A Golden Craft Experience: Repairing Ceramics the Traditional Japanese Way

Use gold powder and lacquer to make broken pottery look even better than new

The Kiyose family are masters of maki-e, the technique of making beautiful designs by sprinkling gold or silver powder onto lacquer. One very practical application of maki-e is using it to repair broken ceramics by joining the pieces with lacquer, which is then sprinkled with powdered gold. This repair technique is known as kintsugi (literally, “golden joinery”).

In this private experience, which is for one to six people, you will learn the ins and outs of kintsugi techniques from Rin Kiyose, the fourth generation of the Kiyose family to practice the art of Kaga maki-e, a type of maki-e originating from the Kaga region (modern-day Ishikawa Prefecture, where Kanazawa City is situated). Her unique ability to make the delicate art of kintsugi both fun and accessible has made her an extremely popular instructor amongst participants.

The experience takes place in the restored storehouse of IN KANAZAWA HOUSE. With its atmospheric subdued lighting and the lingering scents of wood and plaster, the storehouse is the perfect place for the repetitive, almost meditative act of applying lacquer and powdered gold.

In the end, you will have created your own unique art piece to take home as a souvenir, gained an insight into a centuries-old Japanese craft, and learned that broken objects, rather than being thrown out, can be reborn as something new and different, with their imperfections becoming things of beauty.

ACCESS: To get to Kanazawa, take the Hokuriku Shinkansen from Tokyo Station (two hours 30 minutes). The meeting spot is a 15-minute walk from Kanazawa Station.