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1
Combine the shiroan and gyuhi and work together until fully homogeneous. Test the paste by pressing a finger firmly into the surface: it must hold the impression without spring-back, and it must release from the hand cleanly without sticking. If it cracks, it is too dry; add the smallest possible measure of gyuhi and rework. If it adheres, it is too warm; rest it briefly and wash hands in cold water before continuing.
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2
Divide the paste into portions corresponding to the colour zones of an autumn maple: one portion tinted deep red-orange for the lobe tips, one yellow for the mid-zone, one green for the area around the stem. Keep each portion covered. This is the bokashi stage and it must be completed before any leaf form is shaped — blending colour into already-shaped paste produces visible, unnatural colour lines rather than smooth gradation.
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3
For each nerikiri, take 15–20 g of paste total. Lay the three toned portions — red-orange, yellow, green — in their correct positional order and press their edges together lightly. Roll and fold no more than twice at the junctions so the colours blend at the seam only, leaving each zone visibly distinct. This is where the dish lives or dies: insufficient blending leaves a hard colour line; excessive blending collapses the gradation into a uniform muddy tone. The correct result shows a continuous, soft transition from green at the base through yellow at the centre to red-orange at the tips, with no visible boundary.
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4
Flatten the blended paste into a disc. Using scissors or a knife, cut the five-lobed maple outline with serrated margins. All five lobes must be equal in size and proportion; uneven lobes indicate the paste was not divided correctly before cutting and cannot be corrected without re-blending, which will destroy the colour gradation.
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5
Using the back of a fine bamboo pick (yokan-bera), emboss the primary midrib vein from the stem point to the central lobe tip. Then draw branch veins at 40–45° angles from the midrib into each lobe. Use the back of the tool, not the tip: metal tools or the sharp point of the pick leave harsh surface marks visible under close inspection. The paste must be moist; if cracks appear at the vein lines, the paste has dried and the piece cannot be recovered.
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6
Curl the finished leaf form slightly along its length so that one or two lobes lift fractionally from a flat surface. A completely flat maple leaf appears artificial; a slight natural curve communicates the organic shape of a fallen leaf.
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7
Roll a small piece of the reserved green-brown paste into a thin cylinder and press it to the base of the leaf. It must adhere cleanly and appear continuous with the leaf body. This stem adds visual realism and provides a holding point for presentation.