Page 3) Tokyo Kintsugi Workshop: Simple Gold Repair Class near Shin Koenji reviews, Tokyo tours & activities, fun things to do in Tokyo | VELTRA

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Tokyo Kintsugi Workshop: Simple Gold Repair Class near Shin Koenji

Overall Rating

5.00 5.00 / 5

Reviews

41 reviews
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Such a wonderful experience!

Reviewed by: Christine , 2019/09/08

This was such a fun, interesting and enjoyable experience! Yoshiichiro and Yoshiko were so kind, knowledgeable, helpful. They were very patient as they tried to bridge the language barrier while giving instructions. They had several “cheat sheets” in English to help me understand.

They also were quite hospitable, providing snacks and even taking my photo several times during the repair process. Yoshiko also kindly showed me her ceramics studio, as I had made the piece that I used.

The entire process was easy enough, but patience and care are necessary. They gave me a list of supplies to purchase (and the address of a store so that I could bring those home with me.

Overall, I would highly recommend this experience. It’s a great introduction into the beautiful art of Japanese kintsugi! As an aside, I had mentioned to some of the staff at our hotel that I was taking this class and they scoured the hotel to find some old examples that they had in their possession. When I returned with my piece, the staff were impressed and asked for the contact info so they could recommend the Kuge’s to other hotel guests.

Rating:
Attended as:Solo Travelers
Activity Date:2019/08/16
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A lovely way to learn a peaceful art form!

Reviewed by: Lawrence, 2019/08/23

I had such a good time learning kintsugi, I went straight from their workshop to a craft store (with their extremely helpful bilingual shopping list!) to be able to do it more at home. The Kuge-sans were so welcoming and kind. I brought a small bowl that I had recently broken, and they helped me magically put it back together. They also had beautiful tea cups available to repair.The Kuge-sans do a wonderful job of communicating the joy of kintsugi even without too much English. They were prepared with photos and examples to make every step clear. Overall, the experience was peaceful and satisfying, and definitely a lovely way to rest from the hurry and stress of international travel.

  • The ceramic of this bowl was very delicate so I wasn't sure kintsugi would be possible, but Yoshiichiro made it work!

  • The final dish is beautiful!

Rating:
Attended as:Solo Travelers
Activity Date:2019/08/21
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Such a nice couple

Reviewed by: Tiffany , 2019/08/20

Arrived 20 min late because we were an hour away and got a little lost, but they didn’t mind.

The workshop is led by an elderly couple who have been doing kintsugi for many years. They were even featured in a few books and magazines!

When we arrived, there was mango Mille crepe cake and apple tea, which were both SO GOOD. It’s summer when we went, so the snack and drink were both so refreshing.

We picked our cups and got right to work. They walked us through the process step by step and gave us a list of the steps and materials to buy at the store if we wanted to do kintsugi on our own at home.

We got to see some of the kintsugi works they fixed, and some were so intricately re-pieced, it blew our minds.

Overall, I had so much fun. The couple is super sweet and take pics of you on their iPad as you’re working and email them to you, since your hands are full.

The next time I go back to japan, I will take their class again, without a doubt. I really do recommend taking this class because it’s such a unique experience that I’ll always remember, along with having a completely uniquely fixed cup .

The picture I attached from the book is the picture of the couple.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2019/08/14
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Delightful

Reviewed by: Anita, 2019/08/13

I had a delightful time at this class. Every effort was made to make it a special experience. I cannot wait to reveal my work in two weeks time.

  • My cup

  • Fine brushes

  • Gold laquer

Rating:
Attended as:Solo Travelers
Activity Date:2019/08/11
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Highly recommended, warm hospitality

Reviewed by: KSY, 2019/08/09

Yoshiichiro and Yoshiko were wonderful hosts! Kintsugi and the philosophy of wabi sabi are very important to my husband and I, so while we were on our honeymoon in Japan we were so excited to take this class.

