Authentic Kintsugi Experience with real Urushi in Namba Osaka
Description
This workshop focuses on traditional methods and cultural meaning. We carefully prepare chipped or cracked ceramics sourced from antique markets and restore them up to the final stage in advance. During the workshop, you will complete the final process yourself by applying natural lacquer and sprinkling 23K gold powder. In this 1.5-2 hour workshop, you will: -Learn about the history of Kintsugi and Japanese lacquer -Understand the philosophy and traditional repair process -Experience the final step of authentic Kintsugi using 23K gold powder -Create your own finished Kintsugi plate -matcha as a refreshment. The workshop takes place inside a traditional Japanese storehouse called a Kura, After this experience, you will gain a deeper understanding of authentic Kintsugi. Additionally, after the workshop, guests may wish to visit the famous Namba Yasaka Shrine, which is located nearby.
Tour Options
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- not recommended for people who has lacquer allergy
Reviews(85)
Josuke is a wonderful teacher, who’s both very patient and deeply passionate about Kintsugi. He is a master craftsman who learned Kintsugi over many years. He has superb English and a beautiful gallery upstairs .
Thank you so much for your lovely review. Your kind words truly mean a lot to me. It was wonderful meeting you, and I’m very happy that you enjoyed the workshop and the gallery. Sharing Kintsugi with people from around the world is one of the most rewarding parts of what I do. I hope our paths cross again someday, and perhaps we can enjoy another Kintsugi session together. Thank you again for your support! Warm regards, jo
What a wonderful and unique experience. Great instructor offering not only hands on training but in comprehensive information about the history of the art and the importance. Highly recommend even for folks who may not have an interest in pottery making.
Thank you very much for your kind review. We are truly happy to hear that you enjoyed the experience and appreciated learning not only the hands-on process, but also the history and importance of authentic Kintsugi. We are especially grateful that you would recommend the workshop even to those without a pottery background. At ZENKEI, we hope to share Kintsugi not only as a craft, but also as a part of Japanese culture and philosophy. Thank you again for visiting us, and we hope to welcome you again in the future. Warm regards, Jo / ZENKEI
The sensei, Josuke, was great at explaining the history and the craftsmanship of Kintsugi, bestowing a lot of knowledge to us. Besides the kintsugi, Josuke had a shop with some ceramics pieces that were beautifully handmade, where me and my mom bought some pieces. Jo also showed us his method of a tea cerimony, which was amazing, even better than the one we had in Uji (Josuke's one had more intimacy and experience in contrast to the Uji's that was more formal). Tjhe experience was amazing and it is worth it to go at least once to learn about it.
Thank you very much for your thoughtful and wonderful review. We are truly happy to hear that you enjoyed learning about the history, craftsmanship, and philosophy behind Kintsugi. It also means a great deal to us that you and your mother found special ceramic pieces in our gallery to take home. We are especially grateful that you chose our authentic urushi Kintsugi workshop rather than a simplified “quick” Kintsugi experience. At ZENKEI, we believe it is important to share the true spirit of Kintsugi through traditional materials, proper techniques, and meaningful cultural exchange. We are also delighted that you enjoyed the matcha experience and the intimate atmosphere of the tea ceremony. Thank you again for visiting us and for your kind recommendation. We sincerely hope to welcome you again whenever you return to Japan. Warm regards, Jo / ZENKEI
Fun, interactive learning experience. Great change of pace from sightseeing and shopping! As a bonus, taught us how to make matcha.
Thank you very much for your kind review. We are delighted to hear that you enjoyed the workshop and that it offered a fun and relaxing change of pace during your time in Osaka. We are also happy that you enjoyed the matcha experience as well. Thank you again for visiting us。 Warm regards,
You must have patience with this experience. It is an authentic lesson in Kintsugi using proper materials and learning the history of the craft. Your work must be shipped to you because the lacquer under the gold takes time to dry. Josuke is an artist and craftsman who takes his craft seriously, so if you want a real experience that is well worth the price, this is the workshop for you. He does a lot of preparation both before and after your experience. The workshop is absolutely wonderful with a rich history of its own, and it is a joy to see. I highly recommend this workshop for those of you who are they interested in truly learning about a craft and can wait for your work to be shipped to you. I'm excited for the day it arrives to my home - bringing a reminder of this beautiful experience in Osaka. Note: the piece you repair here can be used for food, and others in quickie workshops will not be food safe. There's no super glue here!
