Private “Otsu-e” Folk Art Workshop & Immersive Local Culture Walk Near Kyoto
Last update
Arrive at Otsu in Lake Biwa, only 9 minutes from JR Kyoto Station. This is a half-day private tour that includes an experience of painting the unique folk art "Otsu-e," which originated along the Tokaido about 400 years ago, and a stroll through a former post town. An interpreter guide will take you through traditional shops and Otsu townhouses, explaining the history and rich culture of Otsu in the Lake Country. This painting experience is held in the former workshop of an Otsu painter, and you can either the demon, a charm against evil, on an unglazed clay bell or the instructive "Three Wise Monkeys" on a square card. In the afternoon, various activity options are available, including cultural experiences at temples in scenic areas or guided tours of historical museums.
Photos
Participants make their own unique bells (c)ichiewado
Oni or ogre is believed to expel bad luck in Japan (c)ichiewado
”Three Wise Monkeys” as another painting choice (c)ichiewado
Visit the artist shop "Otsu-e no Mise" with a variety of Otsu-e products
Welcome tea and wagashi sweets are served
Lucky Oni Bell Painting
Machiya merchant house tour
Zazen practice at Miidera Temple (afternoon option) (c)ichiewado
Spring-time Lake Biwa Canal nearby Ichie Wado (c)ichiewado
Facade of the sake brewery with hundreds years of history
Participants can freely choose colors for the painting (c)ichiewado
Ichie Wado Seminar House
Information
- Minimum Number of Passengers
- 2 participants
- Maximum Capacity
- 6 participants
- Participation Restrictions
- Ages 6 and up
- Meeting and Exchange Areas
-
The North ticket gate of the JR Otsu Station
1-3 Kasuga-cho, Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture - Open Period
- Year-round
- Closed Period
- Excluded dates: Sundays through Wednesdays.
- Tour Schedule
- Meet at Otsu Station > Stroll through traditional shops, the Hikiyama Exhibition Pavilion, and Otsu townhouses in Otsu Hyakucho > "Otsu-e no Mise" > Painting experience at Ichie Wado Seminar House > Tour ends on site
- Required Time
- Around 3.5–4 hours
- Provision of Meals
- Meals are not provided
- Universal accessibility
- Not available
- Parking
- Please use nearby coin-operated parking lots
- Notes
- Kyoto Station pickup is available for an additional fee.
- Related websites
- https://ichiewado.com/tours/
This basic information is current at the time of publication and is subject to change.
Please check the official website for the latest information.
Map
Nearby Spots
Nagara Crafts Pavilion - Mitsuhashi Setsuko Art Museum
260 m
Nagara Park
270 m
Private Zen Meditation in a Seldom Opened National Hall of Treasures
530 m
