Authentic Kintsugi Workshop: Art of Golden Joinery in Tokyo
Recommended by 98% of travellers
Badge of Excellence
Tokyo, Japan
- 1 hour (approx.)
- Group discounts
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Why travellers loved this
·
Explore our promoted experiences
Overview
Turn something old into something new during this lesson in the Japanese art of "Kintsugi," the practice of repairing broken pottery, and there's a chance to see Master Taku on the day of your visit. Stemming from a Japanese belief that breakage and repair are part of the history of an object, rather than a reason to throw it away, your class involves repairing damaged items (plates are provided; personal items are not allowed) with lacquer mixed with gold. Don a "samue" as you refinish one traditional pottery item, leaving you with a newfound appreciation for Japanese aesthetics and a unique souvenir.
- Discover the philosophy behind this unique art, rather than wasting broken pottery
- Choose from two options: a beginner class for ages six and up or a more advanced "yobitsugi" class
- Enjoy a personalized experience in a capped group
- Visit a dedicated Kintsugi studio with skilled craftsmen in Omotesando
What's Included
- Lesson fee
- A plate you will use for the lesson, and to bring home after lesson.
- All necessary equipment included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Food and drinks
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- TNCA Minami-Aoyama Studio3-chōme-8-2 Minamiaoyama, Minato City, Tokyo 107-0062, Japan
The atelier is located in the basement floor of the OG building (across the alley from the large, glass Pasona Square building). Look for a swing gate followed by a set of stairs going downwards.
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.What To Expect
Make your own way to the centrally located studio in Tokyo's Omotesando neighborhood, ready to try your hand at the Japanese art of kintsugi. Meet your teacher and small group, then put on your "samue," a traditional Japanese craftsperson's garment.
Choose from two options: the "yobitsugi" class, one of the highest forms of kintsugi, that joins pieces of different colors or materials to the damaged area; or Edo Komon plate, a hands-on course that welcomes everyone—from children to adults, and even complete beginners.
Your teacher guides you through the technique of kintsugi, using a ceramic plate supplied by the studio. You also learn about Japanese culture and philosophy and get insights into traditional Japanese crafts. By the end of the lesson, you'll have a unique souvenir to take home and a new perspective on the value of objects.
Choose from two options: the "yobitsugi" class, one of the highest forms of kintsugi, that joins pieces of different colors or materials to the damaged area; or Edo Komon plate, a hands-on course that welcomes everyone—from children to adults, and even complete beginners.
Your teacher guides you through the technique of kintsugi, using a ceramic plate supplied by the studio. You also learn about Japanese culture and philosophy and get insights into traditional Japanese crafts. By the end of the lesson, you'll have a unique souvenir to take home and a new perspective on the value of objects.
1
Omotesando
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Wheelchair accessible
- Pushchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Most travellers can participate
- Children under the age of 6 are not allowed into the atelier for safety reasons
- Your finished work is for decorative purposes only and not intended for food use
- The atelier will provide a piece for you to repair, you cannot bring your own piece
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 20 travellers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveller Photos
Reviews
4.9
based on 501 reviews
Sort by: Most recent
This is a very enjoyable and meaningful way to experience the Japanese art of Kintsugi. The guide was wonderful and helpful.
Nice studio, well explained process, time was sufficient without rushing. Overall a memorable experience and fully recommendable. You can take your own creation back home afterwards
This was a wonderful and calming experience. My wife and I were thankful we took the time to experience this.
Beautiful experience learning to repair pieces and make them more beautiful. Wonderful instructor and a peaceful environment surrounded by beauty.
They are on time and courteous. They are patient in their teaching process. They provide a nice clear box for your piece at the end.
Fantastic, chose a pre broken plate and then make it better than new! What better way to learn and have a take home souvenir.
Well organised and easy to follow instructions.
Great way to immerse into the Japanese culture, a slow hour that’s actually somewhat healing overall.
A very special experience. The explanations and process was one of a kind, easy to follow, and the teacher was very helpful.
Lots of fun and you get your bowl as a keepsake! Give yourself some extra time to find the location as it’s tucked away.
The whole family really enjoyed making Kintsugi pottery.
Wonderful to learn how it is made and to have a souvenir of beautiful art.
English quality was a little rough but good intentions made up for it.
Our instructor was very knowledgable and helpful in this class and we left with a beautiful repaired plate. Super fun art class. Don’t hesitate to book if you want to something different in Tokyo.
The art of repairing broken ceramic wares with a golden lined design, the Kinstugi experience. Book in advance and learn under a local master craftsman. As a novice, it is fun and doable wherein with a little guidance and a bit of effort produces a memorable unique masterpiece of your own that you can take home as a special souvenir. Nothing beats that! A++ Must!!
Brilliant experience. Great job done in presenting the technique and you come away with a work of art you create
The instructions were easy to understand, the hosts were amazing and very helpful. We were thrilled with the experience and the plate we created!
Was great to make our own Kintsugi plate, loved getting to know more about it came about and the artist from the studio we are using.
Very interesting and artistic experience. The main host only spent half the time actually interacting with us then passed it off to his junior. He was very capable and helped when needed. All in all I would recommend it was a nice, artistic change to the hustle and bustle of Tokyo.
Had a lovely time learning the process. Simple and near perfect. Would recommend to any and all who want a quick guide through this.
