Dyeing

Private Dyeing Workshops by Local Artists

Tenugui (Traditional Towel)-Dyeing Workshop

HIGHLIGHTS

・Meet an artist in person
・Experience a hands-on workshop in a Japanese household atmosphere
・Step inside a Japanese house, a place most travelers don’t get to visit
・The workshop is fairly easy, so even kids can enjoy it

Meet the Artist: Sumire Shinjo

Sumire was born in Okinawa, and is a graduate of the Musashino Art University Department of
Industrial, Interior, and Craft Design, where she studied textile design and first
encountered woodblock printing and wax dyeing. Her work combines these techniques
for unique, distinctive depictions of motifs like landscapes, plants, and animals.
She has worked at the Kanazawa Utatsuyama Kogei Kobo, and is still active in Kanazawa.

Hands-On Workshop Overview

1. Choose from a selection of tenugui towels pre-dyed with indigo.
2. Apply dye to woodblock stamps made by Sumire, and press onto your tenugui. The stamps feature Kanazawa-themed designs, like geishas, Kenrokuen Garden’s iconic Kotoji stone lantern, yukizuri tree branch snow supports, Tsuzumi-mon Gate, or daruma dolls. Stamp on as many designs as you’d like.
3. After your tenugui is stamped, it will then be dried and ironed to get any wrinkles out, and it’s finished! The workshop has the fun, intimate feel of a short homestay.

Details

Hands-On Workshop Location:
At one of the guest houses we operate, in central Kanazawa (we will show you where it is beforehand)
Time Required: 90 minutes
Group Size: 2–8 people

Workshop Price

¥17,000 / 2 persons
*Price remains the same for one person.
Additional charge of ¥8,000 per person.

Cancelation Policy: No refund for cancelations less than a week before.
(Please note that we may not be able to hold the workshop on certain dates, depending on the artist's schedule.)

Here are some of Sumire's art works:

Yuzen Dyeing Workshop 

Try an Old Traditional Japanese Craft!
1. Use a brush to paint in the dyes, inside the glue outlines of the prepared design.
This workshop uses seven dyes.
You can also mix the dyes to make whatever colors you like.
2. Set the colors using a highly alkaline solution (15 minutes).
3. Wash out the glue from the outlines.
This will leave sharp white outlines between the colored areas.
4. Stitch into a clip-on bow tie or place in a frame.

Groups of up to four are welcome to watch steps 2–4 above if they are interested and have the time.
For groups of five or more, the finishing steps will take a while, so the finished items will be sent out the following day.
(They will be sent to each guest’s overnight accommodations for the night after.)
If you have time, you are welcome to also look at the artist’s other works.

Workshop Price

¥21,000 / 2 persons
*Price remains the same for one person.
Additional charge of ¥10,000 per person.

Yuzen Dyeing
Yuzen is a traditional technique used to dye fabric for kimonos and other
luxurious garments, creating a design drawn directly onto the fabric in various colors.
The most distinctive feature of Yuzen dyeing is perhaps the use of a glue to create boundaries between dyes,
preventing them from mixing.
This makes it possible to create incredibly fine dyed lines.
Using this glue keeps dyes within very specific boundaries on the fabric,
enabling artisans to create vibrant designs that look almost like paintings.

Meet the Artist: Ai Inoue

This fabric-dyeing professional’s work incorporates Yuzen techniques, ordinarily used to produce fabric for garments like kimonos, alongside the decorative technique known as decalcomania. Her art build on a theme of “the beginning of life.”
This is expressed through such motifs as plants growing, or various forms of underwater life.
She is currently based in Kanazawa.

Here are some of Ai's art works:

Cooking

Japanese Home Cooking Lesson in Kanazawa!

HIGHLIGHTS

・Experience a hands-on workshop in a Japanese household atmosphere
・Step inside a Japanese house, a place most travelers don’t get to visit
・Lots of options, from ordinary contemporary Japanese homes to old-fashioned houses, or even apartments.

Hands-On Workshop Overview

・Sushi Rolls & Topped Inari-Sushi Pockets (Recommended!)
・Gyoza dumplings
・Takoyaki octopus balls
・Ohagi (mochi rice and azuki bean sweets)
We can also teach how to make other everyday dishes, too!
Feel free to ask if you have one in mind, and we’ll let you know if it’s possible.

Details

Location:
At one of the guest houses we operate, in central Kanazawa (we will show you where it is beforehand)
Time Required: At least 90 minutes
Group Size: 4–8 people
Price: ¥6,600/person  ¥26,400 (minimum rate for a group of 4 people, a group of less people can participate but we ask that you pay the minimum fee)
Cancelation Policy: No refund for cancelations less than a week before.

