Reviewed by: MMm
The hosts were so welcoming and English was no problem. I learnt their craft from true artists who genuinely want to share this skill with others. The studio was great, the snack delicious and the whole experience truly memorable. I left with my own piece of Kintsugi and Japan’s culture.
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Packages: | Test Package |
Attended as: | Solo Travelers |
Posted on: | 2020/03/16 |
Activity Date: | 2020/03/14 |
Reviewed by: SBruisten
This workshop was amazing! One of my best experiences while in Japan.
You only get to learn the basics and repair one small cup, but the instructors let you know what to buy in order to do more kintsugi in the future. You also get shown many examples which are very inspiring. I really feel like fixing up more stuff in the future, which will be easy since we received a set of instructions to follow at home as well!
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Packages: | Test Package |
Attended as: | Couples |
Posted on: | 2020/03/16 |
Activity Date: | 2020/03/09 |
Reviewed by: Martha J
This class was absolutely terrific! The teachers are talented artists who also speak great English! The class was very thorough and they have considered every aspect of it- full demonstration, written instructions, and a bilingual shopping list so students can purchase their own materials. The tea and pastry at the beginning of class was a nice touch too. Can’t recommend this experience ENOUGH! The traditional teacup I chose to repair is from the late Edo period (also explained in class), and is a wonderful momento from my trip. Thank you so much!!
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Packages: | Test Package |
Attended as: | Solo Travelers |
Posted on: | 2020/03/08 |
Activity Date: | 2020/03/06 |
Reviewed by: Ken and Jun
My wife and I had a great time learning Kintsugi here on our honeymoon. Staff and owner were very friendly, welcoming and informative. They teach really well and are very helpful if you have questions. Worth our time and would come back again!
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Packages: | Test Package |
Attended as: | Couples |
Posted on: | 2020/03/07 |
Activity Date: | 2020/02/15 |
Reviewed by: Katherine
This was a well planned and facilitated experience by two delightful artisans. The kintsugi art is meditative and allows creativity and self expression. I look at “ broken” things differently now, and am eager to try the technique on my own with the materials I was able to purchase with the advice of the artisans. They teach the technique with patience and care that participants understand the art and culture of Japan more deeply. It was a peak experience for me, both unusual and heart warming.
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Packages: | Test Package |
Attended as: | Friends |
Posted on: | 2020/03/03 |
Activity Date: | 2020/02/09 |
Reviewed by: Karen
The hosts are very helpful & welcoming. A great chance to learn kintsugi :)
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Packages: | Test Package |
Attended as: | Couples |
Posted on: | 2020/03/02 |
Activity Date: | 2020/02/28 |
Reviewed by: Monika
The hosts did not only share there great skills of Kintsugi with us, also the friendly atmosphere was overwhelming! They gave us a nice welcome with homemade desert and delicious apple tea. We could choose a piece of damaged ceramics and then practice step by step. The hosts also gave us many useful tips and informations in very good Englisch, a hand-out and - very important: a Shopping-List. And at last they even sent us nice Fotos they had taken during the workshop.
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Packages: | Test Package |
Attended as: | Solo Travelers |
Posted on: | 2020/02/16 |
Activity Date: | 2020/02/12 |
Reviewed by: Ireland
Was such a lovely experience with amazing little touches from the hosts including delicious homemade apple tea ! The hosts were very friendly and had great English and were very exited to teach us the tradition of their culture ! Everything is done with care and to perfection ! Even the way they wrap up your piece and pop it in a bag is done so thoughtfully ! Would highly recommend this experience if your in Tokyo. It’s also a great way to meet and chat to some locals
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Packages: | Test Package |
Attended as: | Couples |
Posted on: | 2020/01/13 |
Activity Date: | 2020/01/09 |
Reviewed by: Arjen
This was one of my most valuable experiences in Japan in four and a half months of staying. You are very warmly welcomed with a drink (there is more than enough for a couple of drinks) and a homemade cake.
The couple helps you out working on your piece of choice (or your own cup! I brought my own cup which I found in the woods of Chichibu), explain which tool is for what and how to do what you are about to do. You can do this at your own pace and you do not have to fear not having stable hands or not being able to pull it off. They will always support you in getting a beautiful piece to take home.
They will show you what you need to buy from Tokyu Hands to execute the technique at home and give you a tour through their works and their workshop in the building on the left.
If you're in Tokyo, got some spare time or want to learn a Japanese craft, definitely recommended to go here! English is no problem!
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Packages: | Test Package |
Attended as: | Friends |
Posted on: | 2020/01/11 |
Activity Date: | 2019/12/18 |
Reviewed by: Josh
This was a fantastic experience for my wife and myself to sit with 2 very skilled teachers and learn about Kintsugi.
A very warm and inviting environment, you are greeted with a delicious treat and tea or coffee.
It's then straight into learning different aspects of Kintsugi.
At the end of the class your item is packaged securely and neatly ready for you to take home.
The Shop is very easy to locate, just follow the directions provided when booking. The walk from the station is around 10 minutes, with some family marts on the way if a toilet is required.
We will definitely be coming back during our next trip.
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Packages: | Test Package |
Attended as: | Couples |
Posted on: | 2020/01/06 |
Activity Date: | 2020/01/04 |
Reviewed by: Athena
Me and my girlfriend thoroughly enjoyed the workshop. The hosts were amazing people, super helpful and so welcoming and treated us like friends! We learned so much and came out feeling proud. All our questions answered and the couple is eager to help and make you feel accomplished! Highly recommended.
