Experience kintsugi gold repair with maki-e lacquer art techniques and elements
2 hour private experience
Location: Chuo Ward, Tokyo
Offered in Japanese, with a friendly Deeper Japan guide interpreting in your language
Meet the Master
Shokan hails from a family of maki-e artists spanning three generations. In 1986, he commenced his training in the field of tea-ceremony utensils under the tutelage of master Jotaro Goto. In 1989, he was awarded the Permanent Preservation Award at the Yamanaka Maki-e Exhibition, where he later had four additional works accepted. Over time, Shokan established a studio in Tokyo, where he leads both artistic production and teaching activities in maki-e and kintsugi. As both a practicing artist and educator, Shokan contributes to preserving and evolving Japan’s lacquer arts tradition, fusing time-honored techniques with opportunities for wider, hands-on engagement.
What you’ll do
Learn about the history and use of kintsugi and the various techniques. Then, under guidance of the third generation master craftsman, learn to make the base and shape of the repair portion on the piece that you have chosen for kintsugi repair. Decorate the lacquer with elements such as ra-den (mother-of-pearl), colored powder, or maki-e techniques.
Who can attend
Children must be 12+
Availability
Everyday
Session 1 (10:00 - 12:00)
Session 2 (13:00 - 15:00)
Session 3 (15:00 - 17:00)
Access
5 minutes by car from Tokyo Station
Breathing in New Life
Kintsugi, or gold joinery, is crafted using lacquer dusted with gold, creating elegant yet structurally firm repair to otherwise broken or chipped ceramic or wood pieces. A technique that has been utilized since the advent of lacquer repair during the prehistoric Jomon era, lacquer repair with gold powder, or kintsugi, is said to have originated during the Muromachi era, when tea ceremony became widespread. Practitioners of tea ceremony valued the idea of repairing something broken to use anew, with tea bowls given a second life after cracking or breaking. At his Tokyo studio, this third-generation maki-e master adds maki-e elements and techniques to kintsugi pieces, repairing them to their former glory with repainting lost patterns or creating new expressions with the additional decorative mother-of-pearl techniques. Join this master craftsman and learn about kintsugi as an art form. Then, try your hand at kintsugi, as well as additional maki-e elements. Finally, creating a one-of-a-kind pottery piece with a unique design crafted by you, and experience the harmony of two traditional lacquer art forms.
Cancellation Policy
Please make your booking at least 3 days in advance. See cancellation policy here.
A detailed itinerary will be emailed to you once your booking has been confirmed.
