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Great personal and professional service. The driver was wonderful and the shuttle bus very comfortable.
From start to finish, this was an amazing experience. It's an intimate, private class inside the artist's studio. The instructor provided information on the history of kintsugi and carefully guided us through each step of the process with ample detail. A list of all the tools and materials used in the class are provided in a list as well (make sure to go to Tokyu Hands in Shinjuku to get them yourself!)
Easy to find, but like others have said give yourself a little extra time just in case.
Sefa Utaki was very informative. Saw 6 sacred indigenous places. The valley of Gangara was also very interesting and beautiful. Many Wonderful caves with stalactites and ancient trees and discoveries of prehistoric bones and artifacts and evidence of burials.
Veltra made it possible for me -- as a foreigner with no Japanese language -- to reserve a private room on the overnight ferry from Hakata to Fukue. I'm so grateful for this, because it would've been very confusing to try and book it in person. It doesn't seem like a common route for foreigners.
TIPS FOR FELLOW TRAVELERS: look for "Terminal 2" Hakata Port on google maps, because there are multiple "Hakata Ports" and you don't want to end up at the wrong one.
Once you're at the terminal, head upstairs and wait in line to pick up your actual tickets. There are two lines - the left one is for passengers with vehicles and the right is for passengers only. The VELTRA voucher doesn't function as a ticket, so you have to pick up the actual tickets.
The ferry itself is very clean, quiet, and has multiple vending machines for snacks and drinks (including hot coffee and beer). There is a shower room, but no towels, so make sure to bring your own. Slippers are provided.
If you're large like me (188cm), I would highly recommend booking a twin room for yourself. It was very spacious and I had a great night's rest, considering the ferry begins making stops around 3 AM and you definitely feel it.
For what you get, the price is extremely fair. I actually was worried the booking might be wrong, because it seemed too cheap for a private room (compared to ferries in Europe and the USA). But it all worked out and I got everything that I paid for (and more)!
check out the full review for many tips on location and booking.
Could not have been more pleased with our driver and the service. Exceptional!
The craft of repairing broken pottery is beautiful and fun to experience first hand. Our hosts were lovely! Informative and welcoming. A highlight of our stay in Tokyo!
Make sure to leave enough time to get there. It’s a bit removed but fun walking to the store.
Our experience was great!
We started off with a homemade dessert treat, and Yoshiichiro and Yoshiko were lovely. They patiently walked us through the process of creating our own pieces, and gave us information on equipment to purchase here in Japan in order to do kintsugi back home.
Overall a lovely way to have a personalized souvenir and learn more about the art of Kintsugi.
Very personal. Toshi was an excellent teacher, easy to follow and exceptionally well prepared. We came away with a lovely kintsugi cup each that we made and inspired to do more. Also a deeper understanding of all that’s involved in this beautiful craft.Would absolutely recommend to others.Many thanks.
This tour definitely exceeds my expectation. It is a great combination of a bus tour of Kyoto, a traditional Japanese dinner and a Maiko dance show. I will be more than happy to recommend this to my friends.
Book early to secure a seat.
This was one of the best experiences of our trip!! Yoshiko and Yoshiichiro were wonderful hosts, thank you so much! Highly recommend! Makes me want to start my own kintsugi workshop in London!
Not far from shinjuku station
We thoroughly enjoyed our kintsugi lesson with Kuge Crafts. In a snug little studio our class of four students were charmed by the instructor husband and wife team. The lesson was well planned and timed. We chose our small nicked vessels from an array of antique cups and immediately set about repairing and decorating them with golden lacquer. The results were so pleasing. and well-packed for travel home.
This class was a highlight of our trip. My 18 yo daughter and 21 yo son also enjoyed the kintsugi experience very much. Class was just the 3 of us, was very well run and we were able to do all steps of the repair process. Our still wet teacups were packaged very well and came home in one piece without shifting out of place.
My 80 year old father was just going to humor me, but the lovely couple who run Kuge crafts won him over instantly. They were just wonderful and so willing to share their love of kintsugi. We were greeted with beautiful snacks and tea and were able to pick our item from a selection. We were then told how old our items were. Ours were from the Edo period. We got right to work repairing the miniature chips, it’s a beginner class! Our cups turned out so beautiful and my father surprisingly got very into decorating his! He said it was his favorite activity we’d done in our two week trip. I can’t wait to come back for another visit! They also gave us a very helpful list of all the items needed to do this at home. I was able to get everything at Hands and can’t wait to attempt this again.
Thank you so much for such a lovely afternoon!