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Packages: | Test Package |
Attended as: | Couples |
Posted on: | 2019/12/20 |
Activity Date: | 2019/12/06 |
Reviewed by: Mahazosoa
I really enjoyed this two hours and a half of Kintsugi. we got a lot of information on the techniques and on Japanese culture as well. It was organised in order that that we can continue on our own. The materials were well listed and described and I found them easily in Tokyu hands. many many thanks
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Packages: | Test Package |
Attended as: | Solo Travelers |
Posted on: | 2019/12/14 |
Activity Date: | 2019/11/20 |
Reviewed by: stevie
The walk from train station to the workshop was delightful in the morning of a day in November. Extremely well structured and presented content. Delicious homemade tea and snacks. Concisely explained and taught skills fundamentally required for us as beginners who might very well be engaging ourselves with the art in the future. It amends not only ceramics but many other things that might have been put away for unspoken reasons for ages. Kintsugi from now on is more than just a new skill to me. It's going to be a way of life.
Yoshi and Yoshiko, thank you!
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Packages: | Test Package |
Attended as: | Families |
Posted on: | 2019/12/11 |
Activity Date: | 2019/11/10 |
Reviewed by: Cecile
Very warm and simple introduction to kintsugi with the possibility to check picture books about its history and evolution.
As a complete beginner I was glad to meet the adorable teachers and to taste their delicious welcome cake and fruit tea :).
This workshop remains one of the best memories of my stay Tokyo! And a list of tools is provided so you can even buy them afterwards.
If you want to spend a good time and discover the basics of contemporary diy kintsugi, while visiting a cute and quiet, non-touristy area of Tokyo, this is your activity!
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Packages: | Test Package |
Attended as: | Friends |
Posted on: | 2019/12/06 |
Activity Date: | 2019/09/25 |
Reviewed by: Jennifer
The kind couple who run Kuge Crafts make very efficient use of the time allotted. You’ll repair only a very small break in a beautiful cup, but while you wait for various materials to harden/dry/etc., you’ll learn about the history of kintsugi, other similar art forms, and other kintsugi techniques besides epoxy putty. The treats served are delicious too. I came away wanting to do this at home; luckily you’ll receive a shopping list and photo to take to Tokyo Hands so you can buy anything you won’t find at home before you leave town.
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Packages: | Test Package |
Attended as: | Solo Travelers |
Posted on: | 2019/11/26 |
Activity Date: | 2019/11/24 |
Reviewed by: Anna
The shop owners are stunning experts of the craft. They were extremely kind and wonderful teachers! An incredible and authentic experience that I recommend to all!
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Packages: | Test Package |
Attended as: | Friends |
Posted on: | 2019/11/20 |
Activity Date: | 2019/11/09 |
Reviewed by: Jen from Australia
I really enjoyed this introduction to kintsugi and came away with a lovely souvenir! The couple who ran the course were very patient and the cake was delicious.
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Packages: | Test Package |
Attended as: | Solo Travelers |
Posted on: | 2019/11/18 |
Activity Date: | 2019/11/16 |
Reviewed by: Antoni
What a beautiful experience with KUGE Crafts - we would definately visit again as it was educational as well as practical. We really learnt a lot and we took our art home with us!
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Packages: | Test Package |
Attended as: | Friends |
Posted on: | 2019/11/12 |
Activity Date: | 2019/11/10 |
Reviewed by: Sarah
It has been such a nice experience because the hosts were kind and wanted so much to share their knowledge.
Kintsugi wasn't has difficult as I taught : I've just followed what they showed me.
They explained me where I can buy the tools. They made me discover another kind of japanese artcrafts like liquerware.
I loved the way they welcomed me with a delicious mango pie and a fresh fruits drink.
A delightful moment, I advice you to try this experience !
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Packages: | Test Package |
Attended as: | Solo Travelers |
Posted on: | 2019/09/18 |
Activity Date: | 2019/08/21 |
Reviewed by: Christine
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.
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Packages: | Test Package |
Attended as: | Solo Travelers |
Posted on: | 2019/09/08 |
Activity Date: | 2019/08/16 |
Reviewed by: Lawrence
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.
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Packages: | Test Package |
Attended as: | Solo Travelers |
Posted on: | 2019/08/23 |
Activity Date: | 2019/08/21 |
Reviewed by: Tiffany
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.
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Packages: | Test Package |
Attended as: | Couples |
Posted on: | 2019/08/20 |
Activity Date: | 2019/08/14 |
Reviewed by: Anita
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.
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Packages: | Test Package |
Attended as: | Solo Travelers |
Posted on: | 2019/08/13 |
Activity Date: | 2019/08/11 |
Reviewed by: KSY
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!
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Packages: | Test Package |
Attended as: | Couples |
Posted on: | 2019/08/09 |
Activity Date: | 2019/07/28 |
Reviewed by: Olivia
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.
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Packages: | Test Package |
Attended as: | Friends |
Posted on: | 2019/07/27 |
Activity Date: | 2019/07/19 |
Reviewed by: Vikki
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.
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Packages: | Test Package |
Attended as: | Friends |
Posted on: | 2019/07/26 |
Activity Date: | 2019/07/24 |
Reviewed by: Bre Little
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.
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Packages: | Test Package |
Attended as: | Solo Travelers |
Posted on: | 2019/07/13 |
Activity Date: | 2019/07/10 |
Reviewed by: Courtney
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 :)
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Packages: | Test Package |
Attended as: | Families |
Posted on: | 2019/06/21 |
Activity Date: | 2019/06/20 |
Reviewed by: ケリー
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.
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Packages: | Test Package |
Attended as: | Solo Travelers |
Posted on: | 2019/06/11 |
Activity Date: | 2019/06/09 |
Reviewed by: Alan
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!
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Packages: | Test Package |
Attended as: | Solo Travelers |
Posted on: | 2019/05/26 |
Activity Date: | 2019/05/26 |
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