Thank you very much for your thoughtful and detailed review. We are truly grateful that you appreciated the authentic nature of the Kintsugi process, including the time, patience, and care it requires. It means a great deal to us that you valued not only the technique, but also the history and philosophy behind the craft. We are also glad that you noticed the preparation involved and the importance of using proper materials such as natural urushi lacquer. Your understanding of the difference from simplified methods is deeply appreciated. We hope your finished piece arrives safely and brings back fond memories of your time in Osaka. Thank you again for your kind recommendation. We would be honored to welcome you again in the future. Warm regards, Jo / ZENKEI
We thoroughly enjoyed our afternoon with Jo learning about the technique, materials and philosophy behind this craft.
Thank you very much for your kind review. It was a pleasure to spend the afternoon with you. We are delighted to hear that you enjoyed learning about the technique, materials, and philosophy of Kintsugi. We are also pleased that we were able to share the difference between simplified Kintsugi and traditional urushi Kintsugi. Thank you again for visiting us, and we hope to welcome you again in the future. Warm regards, Jo / ZENKEI
We arrived about 20 minutes early, but Jo was already at the workshop and so we were able to start right away. After offering tea or water, he gave presented us with a few pottery item from which we each chose one. We started using red lacquer and once it was finished it had to cure for an hour. While waiting Jo explained the history, tradition, and philosophy of kintsugi, as well as how the materials are gathered and how much time it takes to finish it. After the hour we proceeded to apply the gold powder. Unfortunately we had to leave the day of the workshop and were not able to apply the last lacquer. Jo said that it takes about 5 to 7 days for that lacquer to cure. So he will send our works of art to our address at home. At the end he showed us his gallery with lovely kintsugi items that were also for sale, and we celebrated our little accomplishment at Jo's shop with some matcha. All in all this was an extraordinary experience and we learned so much more about Japanese traditions. This is a workshop that I highly recommend.
Thank you very much for your kind review. It was a pleasure to welcome you to our workshop. We are delighted to hear that you enjoyed learning about the history, philosophy, and tradition of Kintsugi. We hope your finished pieces will bring back wonderful memories of your time in Osaka. Thank you again for your recommendation and support. We sincerely hope to welcome you again in the future. Warm regards, Jo / ZENKEI
We had an incredible experience learning about kintsugi with Josuke. We were only able to complete some of the final steps of kintsugi due to the process taking more than one month from beginnig to end, but Josuke walked us through each of the earlier steps and taught us about the history and tradition of kintsugi. Josuke also taught us to prepare matcha and gave us some excellent recommendations for local food places and attractions nearby. We got our completed kintsugi mailed to our next hotel and Josuke made sure to stay in touch throughout the whole delivery process. I highly recommend this experience!
Thank you very much for your kind and thoughtful review. It was truly a pleasure to share the art and philosophy of kintsugi with you. As you experienced, kintsugi is a process that unfolds over time, and I’m very glad I could guide you through each step and help you understand its deeper meaning and traditions. I’m also happy to hear that you enjoyed preparing matcha and exploring some local recommendations. It means a lot to know that the experience extended beyond the workshop itself. I’m especially grateful for your patience throughout the delivery process, and I’m delighted that your finished piece safely reached you. I hope it will always remind you of your time here and the spirit of kintsugi. Thank you again for your warm recommendation.
Such a lovely experience. We really enjoyed learning about the history of kintsugi. The place was beautiful, and the teacher was both knowledgeable and incredibly helpful. We would absolutely recommend this experience!
Thank you very much for your kind and thoughtful review. We are truly delighted to hear that you enjoyed learning about the history of kintsugi and that you found the experience meaningful. It is also wonderful to know that you appreciated the atmosphere of the place and the guidance provided during the lesson. Your generous recommendation means a great deal to us. We sincerely hope to have the pleasure of welcoming you again in the future. With our warmest thanks and regards, jo
The warm welcome of our host has been greatly appreciated. He took time to explain things and helped us patiently. It's been such a good experience to me and my wife. The work of Zenkei is so beautiful. We recommand this workshop. We also took some time to visit the temple next to the worshop. We shared a tea which warmed our hearts. We really enjoyed the moment spent with our host.
Thank you very much for your kind and thoughtful review. It was truly a pleasure to spend time with you and your wife. I am very happy to hear that you enjoyed the workshop and that the experience was meaningful for you. Your warm words about the work of Zenkei mean a great deal to me. I’m also glad you had the chance to visit the temple nearby and share a quiet moment with tea. Those small, peaceful moments are very special. Thank you again for coming and for taking the time to write such a generous review. I sincerely hope to welcome you again someday. Warm regards.
