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1
Sift the joshinko and ultra-fine icing sugar together into a wide, shallow bowl. If using shiroan powder, incorporate it at this stage. The combined dry mixture must be completely homogeneous and free of lumps before any moisture is introduced.
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2
Add water by drops — no more than a few millilitres at a time — working each addition through the mixture with the fingertips. The target is a barely-damp powder: when a small amount is pressed firmly in the palm it holds its shape, yet the mass remains loose and granular in the bowl. This is where the dish lives or dies — too wet and the pieces will not release cleanly from the kata; too dry and they will not hold under pressure.
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3
Select the seasonal kata appropriate to the current moment in the calendar — autumn motifs (momiji, kiku, ginkgo) from September; spring motifs (sakura, warabi, nanohana) from March. Dust the carved interior of each mould lightly with dry icing sugar to aid release.
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4
Fill the cavity of the kata with the powder mixture, slightly overfilling. Apply firm, even pressure across the entire face of the mould — consistent force is essential; uneven pressure produces a piece where one side is crisp and the other crumbles. A flat block or the heel of the hand may be used to distribute the press uniformly.
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5
Invert and tap the kata sharply against a wooden board. The piece should release cleanly in one motion. The motif surface must be crisp and fully resolved — if the detail is blurred or the piece crumbles at an edge, the moisture balance requires correction before pressing continues.
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6
Arrange the released pieces on a clean rack or tray and leave to air-dry at room temperature, undisturbed. Full dryness — the pieces must be hard and non-yielding at the centre when pressed lightly — is mandatory before storage. Pieces stored while still damp will soften in their packaging and lose the geometric precision that defines higashi.