Top Aichi Prefecture Art Tours - page 2

Highlights -Learn the 400-year-old tradition of Nagoya’s paper lanterns -Create your own with guidance from a skilled craftsman -Choose washi paper and assemble a keepsake -Foldable design makes it easy to carry -Experience culture in a historic district Tour Overview Step into the world of Nagoya Chōchin, lanterns that have lit Japan’s festivals for 400 years. Backed by the Tokugawa shoguns, they are known for bamboo frames and the soft glow of washi. By the Meiji era, Nagoya was Japan’s top producer, exporting them worldwide as symbols of refined artistry. At Wazamon Chaya in Japan Culture Village, discover this heritage and make one yourself. Guided by an artisan, choose washi, paste it on the frame, and craft a lantern that folds flat — a practical, memorable souvenir. The workshop is set in Japan Culture Village, home to shrines, old shops, and cafés, where tradition and modern life meet.

Tour highlights -Make traditional “washi”, or Japanese paper, with a history of 500 years, acclaimed for its use in sliding shoji doors and Japanese umbrellas -Set in a mountain town using plant-derived materials in its famous, local paper brand -Explanation by curator of Obara’s washi paper culture and production processes -Make your own authentic washi from the first step of pounding paper mulberry material to the finished product -Enjoy local, seasonal bistro at a restaurant in a traditional Japanese folk house -Take home your own Japanese paper booklet made with your own two hands every step of the way Tour details Experience the Toyota Green Life series in Obara, a region famed for traditional washi. Learn how paper mulberry becomes paper as you pound bark, add colors and patterns, and bind your own unique washi booklet. Enjoy lunch in a rustic folk house using seasonal local ingredients. This hands-on tour offers an authentic look into Japan’s traditional papermaking culture.