Nerikiri

Make a sakura nerikiri. Place pink dough on a small white piece and use the tsutsumi-bokashi technique to soften the color gradient.

Roll out the dough, place anko on top, and wrap. The color shifts to a soft pink.

Pinch the top into a peak and form 5 petals.

Use your fingertip to draw each petal from the inside outward.

Draw the flower's center and finish the petal edges.

Make a uguisu (Japanese bush warbler) nerikiri. Layer two colors of dough and blend the gradient.

Wrap the dough into a ball and shape — form what will become the bird's belly.

Use the side of your hand to shape the bird, then form the beak with a fingertip.

Pipe on the eyes and add a plum-blossom cutout to finish.

Make an apple nerikiri. Hide a dainagon (sweetened azuki) inside as a stand-in for the seed.

Use the embedded-bokashi technique to finish in red and yellow.

After placing the anko, gently rub the yellow dough through to expose tints.

Wrap the seam closed with a hint of yellow showing. Drape a thin cloth and press to shape.

Add a leaf and the apple nerikiri is done.

Make an ocean nerikiri. Use blue dough to express the splash of waves.

Use shinbiki-ko (mochigome flour) on the wave-shaped nerikiri to express the foam, and finish.