Top Nagoya Arts & Design - page 2

Discover the artistry of Japanese violin-making at the renowned Suzuki Violin Workshop! Take a guided tour through the workshop, where you can admire a handwritten letter from Einstein, a fan of the Suzuki Violin. Learn about the history of this internationally acclaimed company, famous for producing 100,000 violins annually during the Meiji Era. Then, try your hand at varnishing violin parts, turning them into a unique strap to take home as a special souvenir. With an English-speaking guide, this experience blends tradition, craftsmanship, and history, making it an unforgettable visit!

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.

Atsuta Jingu Shrine: Sanctuary of the Sacred Sword Atsuta Jingu Shrine is one of Japan’s most venerable sanctuaries, enshrining the "Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi"—a legendary sword and one of the Three Sacred Treasures of Japan. Guided by a specialist, you will journey through the essence of Japanese spirituality while breathing in the crisp, sacred air of this ancient forest. The vast grounds, marked by a majestic 1,000-year-old camphor tree, serve as a vital link to the Imperial lineage and the samurai era. Most famously, it is where the great warlord Oda Nobunaga prayed for a miraculous victory before his most historic battle. This tour offers a profound immersion into Shinto tradition, including a visit to the Kusanagi-kan sword museum and an exclusive prayer ceremony at Takakura-musubi-miko Shrine, a site renowned for bringing good fortune and luck in child-rearing.