The Kuge's welcomed us with refreshing apple tea and a fruit / tart dessert and gave us aprons before getting started. They had several cups that we could choose from to repair. The process was relatively quick, with some repetitive sections (filing) and some waiting for our cups to dry before moving on to the next step. Yoshiko had a very good English level, and we appreciated her explanations and perspective.

Their art and ceramic studio have been featured in various guides and magazines. You are in good, expert hands in this class.

We also took their recommendation and ate dinner at Tensuke (tempura restaurant in Koenji) after the class. It was one of our favorite meals of the trip!

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2019/07/28
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Absolutely lovely in every way!

Reviewed by: Olivia, 2019/07/27

I would 100% do this activity again as well as any others run by Kuge Crafts. Despite being early I was welcomed in with homemade sweets and tea. I've only booked the session for myself despite travelling with my friend, she said she'd be happy walking around the local area for the 2 hours or so while I was in there, but upon seeing her they welcomed her to stay and offered her the same food and drink with the most wonderfully giving attitudes, genuinely the height of Japanese hospitality.

The method of kinstugi, the pattern on my bowl, and the making of the brushes, epoxies involved were all explained in detail, and as we waited for the putty on my bowl to set, Yoshiko showed my friend and I her other workshop and the pieces of artwork she was most proud of.

Both Yoshiko and Yoshiichiro spoke enough English to have a nice conversation. You really are getting and entire experience as well as just learning a traditional craft. Can't recommend this enough.

Rating:
Attended as:Friends
Activity Date:2019/07/19
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Lovely experience!

Reviewed by: Vikki, 2019/07/26

This was a wonderful afternoon. Our hosts were very kind and patient teachers. The homemade apple tea was lovely. Loved that we could take home a project. One misunderstanding however: A couple of us brought pieces to work on but they were not appropriate as they were not chipped or cracked. There is not enough time to break and glue a piece during the class. There were a variety of chipped and cracked, (antique!) vessels that we could choose from. During down time, our host showed us pieces she had completed to demonstrate the possibilities for future projects. Loved that she gave us a list of supplies and where to buy them, in Tokyo, if we want to continue. Great event.

  • Brushing finishing gold dust on the cup

  • Finished product

  • Lovely hosts

Rating:
Attended as:Friends
Activity Date:2019/07/24
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Kintsugi is so much fun!!

Reviewed by: Bre Little, 2019/07/13

The Kintsugi class was everything I had hoped for and more. Yoshiichiro and Yoshiko are probably the sweetest people you will ever meet. When I arrived, they had a delicious snack that Yoshiko had prepared and served me some tea. After a bit of conversation, we started the workshop. They were thorough with the instructions, gave me time to write notes and assisted when necessary. They gave me a tour of the pottery studio next door while I was waiting for my piece to dry. When I finished the workshop they gave me a list of supplies for doing Kintsugi at home and encouraged me to message them if I had any questions. I went to Tokyu Hands the next day, gave them the list and purchased all the supplies needed. I would recommend this workshop to anyone going to Tokyo. I didn't take many pictures because I was charging my phone during the workshop. I will try to upload the finished product after the 2 weeks required for my piece to set. They packaged up my cup nicely for me to travel home with.

Rating:
Attended as:Solo Travelers
Activity Date:2019/07/10
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The couple is so sweet, and they are very knowledgeable!

Reviewed by: Courtney , 2019/06/21

Cannot recommend this experience enough. Not only were we served delicious tea and cake handmade by Mrs. Kuge, she and her husband were very diligent with their teaching and even showed us where to buy everything we needed to make our own lacquerware at home. Definitely bringing visiting friends and family here again in the future. A little Japanese will go a long way, but not necessary. Mrs. Kuge speaks English well, and her husband is so sweet it doesn’t matter :)

  • The teacup from the 1910s we were given, chipped and needing repair.

  • Repaired!

  • The apple tea was DELICIOUS!

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2019/06/20
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Absolutely amazing!!! Best part of my trip to Tokyo, no doubt.

