Top 10 Spots to Try Kansai's Traditional Crafts

Facing Wakasa Bay and home to numerous historical sites, Obama City in Fukui Prefecture is often referred to as "Nara by the Sea”. The coastline gives way to Sotomo, a series of sea caves carved by the rough waves of the Sea of Japan that draw visitors from near and far.

"Wakasa lacquerware”, remains an esteemed craft in the region since the Edo period, often referred to as "jeweled lacquer" due to its luxurious, sparkling appearance. While highly valued as art pieces, it is also widely used for everyday items like chopsticks due to its durability against water and heat. The distinctive patterns are created using materials such as eggshells, seashells, and pine needles, layered with colorful lacquer, and then polished to reveal the intricate designs via "togidashi" technique.

Drop in at Wakasa Chopstick Museum WAKASA for the chance to try your hands at the art of Wakasa lacquer chopsticks, which make up 80% of Japan's lacquered chopstick market. Select one pair of chopsticks inlaid with natural abalone, and with just 10 minutes of polishing using a sharpening stone, you’ll have a finished product. The pattern varies depending on how you polish, allowing you to create a one-of-a-kind set of chopsticks.

Located in the heart of Japan, Mie Prefecture is home to Ise Jingu, where Amaterasu Omikami, the ancestral deity of the Imperial Family, is enshrined at the Inner Shrine (Kotai Jingu). It is also renowned as the birthplace of Iga Ninja. Blessed with abundant treasures from the mountains and seas, Mie has long been called Umashikuni, or "the beautiful land."

Ise Katagami is one of the many traditional crafts passed down through generations. Namely, the craft features stencil patterns used to dye fabrics like kimono and yukata, named after their origin in the Ise region (now the Suzuka area). Made from Mino Washi paper as a base, each stencil is hand-carved by artisans using chisels. The artistic designs are not only used for textiles but also for fusuma (sliding doors), shoji (paper screens), and LED lighting, earning recognition as fine art and craft pieces.

Make your way to Ise Meotoiwa Meoto Yokocho to join a Momen Goshuincho Making Experience, where you craft a goshuincho (temple seal book) using Ise Momen adorned with Ise Stencil patterns. Ise Momen is a cotton fabric woven with single threads, a traditional craft designated by Mie Prefecture. Choose your favorite design from a wide variety of fabrics and create your own unique goshuincho. Afterward, take it along for a goshuin pilgrimage to Ise Jingu and other nearby shrines and temples—an experience not to be missed.

Located in the mountainous southern area of Shiga Prefecture, Koka City's Shigaraki town is famous both as a tea-producing region and a renowned pottery hub. Here you’ll find the acclaimed home of Asamiya tea, celebrated as one of Japan's finest green teas and historically presented to emperors, as well as Shigaraki ware, one of Japan's most iconic pottery styles.

Legend says that Shigaraki ware got its start when Emperor Shomu built the "phantom capital" of Shigaraki-no-Miya and fired tiles for the palace. The wares are noted today as one of Japan's "Six Ancient Kilns" and designated as a Japan Heritage. Traditional Shigaraki ware is known for its distinct use of local clay, the vibrant scarlet hue achieved through wood-fired kilns, natural ash glazes, and the unique scorch marks created during firing. With its skilled artisans and exceptional techniques, Shigaraki continues to produce creations that adapt to contemporary needs while preserving its heritage.
The region's dedication to protecting its pottery industry, cultural traditions, and distinctive townscape has earned Shigaraki recognition as one of the 12 leading brands in the Kansai area by the Kinki Bureau of Economy, Trade, and Industry. Among its celebrated creations, the "Shigaraki Raccoon Dog" stands out, with raccoon dog figurines adorning various locations across the town.

Drop in at Shigaraki Ceramic Village's Okuda Chuzaemon Kiln for a hands-on crash course at making Shigaraki ware. For something you can take home on the same day, opt for the "Eight Blessings Painting Experience," where you can decorate pre-fired raccoon figurines. Other options include hand-building, raccoon-making, and advanced-level pottery wheel experiences, with firing done afterward. Additionally, the site features a café using climbing kilns, offering a unique Shigaraki pottery experience.

