Craft kintsugi shining with resilient luster, made using real lacquer and gold dust
3 hour private experience
Location: Hasedamachi, Yamanakaonsen, Kaga
Offered in Japanese, with a friendly Deeper Japan guide interpreting in your language
A minimum of 2 guests is required to book. Solo participants are welcome but will be charged the 2-person rate
Meet the master
What you’ll do
Learn about the history and techniques of kintsugi, the ancient Japanese art of repairing broken ceramics with gold. Next, select a piece to repair and work alongside the master, dusting it with gold powder and completing the final steps to create your own repaired masterpiece to take home. While your piece dries, observe and assist the master with other kintsugi works to deepen your understanding of kintsugi.
It is possible to repair your own piece of broken/chipped pottery at this studio. An additional fee is required, and the item must be delivered to the studio at least 2 months prior to the experience date.
For more information please contact info@deeperjapan.com.
Includes
Repaired pottery
Who can attend
Children must be 7+
Availability
Everyday
Session 1 (10:00-13:00)
Session 2 (11:00-14:00)
Session 3 (12:00-15:00)
Session 4 (13:00-16:00)
Session 5 (14:00-17:00)
Access
20 min taxi ride from Kaga-Onsen station or 60 min from Kanazawa station (30 min Limited Express Train (Thunderbird) ride + 20 min taxi ride from Kaga-Onsen Station)
What else you should know
You will need to take a taxi (20 min ride) to and from the studio. The roundtrip taxi fare will be around 6000 JPY. If you would like to pay via credit card instead of cash, our interpreter guide can help you locate a taxi that accepts card.
If you would like to repair your own piece of broken/chipped pottery, please have it delivered at least 2 months prior to the experience date.
As natural lacquer is derived from a plant in the poison ivy family, it may irritate skin.
The ceramic that you repair cannot be put in the microwave, dishwasher, or the oven and should be kept at room temperature. Please do not scrub with any harsh materials.
Resilience and beauty of urushi lacquer
Born into a family with a heritage of traditional Japanese lacquer crafting, a deep appreciation for urushi lacquer has been instilled in Shigeki since birth. Urushi lacquer has been utilized in Japan for thousands of years, as early as the Jomon Period, and developed into a rich artistic craft with countless different usages. Shigeki chose to continue his family's dedication to urushi lacquer, a natural product with a radiant luster and remarkable durability, by studying intensively at a lacquer training school in Wajima, whose urushi products are held in high regard all around the world. After he returned to his hometown Yamanaka, a region with a flourishing hot spring culture and a hotspot for urushi production, he continued working as a lacquer artist. Yet in the early 2000s, he discovered a love for the art of kintsugi, a traditional technique of mending broken pottery using Japanese lacquer, finding it the perfect expression of urushi's resilience and beauty.
Visit Shigeki's quaint studio in Yamanaka, conveniently accessible from central Kanazawa. The father-son lacquer artists will show you how urushi products are made, as well as the traditional kintsugi crafting process using urushi. Under the guidance of the masters, you'll get to experience the last step of creating a kintsugi product, painting the mended part with lacquer and dusting it with gold powder.
Cancellation Policy
Please make your booking at least 7 days in advance. See cancellation policy here.
A detailed itinerary will be emailed to you once your booking has been confirmed.
