[Media Interview] Tang He’s family bought high-end souvenirs from Kagaya

Written by/Xie Fuxu Photography/Chen Yongzheng’s “Today Weekly” Issue 731

Wu Huijing decided to change careers at the age of 33. In order to pursue the true love in her life, Wu Huijing learned Japanese from scratch and took out a loan to study in Japan and learn how to make wagashi. Her story tells us that to succeed in the cultural and creative industry, in addition to creativity, you also need a lot of courage.

 

The melodious singing voice of Japanese folk singer Moto Chitose lingered in the room. Wu Huijing was wearing Japanese work clothes, with her hair neatly tied up in a bun, her waist straight, and she was concentrating on giving elegant shapes to the things in her hands. People who don’t know what’s going on here would think that this is an artist’s studio. However, what Wu Huijing is holding is not clay, but something that can be eaten.wagashi . 

Tanghejia, founded by Wu Huijing, has been established for just over two years and has successfully entered markets such as Japanese hot spring hotel Kagaya, Japanese shrines in Taiwan, and high-end souvenirs. Before starting the business, my friends were skeptical about whether a piece of wagashi, which started at NT$80 or even exceeded NT$500, could be sold in Taiwan. But now Tang Hejia's monthly revenue has reached more than 200,000 yuan, and Wu Huijing has become Taiwan's leading wagashi expert.

The koi-shaped Japanese confectionery is cute and delicious, and the flower shape shows the exquisite craftsmanship, making people reluctant to eat it in just one bite.

Even though I’m not even familiar with the fifty tones, I decided to “Zhengri”

Six years ago, Wu Huijing relied on an inexplicable courage to make up her mind to get rid of her seven-year career as a graphic designer. At the age of thirty-three, her life hit a low point. Not only did she face a bottleneck at work, but her relationship with her husband, whom she had been with for many years, also experienced rifts. At this time, because once in a Japanese program"TV Champion"I saw the wagashi master competition in the middle of the school, and I was shocked by the breathtaking beauty of traditional Japanese desserts. I thought, "I want to pursue that state too." In this way, an impulse in her heart led her to embark on an adventurous journey of life.

Is thirty-three still an age where you can pursue your dreams? At that time, not only did she not know the basic Japanese syllables, it was also a big problem whether she could successfully enter the confectionery school. Secondly, the money she has saved from working in the past seven years is quite limited, and whether it can support her expenses in Japan is also a problem. Of course, the most important thing is that after completing studies and returning to China, whether you can carve out your own future is a big question mark.

Although a series of doubts kept pouring out in her heart, Wu Huijing's desire to live a different life was as uncontrollable as a wild horse running wild. "I have always been willful. This may be a shortcoming, but it may also be an advantage!" "I may fail to learn wagashi in Japan, but if I don't go because I am timid, the regret will torture me until I grow old, so I decided to give it a try !" she said, recalling her decision at the time.

In this way, a 33-year-old mature woman who is not yet proficient in the fifty tones embarks on a journey to "conquer the sun". In her first year in Japan, she started at a language school. Not only was Wu Huijing's proficiency worse than her classmates, but her memory was even worse than that of her young peers who were preparing to study at university in Japan.

Tokyo Confectionery School opened her eyes

"My classmates can memorize words after reading them three times, but it takes me several times longer to remember them!" Wu Huijing knows very well that she has almost no advantages when studying in a language school. Her biggest advantage is perseverance and perseverance. effort. "When you have no way out, the only thing you can do is to move forward!"

In the first year of studying in Japan, Wu Huijing's life was like a devil's training camp in the army - regular and hard-working. The only difference is that there is no devil instructor pushing her, she has to push herself. Every day, she gets up at six o'clock and starts studying hard. On the way to school and taking the tram, she also memorizes vocabulary and becomes proficient in grammar. After class, I also devote most of my time to studying. "That was the period when I studied the most diligently in my life!" she said.

The Japanese language school also provides an incentive. As long as the language test reaches a certain standard one year later, you can receive a scholarship of 200,000 yen. Wu Huijing said, not only did I need the money, but I also regarded the Chinese test standards as my goal and sprinted with all my strength. In order to learn Japanese well, she also moved out of the student dormitory. She said that there were too many Taiwanese students there, which would reduce the opportunities to speak Japanese. A year later, her Japanese language test met the standards, and she not only received a scholarship, but also successfully entered the Confectionery School in Tokyo, Japan.

EnterTokyo Confectionery School, she became the oldest student in the class, and her classmates were all young men aged 17 or 18. Young people are very active and love to have fun, which often leads to "aunties and classmates" who are slow to respond and suffer disaster. She recalled that one time her classmates were playing with each other while chasing her with a rolling pin. She was hit with a "sap" because she couldn't dodge, and she almost suffered a concussion. "I often tell myself that I have to think about how to blend in with them instead of always thinking about how to 'put up with' them, so that my life will be happier." She said with a wry smile.

