Create Your Own Lacquerware Masterpiece to Take Home

Hands-on workshops with one of Japan’s most beautiful and time-honored crafts

Urushi, or lacquer, an ancient material, still fascinates us today. Your gaze sinks into its endless, glossy depths; your fingertips caress its delightfully smooth finish.

Sabae City in Fukui, a short trip from Kyoto, is home to the 1,500-year-old artistic tradition of Echizen lacquer. Here, you can watch master artisans at work and even take part in the process yourself. There are three hands-on workshops to choose from: e-tsuke, painting a design with a brush; chinkin, carving a design with a knife; and fuku-urushi, applying lacquer to the wooden base. Please note that workshops must be booked at least two days in advance.

Once you’ve completed your personal masterpiece, head over to the gallery and see magnificent festival floats, handmade by local craftsmen using techniques passed down from generation to generation.

Access: From Shin-Osaka Station, take the Thunderbird limited express train to Sabae Station (about one hour 42 minutes), then take the Tsutsuji Bus to the Urushi no Kaikan stop (about 28 minutes).

Lacquerware workshop (Urushi-no-Sato Kaikan)