Reviewed by: ケリー, 2019/06/11

Yoshiichiro and Yoshiko Kuge are an amazing, knowledgeable, jovial, kind, patient, and helpful couple. Husband speaks limited english but the wife speaks decent English for non-Japanese speakers to get by. I truly truly enjoyed the class and getting to know them and the other guest with us that afternoon. They were even kind enough to let me practice my proficient but very rusty Japanese with them :) I learned so much and was completely engrossed in the experience. For this lesson, they taught us how to repair an antique Japanese cup of our choice to bring home or BYOC (bring your own ceramic!). It was an intimate setting and they gave us the knowledge, tips/tricks, and a list of recommended materials we can go out and buy ourselves at a local crafts shop for about ~3000 yen. Home baked sweets, snacks, and iced tea were provided during breaks and it was all so yummy!! I was given a peanut snack and informed them that I was allergic, but no problem! I was immediately given a better snack! Shinsetsu na~! They even took pictures of/for us as we were repairing our ceramics and sent it back to us over email to share with our friends/family! I couldn't be more thrilled about this experience and recommend it to anyone visiting the area. Also important to note: they have a cute 19 year-old half-blind cat that may come out from hiding to say hi if you're lucky enough.

Rating:
Attended as:Solo Travelers
Activity Date:2019/06/09
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Fun day with talented craftsmen

Reviewed by: Alan, 2019/05/26

Really enjoyed spending time at kuge! I learned to repair ceramics and create art with a technique called kintsugi. They were very welcoming and exemplified Japanese hospitality. Highlight of my time in japan. Inspired to practice what I have learned!

  • Showing off their work and examples of kintsugi

Rating:
Attended as:Solo Travelers
Activity Date:2019/05/26
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Highlight of my trip

Reviewed by: Pascal, 2019/05/07

With all the beautiful places and amazing things to do in Japan, it would seem hard to pick a favorite. But this is easily my favorite thing I did while in Japan. The art of Kintsugi is very interesting and I had read about it a few times. I am so happy that now I got to experience it myself. Yoshiichiro and Yoshiko were incredibly nice hosts who made the experience so much better. This an actual souvenir that I will use and cherish because I made it myself with the help of wonderful teachers, instead of buying something.

I highly recommend this experience to everyone, you will not regret it. Thank you Yoshiichiro and Yoshiko!

Rating:
Attended as:Solo Travelers
Activity Date:2019/05/04
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Incredible Experience

Reviewed by: Lauren C, 2019/04/29

This was an amazing experience that I highly recommend. Yoshiko and Yoichiichiro were incredibly welcoming and kind, even going so far as to give us homemade cake and flavored tea.

I went with my boyfriend and we were the only ones in the workshop, which turned out great. I knew just enough Japanese and they knew just enough English for us to communicate well and even have some fun conversation. They are clearly accomplished artists and were great teachers as they walked us through the process of repairing our teacups. We left with two beautiful pieces that we repaired ourselves with their instruction, and I couldn't be happier with the experience.

On top of everything else, we received a comprehensive list of materials to go purchase at Tokyo Hands later if we wanted to try kintsugi on our own at home (which we immediately went out and got). If you have any interest in the art of kintsugi and want instruction from a very knowledgeable and kind couple, this workshop is definitely the way to go.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2019/03/31
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Great experience!

Reviewed by: Shandy, 2019/04/28

It was a great and fun experience!
Yoshiichiro and Yoshiko made us feel welcomed with their hospitality
They guided us through our works patiently and we had a memorable time with them. Home made tea and cakes by Yoshiko was super yummy! Would not regret booking their class

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2019/03/27
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Kintsugi!

Reviewed by: Christine , 2019/04/27

We had a lovely time learning how and about Kintsugi! This is a perfect activity for anyone curious about the art and who likes to try new things. My brother and I are travelling in Japan together and this was an awesome experience we shared together. We felt so welcomed by Yoshiichiro and Yoshiko who treated us like we were in their home for dinner! Delightful treats were included and lovely conversation. Definitely a great idea while in Tokyo!

