Kyoto : Chopsticks Making Workshop in Gion with Engraving Option

Recommended by 99% of travelers

Badge of Excellence

Kyoto, Japan

Trending

Booked 5+ times in 12 hours.

1 hour (approx.)
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Why travelers loved this

5.0

· Ben_H ·

Feb 2026

I had an amazing time at this chopstick-making workshop in Gion! The instructors were incredibly patient and skilled, making the whole process fun and accessible even for beginners. The engraving option is a must—it adds such a beautiful, personal touch to a unique souvenir. It was the perfect way to spend an afternoon in Kyoto. Highly recommend!

· Bridgette_M ·

Apr 2026

This was such a fun experience and I love having my own handcarved chopsticks. I paid extra for fancier wood and even got my name engraved on them which I highly recommend. 10 out 10!

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Overview

Instead of buying souvenir chopsticks from a shop, this hands-on experience lets you make your own from scratch. Learn specialist techniques, including how to use a traditional Japanese "kanna" hand plane, how to smooth the surface, and how to finish the wood with natural oil. Crafted from beautiful Japanese wood, the chopsticks make a meaningful souvenir to keep for years to come.

Create a special keepsake to treasure from your time in Japan
A skilled artisan teaches you how to make handmade chopsticks
No experience required: Enjoy a beginner-friendly lesson
Enjoy the freedom to choose between different types of wood

What's Included

Chopstick making workshop
Choice of wood (9 types: 2 types are free of charge)
Engraving (Additional charges) - Make your chopsticks one of a kind
Use of authentic tools and materials
English-speaking staff

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

禅 ZEN Chopsticks and Kintsugi Workshop, Gion Kyoto
Yasaka Koji South, machi-71-13 Tamamizu, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto, 605-0851, Japan
One minute walking distance from the famous Yasaka Pagoda in Gion

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Near public transportation

Infants must sit on laps
Most travelers can participate
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 32 travelers

Supplied by

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Reviews

5.0

based on 2,615 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Very fun way to bring...

Monique_B, Apr 2026

Very fun way to bring home a souvenir from Kyoto. The experience was well run and Gayatri was helpful with each step.

Chop sticks

Connor_M, Apr 2026

This was a very fun time. There was a lot of saw dust. Patrick Ladd straight and walked us through it all.

Was a great relaxing...

Taryn_R, Apr 2026

Was a great relaxing time. The chopsticks were actually beautiful. A great souvenir. Lulu was really friendly and made the experience even better.

Highly Recommend!

Bridgette_M, Apr 2026

This was such a fun experience and I love having my own handcarved chopsticks. I paid extra for fancier wood and even got my name engraved on them which I highly recommend. 10 out 10!

Highly recommend for a unique Kyoto experience

Samantha_J, Apr 2026

Experience truly unique and memorable. Little did I know how much used to go into making chopsticks before they were mass produced! The team was wonderful, friendly and helpful. They engaged in conversation and gave clear instructions. They offered an upcharge service to personalize custom chopsticks which was fun and very reasonable price. If you are looking for a fun activity with family or solo, it’s a great memento of Kyoto. Philip was my instructor and he was wonderful - Masters student who spoke multiple languages.

Awesome Class

Rosemary_M, Apr 2026

Great souvenir of Kyoto! Have them engraved for an even more special experience. Takes some muscle to shape them but so much fun.

Easy and fun chopstick making session in Kyoto

Carol_C, Apr 2026

We did the beginner session. The staff person teaching us, Sai, was warm, helpful, and courteous. He offered advice and assistance and took pictures to capture the experience for us. So fun !

Great experience. Highly recommend

Meg_B, Apr 2026

Great experience. Julia was a great teacher. Was a great family activity. Make sure you check difficultly of wood. Hardwood is hard to carve but worth it. Highly recommend.

Fun

Nicole_D, Apr 2026

Namibia was great and it was fun to try. My chopsticks turned out a little jankie but my husband loved it and his were really nice .

