When I first encountered pastry chef Phoebe Ogawa’s wagashi ... an early February festivity when Japanese households celebrate the first signs of spring and the warmer weather ahead.

These are the humble materials used to make wagashi—painstakingly crafted, bite-size tea snacks once prized by the Japanese imperial court. Practitioners who have trained in the tradition, which dates ...

But the best bread of 2024 is the croissant from Ami Patisserie in Scotts Road, which Japanese pastry chef Makoto Arami, 36, opened in January after operating as an online business. Apart from the ...