Top Kanagawa Prefecture Classes & Workshops

Why Join This Experience? English speaking instructor for a stress-free experience Intimate setting limited to small groups to maintain a calm, personal atmosphere Learn not just how, but why uncover the philosophy of Zen and mindfulness behind every movement Perfect for first time visitors, cultural enthusiasts, couples, and families Good to Know Duration Approx. 60 minutes Group Size Max 6 participants Location 7 min walk from JR Kita-Kamakura Station No dress code, but we recommend modest attire no shoes inside the tea room Photos are welcome at designated times during the session

This workshop offers a hands-on experience of traditional Japanese hand-crafted washi papermaking. Located just a 5-minute walk from Hakone-Yumoto Station, Washi Studio “Washinoiori” is a place where you can casually experience the techniques of Echizen washi, a craft with over 1,000 years of history. With the support of an instructor, you will create your own original washi artwork. Beginners are welcome, and no prior experience is required. Enjoy a warm and friendly atmosphere as you craft your piece, and be moved by the beauty of your finished washi. Take home your one-of-a-kind creation as a special souvenir from Japan.

Sencha-do is a tea ceremony that does not use powdered green tea. In sencha-do, tea is carefully brewed by infusing green tea leaves. In this workshop, you will first observe the tea ceremony to understand the atmosphere and its culture. Japanese sweets will also be served, so please enjoy the moment. After observing the ceremony, you can actually use a tea utensil to brew tea. Hope you will be surprised and discover something new about the taste of tea brewed yourself. You can also compare the taste with your friends and family.

Would you like to brew your own delicious tea? In most tea ceremony workshops, you are not allowed to handle tea utensils. However, in the hands-on classes we host, you can actually touch the utensils and learn the process of brewing tea from scratch. The instructor is a master of the Higashi Abe school. They have taught many students, so they will gently and carefully teach you how to make tea. You are also welcome to take as many pictures as you like to make your experience memorable. We hope you will make your trip to Japan a memorable and enjoyable one.

Many children are practicing karate-do. You can experience karate together. You will have a chance to meet Japanese children and make new discoveries. You can also learn safe and secure self-defense karate, touch and wield a mock sword, and try on obi belts, do-gi, and hakama. You can also learn the etiquette of Iaido!

This hands-on workshop lets you create and learn about Japan's unique food sample culture. Enjoyable for all ages, from children to adults, it's perfect for first-timers. Experience both traditional sushi candle-making using wax and lifelike food sample creation. Discover the secrets and history behind their lifelike appearance through easy-to-understand explanations. Take your finished creations home as souvenirs—a uniquely Japanese experience you'll cherish forever.

Unlike typical tourist experiences, our community dinner offers authentic cultural exchange with local Kamakura residents in an intimate home-like setting, creating genuine connections and insider knowledge that guidebooks can't provide. What makes us special: INTIMATE SETTING: Maximum 8 guests in our cozy shared living space - feel like you're visiting Japanese friends, not attending a commercial tour PERSONALIZED MATCHING: We connect you with locals based on your interests - meet artists, historians, families, or longtime residents who share your passions ️ HANDS-ON COOKING: Learn traditional Japanese home cooking techniques using fresh seasonal ingredients from Kamakura's famous Renbai farmers market CULTURAL STORIES: Discover 1000+ years of Kamakura history through personal stories, from samurai heritage to modern community life ️ INSIDER KNOWLEDGE: Get recommendations for hidden gems, local-priced shops, and secret spots that only residents know

There are many kinds of bento in Japan. In this experience, you can make a bento and take it home. This class is held in a private home in Kamakura, a popular tourist destination. After the experience, you can bring your bento and go sightseeing.

Start your cultural journey by crafting your own Goshuin stamp book—a treasured item in Japanese spiritual tradition—at a charming, old-style café in Kamakura. Goshuin, meaning ‘honorable red seal,’ originated centuries ago as proof of temple visits and evolved into beautiful calligraphic art combined with unique temple seals. After completing your book, savor coffee carefully roasted by the café owner or a soft drink, paired with a traditional monaka sweet. As you relax, enjoy stories from the owner about Kamakura’s history and culture. Then, take your handmade Goshuin stamp book and explore a nearby famous Hokokuji temple, known as the bamboo temple, and collect an authentic Goshuin stamp—reflections of centuries-old devotion and artistry. At the temple, you can also enjoy matcha at the traditional tea house there. This immersive experience blends tradition, local storytelling, and the serene beauty of Kamakura’s spiritual heritage.

Skip the confusion of finding meaningful souvenirs in Japan by joining a private Hanko experience where you create something truly personal. Instead of buying generic keepsakes, you design your own name seal—an important symbol of identity in Japanese culture. With guidance on history, writing your name in Japanese, and choosing style and materials, you leave with a custom engraved stamp made just for you.

Experience Bushido training with wooden swords at the Itto-ryu Nakanishi-ha Shudokan, a traditional Japanese martial arts school. You will also take part in zazen meditation at a Zen temple, closely tied to the spirit of Bushido. Through this one-day program, you'll gain a deeper understanding of the profound spiritual essence within Japanese culture. Lunch will be a Sushi-Shokado Bento.