The training at the confectionery school opened Wu Huijing's horizons. The making of wagashi is a dessert technology that combines craftsmanship and art. In addition to the most basic food processing, all the tools used by wagashi masters need to be made by themselves. Therefore, carpentry is also a required course. In order to express the "form" and "meaning" of wagashi, all art, aesthetics, literature,tea ceremonyetc., are all within the scope of cultivation.

In her first year at Tokyo Confectionery School, Wu Huijing relied on her half-baked Japanese proficiency to not only rank among the best in subjects, but also outshine her classmates in technical subjects. However, she knew very well that her skill in making wagashi must be improved to a higher level, and she must improve quickly in the only year left. She must get out of the classroom and see the outside world.

So, in her second year at confectionery school, she begged the proprietress of a 60-year-old confectionery shop to let her in as an intern. "The boss lady refused at first, but this is understandable. Japanese wagashi is a very conservative industry, and it is not easy for foreigners to join as apprentices!" "But the 70-year-old boss lady finally softened her heart and couldn't bear my request. He agreed to let me work."

However, internship alone is not enough. Wu Huijing continues to participate in wagashi competitions to hone her skills and improve her artistic content. "Participating in the competition can not only observe others, but also hear the judges' criticism of your own work, so that you can know where your shortcomings are."

In the graduation exhibition, the works amazed Japanese experts

The second year of confectionery school and the third year of studying in Japan were spent in busy days of attending classes, working part-time, and participating in competitions. Wu Huijing's wagashi craftsmanship has made great progress without even realizing it. In her graduation exhibition, she created wagashi based on the Chinese Tang poem "Night Mooring on the Maple Bridge". The work included a bright moon, a small bridge, a lonely boat, and powdered sugar as residual snow, which greatly amazed the Japanese teacher. He even applied this set of works to a professional craftsman competition and won the Special Jury Award as a student.

One of the judges was the "TV Champion" Wagashi Master who made Wu Huijing decide to learn wagashi for seven consecutive years.Takahashi Hiromitsu, Takahashi greatly appreciated Wu Huijing's works and even said many words of encouragement to her.

The proprietress of the wagashi shop who worked part-time also recognized Wu Huijing's skills and decided to officially hire her as a master. Wu Huijing found a job immediately after graduation, and her favorite was making wagashi, which made Wu Huijing extremely excited. But she never expected that her application for a work visa from the Japanese government would be rejected. This news made her fall from the clouds again. As soon as the three-year study visa expired, Wu Huijing was forced to pack up and return to Taiwan.

The ability to grasp and master the details is the most basic skill in making wagashi.

Online sales break the industry’s conservative style

After returning to Taiwan, real problems came one after another. First of all, the bank loan she owed while studying in Japan was waiting for her to repay. In order to pay back the money, she sold her house, but this was not enough. She still had to "return to her old career" and take on graphic design projects to make a living. At this time, the marriage also turned red. Her husband's philandering made her heartbroken, and it ended in divorce.

Wu Huijing, who had no funds and only good skills, chose to start an online business. She hired someone to build a website and promoted it through online shopping. In the first month of opening, her turnover was only 2,000 yuan. However, a miracle happened in the second month. Japanese religious groups came to their door automatically and became a stable source of customers for Tang He's family. I once demonstrated production on a TV stationKikuhime The sharp knife skills displayed in wagashi have made Tang He's family famous. As a result, orders for Valentine's Day gifts, Mid-Autumn Festival and company gifts came one after another.

"The Japanese wagashi shop owner I worked with reported that I was selling wagashi through the Internet and home delivery. This idea made her think that I was deviant! Because the Japanese wagashi industry has always believed that wagashi is a dessert eaten by nobles. How can you use online shopping and home delivery to lower your status?”

"However, if you don't think about flexibility, it will be extremely difficult to promote wagashi in Taiwan!" Wu Huijing said with emotion.

Wu Huijing uses Japanese wagashi as the basis of her creation, injects Chinese cultural elements, breaks the conservative and unflexible marketing habits of the Japanese wagashi industry, and creates a new market for wagashi in Taiwan. This once again proves that those who dare to innovate will always have a way out. of.

Reprinted from · Today's Weekly Issue 731 (December 23, 2010)

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

This week’s issue makes me look like Taiwan’s Ashin~
Perhaps only those who have experienced suffering and silence know how to bring joy to others~

All I can say is that I’m not good at expressions other than smiling~
I hope that my thoughts will lead to happiness in the next stop~^^

Emily Wu