Maki-e

Maki-e Experience: Lacquered Chopsticks & Bowls

Create your own original lacquered chopsticks or bowls with our maki-e experience.
What is maki-e?
Maki-e is a traditional Japanese lacquerware technique using gold, silver or tin powder sprinkled onto a lacquer pattern. During the experience you can freely draw your favorite patterns and pictures to create a one-of-a-kind design.
Enjoy the warmth and softness of traditional lacquerware bowls and chopsticks used in the experience.
Please note that it will take a few days for the artist to complete your work, so we kindly ask you to take part in this workshop at least one week before you leave Japan, so that we have enough time to send your work to you.

Meet the Artist: Kinoshita Miyuki

Miyuki was born in Tokyo and graduated from Toyama University, Faculty of Art and Design. She has worked at the Kanazawa Utatsuyama Kogei Kobo, and is an active laquerware artist in Kanazawa.

Here are some of Miyuki's art works.

Overall process of maki-e experience:
1. Draw your original design on chopsticks or a bowl using lacquer.
2. Sprinkle tin powder onto it.
3. Polish.

Your work will be sent to your accommodation two days after the experience. Please note, that it may take a few days for it to be delivered, depending on the location.
Perfect for a memorable souvenir!

*Please note that the lacquer may cause allergies and skin rash.

Workshop Price

Chopsticks:

¥22,000 / 2 persons
*Price remains the same for one person.
Additional charge of ¥10,000 per person.

Bowl:

¥24,000 / 2 persons
*Price remains the same for one person.
Additional charge of ¥11,000 per person.

(The price includes shipping fee and commission)
Maximum number of participants: 8
(please contact us for larger groups).

Notes:
Please make a reservation at least one week in advance as the artists have a tight schedule.
No refunds for cancellations made less than one week prior to the workshop.
We cannot ship overseas.

Handbag Dyeing

Handbag Dyeing Workshop with a Local Artist

 

Create your own design and make a unique handbag of your own!
1. Draw and cut your own paper stencils
2. Create a unique design using the stencils and colored sponges.

The artist will apply the final layer of paint after the experience, your work will be sent to you one day after.
The bags can be washed in a washing machine.
You can create any design you want, including the ones featuring your favorite characters!

Meet the Artist: Nahoko Yamazaki
Nahoko Yamazaki was born in Kanagawa, and graduated from the Joshibi University of Art and Design’s Crafts Program.
Following her training at the Utatsuyama Kogei Kobo workshop, she now works in fabric dyeing in Kanazawa.
Her work focuses on delightful designs with motifs based on familiar things.
These designs tend to be somewhat minimalistic and slightly abstract, with the goal of creating a fun “a-ha” in the moment of recognition.

Here are some of Nahoko's art works:


Please note that it will take one day for the artist to complete your work, so we kindly ask you to take part in this workshop at least one week before you leave Japan, so that we have enough time to send your work to you. Please note, that it may take a few days for it to be delivered, depending on the location.

Workshop Price

¥20,000 / 2 persons
*Price remains the same for one person.
Additional charge of ¥9,000 per person.

Maximum number of participants: 8
(please contact us for larger groups).

Notes:
Please make a reservation at least one week in advance as the artists have a tight schedule.
No refunds for cancellations made less than one week in advance.
We cannot ship overseas.

Reservation

How to make a reservation

Please use our contact form to make a reservation.
Don't forget to include the following information:
・The tour or experience you are interested in
・Prefered date and time
・Your name
・Number of guests
・Hotel/guesthouse or area you are staying at

Make a Reservation

By taking part in these hands-on workshops, guests help contribute to creating new opportunities
for up-and-coming artists working in Kanazawa. Japan is currently facing a nationwide crisis,
as more and traditional artisans find themselves without anyone in younger generations to teach their techniques to.
This in turn has led to the need to find and train the next generation of successors,
in order to preserve Japan’s precious traditional crafts.
We believe that participation in these workshops will also benefit artists,
not only by exposing these crafts to more potential successors, but also by providing artists
with new and unexpected experiences and influences for their work, through their interactions with various people.
Guests traveling to Japan can enjoy the rare and precious opportunity to help contribute
to the development of a sustainable society, through workshops held in private settings.
These workshops are held at overnight accommodations facilities operated by our company.
Guests can also experience the Japanese lifestyle.