Add a sprinkle of artisanal excitement to your travels at this maki-e gold dust and lacquerware workshop, instructed by a 3rd-generation maki-e master.

Details

• Private Experience

• Location: Chuo-ku, Tokyo

• 2 hours

• 4 people max.

• Offered in Japanese, with a friendly Deeper Japan guide interpreting in English
  (French/German interpretation may be available upon request)

Generations of Gilded Beauty

A refined and radiant art combining Japanese urushi lacquer and gold dust shavings, maki-e is an artisanal technique with origins extending as far back as the Heian Period (794-1185 CE), an era of aristocratic luxury and artistic decadence. Maki-e is often used in conjunction with other traditional crafting techniques, such as raden mother-of-pearl inlay, zogan inlay, or chinkin metal engraving. Far more than just gold, maki-e powder can be made from a variety of other alloys and metals, resulting in a range of colors and textures that give each design its own unique characteristics. The master of this maki-e instructional studio, FIRST NAME spent his childhood watching his father and grandfather make maki-e masterpieces, carefully observing their processes and aesthetic principles. After training in one of the central locations for lacquerware, Ishikawa Prefecture, and his own debut masterpiece at age 26, and passionately pursuing the independent development of his own craft, he returned to Tokyo in order to pass along his knowledge and expertise to students eager to sustain this centuries-old craft. While he still creates his own glittering artwork, comprised of richly-hued tea utensils, kitsune foxes leaping across biwa lutes, and regal golden boxes decorated with hawks and falcons, he currently devotes his time to fostering the skills and artistic insight of his maki-e disciples.

What you’ll do

Join a 3rd-generation maki-e master in his central Tokyo studio, where he teaches the next generation of Japanese artisans. Select a stencil, carefully apply lacquer, then dust with your preferred colors to create your own unique design to take home.

Who can attend

Children must be 7+

Availability

Everyday

Session 1 (10:00 - 12:00)
Session 2 (13:00 - 15:00)
Session 2 (18:00 - 20:00)

Access

5 minutes from Tokyo station by car

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.