The folding fan, or sensu, originated in Japan during the early Heian period and has since spread worldwide. In Kyoto, you’ll find “Kyoto Sensu”, the name for fans crafted using wood sourced from in and around Kyoto that come together by the hands of skilled artisans. Traditional designs tend to feature a single sheet of paper spread with delicate bamboo ribs. Each intricate fan is made with as many as 87 individual steps, each showcasing the refined craftsmanship of Kyoto's artisans.

Maisendo Gion store is the spot to see famed Kyōsensu, a type of folding fan that blends over 1,200 years of traditional craftsmanship with modern aesthetics. Join in a fan-painting workshop and try your hand at the simple type, where the pin holding the fan's ribs is removed and the surface laid flat so you can paint freely, personalize and take home same day.

The folding fan, a quintessentially Japanese item that's carry-friendly and the perfect souvenir.

Sakai City is a government-designated city in Osaka Prefecture and famed spot for the world’s largest keyhole-shaped burial mound, the Nintoku Emperor's Tomb. It also serves as a hub of craftsmanship, producing a variety of traditional crafts, including the highly regarded Sakai forged blades.

Sakai knives are among the finest, known for an exceptional sharpness that’s even earned the “Sakai Kiwame" seal from the Tokugawa Shogunate during the Edo period. Stats have it that even today, some 90% of chefs across Japan use Sakai knives. The history of Sakai Uchihamono (Sakai forged blades) dates back some 600 years, crafted across the years via a division of labor between blacksmiths (forging and shaping) and sharpeners (blade finishing).

Wada Shoten is one 150-year old veteran shop where you can see the sharpening and hilt attachment process behind Sakai Uchihamono by making a knife for yourself. Personalized engraving is also available, along with the chance to take home your finished piece after the workshop.

Idyllic rural landscapes in Tamba-Sasayama, Hyogo Prefecture captivate all those who make the visit. Known nationally for its crop of Tamba-Sasayama black beans and Tamba chestnuts, the Imada area is also recognized as the birthplace of "Tamba Ware”, one of Japan's Six Ancient Kilns.

Tamba Pottery Village keeps the flame over 800 years of history and the esteemed heritage of Japan’s oldest active climbing kiln, built in 1895 and stretching 47 meters in length. A visit today will reveal that 60 kilns still remain. Unlike the standard pottery tradition of using right-turning wheels, Tamba ware uses a unique system of left-turning wheels. You’ll know one when you see it for the unique colors and patterns that naturally emerge after firing each piece for about 60 hours at around 1,300°C in the climbing kiln.

Join hands-on pottery workshops at Tanba Traditional Craft Park Tachikui Sue no Sato, complete with options for hand-mold clay to create plates or teacups and paint on pre-made pottery. Finish the shape of your final piece and hand it off to professional kiln masters to handle the drying and final firing processes. Final pieces are usually shipped afterwards but planning for same-day, take-home options are in the works as of November 2024. Please check the official website for details.

Kinkoen Nara Ink Workshop sits among between iconic Nara landmarks like the UNESCO World Heritage Sites Kasuga Taisha Shrine and Todai-ji Temple to the east and Heijo Palace Ruins to the west. With over a century of history, this workshop has been crafting traditional Nara ink, now under the stewardship of its 6th and 7th generation artisans.

Nara ink, first produced around 1400 at Kofuku-ji Temple, refers to the ink made in Nara City, Nara Prefecture. It is known for its distinctive fragrant aroma and the lack of impurities, which results in a deep, glossy black color. Remarkably, Nara ink accounts for 90% of the domestic market share for solid ink.