This is more than a tea ceremony - it is a mindful cultural experience you can carry into everyday life. In a calm Kamakura studio, guests first enjoy tea as a participant, then learn the meaning and movements behind the ceremony, and finally prepare and serve matcha themselves. Guided by a certified Urasenke tea instructor with a background in mindfulness coaching, the experience gently connects Japanese tradition with breathing, posture, gratitude, and presence. Unlike many formal tea ceremonies, this session is practiced comfortably at a table, with no kneeling required, and is designed so travelers can recreate the spirit of tea at home. Seasonal Japanese sweets, small-group guidance, and the chance to experience both guest and host roles make it especially personal and memorable.

Dancers of all skill levels can enjoy this private traditional Japanese dance lesson in Tokyo. Dressed in a yukata and armed with a fan, you'll learn how to walk, bow, and dance like someone from the Edo period. A private lesson means you won't have to learn in front of other strangers and can ask your teacher as many questions as you like about the process.

The Art of Japanese Home Cooking Experience Everyday Japanese Life Through Cooking Make Onigiri (rice balls), Tamagoyaki (Japanese rolled omelette), and homemade Japanese side dishes in a real Japanese home. Travel through a local residential neighborhood by bus and experience everyday Japanese life beyond the tourist areas. More than just a cooking class, this is an opportunity to discover Japanese home cooking, family life, and local hospitality.

Do you want to experience the deep side of Japan? This is the first public calligraphy experience activity where you can meet a calligraphy master in this city where you rarely see foreigners. You will enjoy Japanese sweets and tea during the workshop, so there is no need to be nervous. Beginners are also welcome! At the end of the workshop, you will create a T-shirt, hand towel, or tote bag with your name in calligraphy printed on it along with a sumi-e painting by MADARA of your choice, so you can take home a one-of-a-kind original item.

In this course, you can learn "truly effective mindfulness" methods devised by a psychologist with Japan's highest academic degree, who has a clientele of top businessmen, over his 30-year career. Experiencing real meditation in Kamakura, where ZEN is based, will be a memorable experience for you in life. You won't find practical Zen meditation and dining etiquette anywhere else, as the instructor grew up in a temple.

- The event will take place in a room in a 100-year-old traditional Japanese inn that combines history, charm, and modernity. - You will be able to experience tea preparation by an Urasenke instructor. - You will be able to taste tea prepared by the instructor and traditional Japanese sweets. - You will also be able to experience making tea yourself.

"Yosegi Zaiku" is a traditional Japanese marquetry technique originating from Hakone, Kanagawa Prefecture. This craft involves creating intricate geometric patterns by combining pieces of wood of different natural colors and grains. Let's make own traditional "Yosegi Zaiku"coaster! My son, he is 6years old, he enjoyed making coaster. Do not worried, It is easy to make coaster.

We cook and eat osechi dishes on New Year's Day in Japan. We cook and eat Osechi-ryori, a local dish of Osaka. Osechi-ryori has a meaning. They want to live long and work hard. Black beans take 2 days to make! I learn how to make everything except black beans. We make Kazari-giri with Japanese style pickles and knives. You can learn traditional dishes which young people are less likely to cook now. I will advise you to make it at home. Ayako-sensei, a professional cooking teacher, will teach you kindly and carefully. You can enjoy making it even for the first time. Let's cook and eat Osechi-ryori which Tanjiro also ate.

One of the reasons why the Golden Globe-winning "SHOGUN" became a huge hit is its dedication to Japanese beauty and culture, and its uncompromising attitude. Since Washoku (Japanese cuisine) was registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage on December 4, 2013, its popularity has skyrocketed. Odawara lacquerware, a traditional craft made in Odawara City, Kanagawa Prefecture, was designated as a "Traditional Craft" by the Minister of International Trade and Industry (now the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry) in May 1984. Create your own unique patterned Japanese tableware and continue to feel the world and culture of Washoku even after returning home!

Train in traditional Kobudo at a historic dojo founded by Yoshio Sugino, the swordsmanship master of Seven Samurai. This rare martial arts experience has been carefully preserved by his family. The dojo is located in Kawasaki, a local city just about 30 minutes from central Tokyo. Despite its easy access, this sacred dojo remains a quiet place where tradition is still alive. You will meet your guide at the station and walk together to the dojo. After changing clothes, please bring comfortable innerwear and shorts to wear under the dojo uniform. The experience then begins with a short talk about the history of the Sugino Dojo, how its teachings were passed down, and why they continue today. Next, you will practice basic kata, learning calm and focused sword movements. At the end, you will try a special kata used in Seven Samurai. Learn directly from skilled instructors in a sacred dojo where real tradition lives — a truly unique experience found only here.

Misaki is located at the tip of the Miura Peninsula, famous as a port for tuna. Not only delicious fresh tuna dishes, Misaki offers one-and-only unique cultural experience such as incense-sachet making and a Big-Catch flag coloring. Historic downtown Misaki has many traditional buildings; and some are renovated to modern shops like coffee roaster. We also enjoy award-winning microbrewery beer and if schedule matches, we will take a bus to Miura Beechh, enjoying magnificent view of great nature in Misaki/Miura region.

Explore the serene art of Shodō in a mindful Japanese calligraphy workshop in Kamakura. Under the expert guidance of Calligraphy Master Shiei, with over 50 years of experience, you’ll learn to create beautiful kanji while immersing yourself in Japanese culture. This hands-on session begins with an introduction to calligraphic techniques and philosophy, followed by a calming ritual of ink preparation. As you practice brush strokes and write your chosen kanji, discover the meditative nature of this ancient art form. Leave with your own unique piece of calligraphy and a deeper appreciation for the tranquility of Japanese aesthetics.