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2019/04/25
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Absolutely wonderful experience!

Reviewed by: Andrew & Piper, 2019/04/16

Having spent nearly two weeks in Japan doing various activities, I can say without hyperbole that this was the highlight of our trip. It was an intimate experience where we learned what is both a practical and artistic pursuit. The couple that runs Kuge Crafts are incredible sweet and patient, and they made sure that we had an excellent experience. They answered all of our many questions, and showed us examples of what could be done with kintsugi (they really are masters). They'll even take pictures of you working.

What's best is that they give you a complete shopping list for the exact items you need at the local craft store in order to do this back home. (Just make sure you go to the exact one they mention in Shinjuku; others won't have the correct materials.)

While the store is a little bit out of the way, it is *absolutely* worth doing!

  • Being shown the technique.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2019/04/11
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Fun afternoon!

Reviewed by: Liselotte, 2019/04/14

I had a lovely time at this workshop; Yoshiichiro and Yoshiko are very knowledgeable and explained more about the background of the craft. I got take a beautiful piece of Japanese antique porcelain home with me at the end of it. Can highly recommend!

Rating:
Attended as:Solo Travelers
Activity Date:2019/04/04
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Fascinating, entertaining, and beautiful

Reviewed by: Jake, 2019/03/26

This was one of the most enjoyable experiences in Japan. The art of kintsugi is fascinating and shockingly easy. Yoshiko and Yoshiichiro are truly lovely people and incredibly well-versed in the trade. They provided us with a shopping list to get materials so we can continue to do this at home! The finished results are beautiful and they also shared some of their own work which is even more impressive. I really can't recommend this enough!

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2019/03/24
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Wonderful experience

Reviewed by: Mary, 2019/03/12

This was a thoughtful and well planned guide to kintsugi. From a delicious treat to begin, to the history of the patterns of our chosen cups, to a guided experience of kintsugi. We took home our repaired cups and look forward to them being a beautiful reminder of Japan!

Rating:
Attended as:Friends
Activity Date:2019/03/10
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Great!

Reviewed by: Pam, 2019/02/05

A very short intro into the craft of kintsuge, but enough in two hours to give you a feel for the. materials and process involved. I left with enough confidence to attempt some simple repairs myself, which is exactly what I wanted. The instructions and the shopping list were also perfect.
Also the matcha jelly was delicious and the couple are lovely!

Rating:
Attended as:Solo Travelers
Activity Date:2019/02/02
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Excellent class

Reviewed by: Ami Dudley , 2019/01/29

This was a wonderful class .we enjoyed it thouroughly and will be going back for more .The teachers were so patient ,helpful and kind They were great hosts and gave clear instructions during and after the class .Kintsugi is such a beautiful art and they are highly experienced and skilled .It was inspiring to see some of their pieces .overall excellent and very satisfying experience!

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2019/01/27
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Wonderful time spent learning and getting hands on experience on Kintsugi

Reviewed by: miak, 2019/01/19

Really great experience getting hands on experience doing kintsugi.

Yoshiichiro and Yoshiko were wonderful teachers, and guided us well (in English!).

i really appreciated the advice they gave - where to get materials so i can do kintsugi when i return home. (from Tokyu Hands)

Now i am waiting for another week so i can use my cup to drink sake from!

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2019/01/12
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Fantastic!

Reviewed by: Rossignol, 2019/01/15

That workshop was a real human experience on top of introducing us to this beautiful kintsugi technique. We have been welcome by a delicious homemade cake and a gorgeous apple tea before being introduced to the different steps with a lot of love and generosity by our two teachers whom I shamelessly forgot the name.
They have been so caring and adorable, they offered us an adorable afternoon! I highly recommend that experience to you!!

