AI Wagashi

Jun 2023

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What if generative AI could design wagashi? And what would they taste like?

This curiosity sparked the project called "AI Wagashi".

Using the image-generation AI Midjourney, we generated over 100 images of wagashi from text prompts. Many images featured soft pinks and light greens, with flowers as motifs. Interestingly, the results extended beyond wagashi, sometimes resemblilng Chinese mooncakes or even chocolates. Prompts with artist names or historical eras tended to generate stable, predictable results, while vague words introduced more variation --- sometimes generating unexpectedly fascinating shapes. For example, when we input the coined term "Computational Wagashi", the AI generated geometric, strikingly beautiful designs that we had never seen before. However, since this AI did not yet account for fabrication methods, some of the designs were impossible to fabricate by hand.

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To bridge this gap, I collaborated with Juri, the owner of the wagashi cafe Kantanna Yume in Shibuya. We selected several generated designs and brought them into real world. Using Blender, I built 3D models, the fabricated custom silicone molds and cutters with a 3D printer. Finally, we successfully created five wagashi. The highlight was a kingyoku-kan, which refreshing flavor was inspired by the French cocktail "Enchanté", blending gin, lychee, and lemon. In June 2023, we hosted a 2-day event in Tokyo, where more than 60 people gathered to taste and celebrate our wagashi.

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Interview: https://loftwork.com/jp/finding/generation_ai_chakai