The activity was enjoyable and it was good to learn the history of Kintsugi. It was perhaps a bit overpriced but overall I enjoyed it.
We had a great time and love having our repaired pottery as souvenirs we made ourselves. The instructions and guidance were very clear to make sure we did everything correctly.
The experience was very fun! It had a good edutainment aspect of value that I enjoyed. The ceramic was pre-broken for us to choose, I wish there were more style varieties to choose from. The instructions were very clear and the video was also easy to follow. I think it would be good to extent the estimated experience time to 1.25 hrs as it seems like people took extra time to create their kintsugi plates and ask questions. I think the value of the experience was quite worth it and they also sell a kit you can take home to try out.
Fun experience for me and my wife! We got to pick out the small dish we wanted to repair, each had a unique crack in it. The artist and his assistant then guided us through how to repair the piece with clear instructions and were very nice. The art space is filled with his original art you can purchase and even buy kintsugi kits to take home. We really enjoyed this class and love the artwork we made.
This is a great experience! The teaching was simple and clear an it was just overall a very enjoyable time! I definitely would recommend it
This experience exceeded expectations! The whole experience was well curated, explained and executed. The artist thought of everything and made us want to return for more advanced projects. This experience is a must!
It was interesting and fun. We planed the activity to an earlier schedule to meet the master. The master did not show up. We would have instead booked for a later event and made room for a flee market visit. The master need to show up if it is included in the program. Best
This was very interesting and informative, learning about the why of Kintsugi as well as the how. The instructor was very helpful and nice and patient. We love our pieces that we created!
This was such a great and authentic Japanese experience, I can't recommend it enough. If you're looking for more creative experiences for your trips, this is the one to do in Japan. The staff is great, and the instructions were very clear and easy for something that I thought would be very complex. They provide you with a "pre-broken" ceramic dish that you will then file, epoxy, and add gold to. They also give you a box and packing materials for safe transport. Really loved this workshop, this is a must-do in Tokyo
Very kind and patient staff who helped us create a beautiful, one of a kind souvenir from our trip!!
It was a fabulous introduction to this art form.
It was enjoyed tremendously by my husband and I. We also booked with friends that traveled with us. We are not artists; this workshop was designed perfectly for all.
Several things:
1. We accidentally booked the wrong date, and when we reached out they absolutely refused to do anything. They wouldn’t let us switch the date or get a refund and we ended up having to pay for it twice (totally not worth it)
2. The owner/artist guy is there but had headphones on and completely ignored everyone.
3. It’s not safe to eat off of when you’re done. You’d have to pay a bunch more to get that.
4. You have to choose from pre broken plates with one crack, you grind the edge, superglue it, and put some lacquer and gold powder on it. That’s it, nothing special about it. Buy a kit on Amazon and watch a 3 minute YouTube video and save yourself the time and money.
5. The girl host that helped us was nice, only good thing about the whole experience
Response from Host, Dec 2025
Thank you for your feedback. We are sorry to hear that this experience did not meet your expectations.
Regarding the booking, our confirmation message clearly states that date or time changes and refunds are not possible, and unfortunately we are unable to make exceptions.
The owner and master artisan is often present in the atelier working on professional pieces. Direct instruction by the owner is available only in our advanced workshops; this experience is an introductory class guided by trained staff.
This workshop focuses on learning basic kintsugi techniques using prepared pieces within a limited time. Tableware suitable for food use, as well as more advanced restoration methods, are offered in our higher-level classes.
Thank you again for your feedback, which helps us improve and better communicate our offerings.
Very fun experience! Instructor was very friendly and helpful. The process was very simple and it was very rewarding to see your piece coming together
Member Pricing
From
USD 60.85
per personWas USD 64.05(-5%)
up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
Compare Similar Experiences
Current
Member Pricing
Authentic Kintsugi Workshop: Art of Golden Joinery in Tokyo
501
1 hour
Free Cancellation
From
USD 64.05
USD 60.85
5% savings
Customers Who Bought This Tour Also Bought
Explore Similar Things to Do
- Food Tours
- Half-day Tours
- Sake Tasting
- Walking Tours
- Food & Drink
- Kid-Friendly
- Tours, Sightseeing & Cruises
- Private and Luxury
- On the Ground
- Private Sightseeing Tours
- Tokyo
- Food Tours - Musashino
- Half-day Tours - Musashino
- Walking Tours - Musashino
- Walking Tours - Kawasaki
- Food Tours - Yokohama
- Half-day Tours - Yokohama
- Sake Tasting - Yokohama
- Walking Tours - Yokohama
Attractions in Tokyo, Japan
- Owakudani Tours & Tickets
- Gotoh Museum Tours & Tickets
- Yasukuni Shrine (Yasukuni Jinja) Tours & Tickets
- Sumida Hokusai Museum Tours & Tickets
- Hakone Open-Air Museum Tours & Tickets
- teamLab Planets TOKYO Tours & Tickets
- Mt. Fuji 5th Station Tours & Tickets
- Kappabashi (Kitchen Town) Tours & Tickets
- Harajuku Tours & Tickets
- Ginza Tours & Tickets
- Hakone Ropeway Tours & Tickets
- Tokyo Tower Tours & Tickets
- Takeshita Street Tours & Tickets
- Tokyo Skytree Tours & Tickets
- Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo Tours & Tickets
- Akihabara Tours & Tickets
- Tokyo Station (Tokyo Eki) Tours & Tickets