Tomoko Yagi has been a dedicated student of the Urasenke School of sado, the Japanese art of tea. Her curiosity in wagashi, traditional Japanese sweets, stems from her tea studies, and also from her experience as a certified nutritionist in Japan. Cooking nutritious and appetizing meals for her diabetic father laid the foundation for her future work as a Japanese food consultant for various restaurants such as Sobaya, Cha An teahouse, and TIC Restaurant Group in New York’s East Village. Tomoko also teaches classes on wagashi at the Nippon Club and at Cha-An Classes. Her wagashi classes focus on the authenticity and accessibility of both ingredients and methods for the home cook in NYC, so that traditional Japanese sweets can become more ubiquitous and be enjoyed by many.