Nara Sumi Workshop Kinkoen is where you can participate in the unique "Nigiri Sumi Experience," shaping soft, freshly kneaded raw ink by squeezing it firmly in your hand. The result is a one-of-a-kind ink piece imprinted with your hand shape and fingerprints. The experience also includes an introduction to the history and current state of Nara ink production, as well as a live demonstration by ink artisans showcasing the molding process of raw ink.

Aridagawa Town in Wakayama Prefecture is nourished by the Aridagawa River, which flows east to west from the Koyasan mountains. The town is known for its abundance of local specialties like mandarin oranges and Japanese pepper. It is also home to Aragijima, one of Japan's Top 100 Terraced Rice Fields, with the surrounding area designated as an Important Cultural Landscape, making it a picturesque destination filled with traditional charm.

In the Shimizu area, located in the eastern part of the town, a traditional Japanese paper known as Yasudagami Paper has been produced since Kishu's first Tokugawa feudal lord, Tokugawa Yorinobu, encouraged paper production within the domain. At its peak, around 400 papermaking workshops were said to operate in the area.

Experience Exchange Workshop Warashi stands dedicated to preserving the tradition of Kishu handmade Yasudagami Paper, all while promoting the production and sale of hand-crafted paper products such as fans, postcards, and stationery made from Yasudagami Paper. Try a hands-on workshop like papermaking and fan-making corners. The fan-making workshop allows participants to create a handcrafted fan on the same day by attaching Yasudagami Paper to bamboo ribs and finishing it by tearing the paper by hand while it’s still wet, resulting in a unique, artisanal creation.

Kurayoshi City is the famed home of the Utsubuki Tamagawa district designated as an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings. Make your way here to find the charming townscape of white-walled storehouses, stone bridges spanning the river, and traditional townhouses with reddish-brown Sekishu tile roofs. The city is also renowned for "Kurayoshi Gasuri," a Tottori Prefecture-designated traditional craft.

"Kasuri" refers to a weaving technique that uses kasuri threads, which are dyed in two or more colors to create patterns. Kurayoshi Gasuri is a tradition dating back to the Edo period, beloved for its intricate and precise patterns that resemble painted images. It is said to have originated with Daisuke Inajima, who wove picture kasuri featuring designs of flowers, birds, mountains, and water.

Visit the Kurayoshi Furusato Craft Center to see Kurayoshi Gasuri displayed and sold, or join a coaster-making workshop using Kurayoshi Gasuri. This particular craft corner features the chance to weave a long, patterned kasuri thread through warp threads stretched across a loom. Experience traditional weaving techniques by crafting the piece one step at a time on the loom. Patterns such as pears, birds, and flowers are available, allowing you to choose your favorite design. Additionally, you can admire skillfully crafted items like bags and wallets made with Kurayoshi Gasuri.

Connected to Hyogo Prefecture's Awaji Island via the Great Naruto Bridge, Tokushima Prefecture serves as the eastern gateway to Shikoku. Known for its thriving production of "sukumo“, the raw material for indigo dyeing, Tokushima became a center for the craft. Indigo produced in Tokushima is referred to as "Awa Ai”.

Aizome is a traditional dyeing technique using the indigo plant. The deep yet soft blue color, often referred to globally as "Japan Blue," has become synonymous with Japan's cultural identity. You can get in on this same heritage of authentic indigo dyeing at AoAwo Naruto Resort, a seaside resort hotel in Naruto Town.
The process behind it all is called Tennen-Akusabushi Tate indigo dyeing, dating back to the Edo period and uses only natural materials, making it an environmentally friendly dyeing method. Step up and choose items such as handkerchiefs or tenugui towels, tie them with rubber bands to create patterns, and dip them multiple times into the indigo vat before unveiling your final design.
The hotel offers an immersive nod to the culture via their Awa Ai Room option, complete with Japanese and Western-style interiors designed by an indigo-dyeing artisan. Be sure to check it out!

That’s a wrap on where to go and see the heritage craftsmanship of artisans up close. Join in for a chance at timeless memories and a little souvenir to commemorate your trip.