Rating:
Attended as:Friends
Activity Date:2019/01/13
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Interesting learning experience

Reviewed by: Sara, 2019/01/12

I've been intrigued by kintsugi for several years and it was fun to learn the practice and make our own pieces. The host couple is charming and provides additional teaching during the down time (such as while waiting for the epoxy to dry). We also got a delicious snack. When we finished, they packaged our cups in a way that made them easy to bring home on the plane without breaking. They also took a lot of photos of us and sent them to us the next day, which was very thoughtful.

Note: we did the two hour class which involved fixing chip, rather than a large crack (as I thought). It would take more time to do a larger repair project, and the class gave us the skills to do so on our own time

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2019/01/10
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Great and unique experience

Reviewed by: Traveller321, 2019/01/02

Had a great time learning about Kintsugi and working the process. You are able to take your work with you that day so that is a big plus. They also explain all the materials and a list so you can buy supplies in Shinjuku. Everybody had excellent English skills and we saw some advanced examples as well. Great and unique experience.

Rating:
Attended as:Friends
Activity Date:2018/12/29
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Most amazing experience in Japan

Reviewed by: Hanna, 2018/12/30

This was one of the greatest afternoons we had in Tokyo. Our hosts were incredibly nice, they told us about the history of the potteries and kintsugi as well. If you are interested in Japanese art, philosophy and history, and would like to create something, and not just look at things in a museum you cannot miss out on this experience!

Rating:
Attended as:Friends
Activity Date:2018/11/22
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Pre-Christmas Kintsugi

Reviewed by: Gail M, 2018/12/24

We really enjoyed our kintsugi class! Yoshiichiro and Yoshiko were so kind and generous. The process was easy to follow and plenty of assistance was provided. The had examples to show and to help explain the craft. Yoshiko spoke very good English and made a delicious cake. They were both clearly very experienced craftsmen with a passion for what they were doing and a wish to ensure everyone came away with a well finished, repaired piece of pottery. We were even able to take our bowls away on the same day, very carefully packaged. A helpful materials list was provided with instructions on where to buy them. The class size was small, which was perfect. They also sent photos of us both at work during the class which was a great idea. Highly recommended experience for any level!

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2018/12/21
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Overall a wonderful class delivered by a lovely couple - highly recommend

Reviewed by: Bridget , 2018/11/30

Couldn’t fault it - arrived to tasty apple tea (or coffee), sponge roll and chocolates and a very friendly welcome. Got to choose a piece of pottery to repair (mine was from 1912 and my mother’s 1868!) and went through the process. Walked away with the piece securely packed into a rigid container, so we arrived home with the pieces ready to be lightly rinsed before two weeks of curing.
Run by a lovely couple, he speaks limited English but she speaks quite a bit, and both were very welcoming and genuinely interested in getting to know us.

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2018/11/28
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Excellent Experience

Reviewed by: Laura, 2018/10/05

Both instructors gave detailed information and provided visual details on the products used. The class was well organized and relaxing. Tasty snacks were provided and I appreciated their sincerity and expertise.
The process did not take too long perhaps one hour and we were not rushed. It is best to take notes particularly with amounts of lacquer used and the steps involved.

Rating:
Attended as:Solo Travelers
Activity Date:2018/09/29
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Outstanding teachers, outstanding experience

Reviewed by: Emily J, 2018/08/20

Both Yoshiichiro-san and Yoshiko-san were lovely people - they greeted us warmly to the studio, welcomed us with tea and Yoshiko-san's fresh homemade orange tea and coconut-pineapple tart.
It was a fascinating, easy to follow workshop in the art of kintsugi - Yoshiko-san has a very good command of English so was able to not only help guide us but answer many questions about the art, the work they've done etc.
They also provided guidance on where (and not) to buy the equipment for ourselves as well as sending us photos of our session and written instructions of what we had learned.
Would absolutely recommend this workshop to anyone who's interested in learning the art as they are wonderful people who enjoy sharing their skills.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2018/08/18
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