in Tokyo, I would love to expand to other areas of Japan such as Osaka, Kyoto, and Fukuoka, so that visitors can enjoy a similar wagashi experience across the country.

Our Mission Beyond Wagashi
My ultimate goal is not only to promote wagashi globally, but also to create meaningful job opportunities—especially for people who have valuable language skills that are often underutilized.

Many of our instructors and assistants have backgrounds in English through overseas study or work earlier in their lives. However, after raising children, they often had few opportunities to use those skills professionally. Through Simply Oishii, I provide training that allows them to combine their cultural knowledge and language abilities, giving them skills they can use for a lifetime.

That is my ambition for the year ahead.
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Thank you, as always, for your continued support. I look forward to sharing another meaningful year with you.