Dassai Blue Sake Brewery hosts a collaboration workshop that blends contemporary art with Japanese wagashi, the delicate tradition of handcrafted sweets.

Wagashi Workshop and Modern Art Demonstration

Saturday, January 24, 2026 from 2:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m.

Dassai Blue Sake Brewery – 5 Saint Andrews Road, Hyde Park, NY 12538

Admission: $90

Dassai Blue Sake Brewery hosts a collaboration workshop that blends contemporary art with Japanese wagashi, the delicate tradition of handcrafted sweets. Discover how artist Moyuru Shiroma’s signature designs come alive through wagashi expert Sara Suzuki’s Chokotto Wagashi.

Event Structure

Guided instruction from Sara Suzuki
All of the materials to make three wagashi
A glass of Dassai Blue Nigori or Nigori Sparkling

Suzuki will guide participants in creating three different designs of nerikiri wagashi inspired by Shiroma’s signature designs: flowers, butterflies, and fish. At the end of the event, each participant will receive a box designed by Shiroma, allowing participants to take home their favorite wagashi in this special keepsake. In addition, while Suzuki leads the class, Shiroma will create a live painting.

To purchase tickets, please visit Tock.

What is Wagashi?

Wagashi is a traditional Japanese confection made from simple plant-based ingredients such as rice flour, sweet bean paste, and sugar. Their intricate designs reflect nature and seasonality, and they are typically paired with matcha at tea ceremonies.

About Sara Pekofsky Suzuki

While studying in Japan during college, Sara Pekofsky Suzuki discovered the quiet beauty and variety of wagashi. Inspired by those experiences, she continues to deepen her craft through ongoing courses and training. Through PEKOS CHOKOTTO WAGASHI, she creates seasonal, handcrafted sweets made entirely from scratch, using only all-natural ingredients and colors, celebrating care, tradition, and the fleeting nature of each moment. To learn more, follow Suzuki on Instagram.

About Moyuru Shiroma

Moyuru “Moy” Shiroma grew up on the small tropical island of Okinawa, Japan. This is where he developed his love of using bright colors to express mood. More recently, he has illustrated the duality of human emotions by combining the vivid colors of acrylic paints and sprays with the darker colors of stencil. He earned a bachelor's degree from Tohoku University of Art and Design, followed by attending college in Rockland County, New York. Both schools presented him with awards in the field of visual arts. He continues to hold exhibitions and collaborate with companies to share his vision. For more information, please visit Moy’s website.

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Susan McCormac 1/9/26 Susan McCormac 1/9/26

DASSAI Moon Talk at Japan Society

Peek behind the curtain of the DASSAI MOON Project at this special Japan Society event. Photo ©DASSAI

Crafting DASSAI Sake on the Moon: Conversation & Sake Tasting

Friday, January 23, 2026 at 7:00 p.m.

Japan Society – 333 E. 47th Street (between 1st and 2nd Avenues)

Admission: $45 | $35 Japan Society Members

Peek behind the curtain of the DASSAI MOON Project at this special Japan Society event.

Japan Society looks to the future with sake brewery DASSAI for a conversation on the DASSAI MOON Project, an initiative aimed at constructing the first-ever sake brewery on the moon. The project’s focus is to produce sake on the moon by 2050, and to achieve the historic feat, DASSAI recently carried out the world’s first sake fermentation in orbit inside the Japanese Experiment Module “Kibou” (Hope) aboard the International Space Station. This experiment was conducted in simulated lunar gravity (1/6 Earth’s gravity) using an artificial gravity generator installed in Kibou. The experiment investigated how fermentation behaves in lunar gravity and laid the foundation for brewing sake beyond Earth, bringing traditional Japanese craftsmanship into the era of space exploration. The moromi (fermentation mash) produced inside Kibou will be brought back to Earth and pressed to make sake bottled under the name DASSAI MOON, and DASSAI will donate all proceeds from its sale to the future development of Japanese space exploration. This project is a first test in anticipation of human lunar settlement and the dream of making sake in lunar colonies!

DASSAI Chairman Hiroshi Sakurai and DASSAI MOON Project Manager Soya Uetsuki will be in conversation about their collaboration with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) to conduct brewing experiments in orbit. They will discuss the technology behind the project and how DASSAI transformed this idea into reality to achieve a historic milestone for humanity. This talk will be followed by a reception and sake tasting.

To purchase tickets, please visit Japan Society’s website.

About the Reception

Attendees are invited to join in a sake tasting featuring sake from DASSAI BLUE. All are freshly brewed in Hyde Park, New York, with Yamada Nishiki rice from Japan and Arkansas and water from New York’s Hudson Valley.

Dassai Blue Type 23 – Tasting Notes: Complex aromatics of anise, pear and marshmallow develop into bright lemon chiffon, honeysuckle and stone fruit with a touch of minerality.
Dassai Blue Type 35 – Tasting Notes: White peaches and ripe papayas with a soft, sweet fragrance. The taste is characterized by a subtle sweetness and refreshing acidity.
Dassai Blue Type 50 – Tasting Notes: Licorice and cantaloupe give way to pineapple candy, lemon curd and vanilla with a hint of brine on the finish.
Dassai Blue Nigori Sparkling 50 – Tasting Notes: A fruity aroma reminiscent of green apples and Japanese wagashi treats. Some sweetness, moderate fizziness and a refreshing crisp finish.

All attendees must be 21 or older.

Susan McCormac 7/20/25 Susan McCormac 7/20/25

Dassai Sake Series Continues at Japan Society

Dassai Sake Series at Japan Society: Conversation with Dassai Chairman Hiroshi Sakurai and Keiko Ono Aoki, entrepreneur and CEO of Benihana of Tokyo

Dassai Sake Series: Benihana and Beyond

Thursday, July 24 at 7:00 p.m. (Please arrive by 6:45 p.m.)

Japan Society – 333 E. 47th Street (between 1st and 2nd Avenues)

Admission: $45 | $35 Japan Society members

Join Dassai Chairman Hiroshi Sakurai and Keiko Ono Aoki, entrepreneur and CEO of Benihana of Tokyo, for a talk about the past, present, and future of both organizations. Both leaders will engage in a dialogue around the themes of “Challenge” and “Innovation,” discussing how they blend yesterday and tomorrow with the goal of rising to the modern world.

How are we defined by our history, and what is our obligation to it? What are the realities of the U.S.-Japan world today and new dangers and opportunities within it? Is there a future without innovation? How can one create change within a historic organization? And what are the needs to create real revolution? Japan Society invites you to spend the evening with Hiroshi Sakurai and Keiko Ono Aoki to hear their answers.