Lacquerware（漆） is one of Japan's most iconic crafts. It elevates everyday items into objects of beauty with its elegant decorative design.

The collaborative crafts of rokuro (wood-turning) and Echizen shikki (lacquerware) hail from nearby Echizen city in Fukui prefecture. In this workshop you'll learn how to design, carve, and shape an ochoko (small sake cup) and a sakazuki (pouring cup for sake).

You can also try lacquer painting under the guidance of the region's most experienced artisans. You'll learn about the different coloring styles and how the varnish derived from the sap of a lacquer tree gives wooden pieces a refined and brilliant sheen.

This workshop will introduce you to the art and craftsmanship of washi (和紙), traditional handmade Japanese paper that's still admired and used worldwide.

Washi is made mainly from water and the inner plant fibres of kozo (paper mulberry), mitsumata (paperbush), and gampi shrub.

Learning from some of the nation's last remaining washi artisans, you'll use gampi harvested from Takigahara and delicate wooden and bamboo tools to craft fine, textured pieces of washi.

by delicate, hand-painted decorations.

Originally from Kaga city in southern Ishikawa prefecture, kutani-yaki generally comes in two types; clay earthenware and porcelain made from stone. Komatsu city, where Takigahara lies, is a major production area for porcelain stones used for kutani-yaki.

In this experience, you'll learn how to design and paint your own kutani ware by a kutani expert from Kamide Choemon. The ceramic pieces will then be fired and completed in a local kiln at Cerabo Kutani, ready for you to take home as a keepsake.