Too many up charges

Mary_M, Apr 2026

A lot of up charges. The cost of the activity is the very cheapest wood and no engravings. The other wood types are an extra 3000-6000yen and 1500yen for engraving. The staff is good except for the receptionist who moved our belongings and gave our spots to other people while we were working on the engraving with our guide. When we went back to glaze our chopsticks and had no seat anymore, the receptionist blamed our guide (who was helping us the entire time).

Good times

Kevin_W, Apr 2026

It was an amazing experience that my 12 year old son loved all the way up to my 77 year old dad. Nay was great with instructions and very helpful in explaining every step.

So much fun. Great family...

Clifford_S, Apr 2026

So much fun. Great family activity. It was the perfect break from touring. We strongly recommend. Lots of extras but well worth the visit.

Great way to spend an hour in Kyoto

Kirsty_F, Mar 2026

A really great way to spend an hour in Kyoto, which will leave us with a lasting memory and something to take home. Special thanks to Guilherme & Naomi S who took us through the process 🙂 highly recommend.

Great for Family

Jennifer_J, Mar 2026

This was so much fun. Mike gave wonderful instructions and made it so easy. My two kids had a great time, too. Would definitely recommend!

Lovely time making chopsticks!

Caroline_L, Mar 2026

We had a wonderful experience making chopsticks. Just be aware that the room is hidden around the back of the building and the 2nd floor. I chose the sakura wood and my husband chose the teak wood. It was a fun process to make wood sticks and shave, sand, polish them into chopsticks. A nice touch by engraving the chopsticks with a laser machine at the end. The laser was done by our guide, Tayzar. The engravement was extra cost and choosing certain woods had a certain fee. I believe the basic easy wood was free but the more intermediate and difficult ones had different costs. Thank you to Tayzar again. He was very informative, patient, and had attention to detail!

Lots of fun making our custom chopsticks

Rosemary_F, Mar 2026

It was so much fun and you wind up with an authentic hand crafted, and engraved chopstick set. Mike was an awesome instructor for our group and walked us through the process every step of the way. We will remember this trip every time we use these chopsticks! So much fun!

Fun activity with family....

Liz_F, Mar 2026

Fun activity with family. Loved the engraving and my 10 and 13 year old enjoyed the activity. Took about 30 minutes

Chopsticks

Ruby_M, Mar 2026

Sota was very helpful and great to work with. We were a larger group but he was there ready to help. It was hard work but worth it

Great activity, 100% worth it

Sarah_W, Mar 2026

We really liked the chopstick making, it was beginner friendly and the instructor Ray helped us a lot. You can choose your wood type in the beginning, two options are free and the other cost extra. While carving the chopsticks you can either make the square or round. We chose to make square chopsticks. You can also engrave symbols and your Name for 1500 yen extra. We engraved Mount Fuji and our names in Japanese on the chopsticks. Ray also helped us translate and even gave us travel tips. It was definitely worth it and they look really pretty.

Wabisabi in Practice

Emily_S, Mar 2026

ZEN has an amazing, knowledgeable, kind and patient staff. We worked with Patrick most but Jojo was also awesome. Patrick genuinely loved woodworking and leveraged the “bedside manner” from his nursing education to keep up informed and supported. Both of my kids loved making their own sticks, and we all engraved the with Buddhist messages from our experience. I put the shop’s motto on mine - the principle of wabisabi - beauty in imperfection. Really fun experience with a wonderful staff.

Fun and quick activity

Monyka_S, Mar 2026

We loved our experience making our own chopsticks. August made our experience wonderful! He guided us thru every step and made sure We had the best time!

Chopstick making in Kyoto!

Elizabeth_D, Feb 2026

Such a fun and unique experience on our first day in Kyoto. Roman was an excellent guide and walked us through every step. The chopsticks turned out beautifully and are a great personal souvenir.

It was an easy activity....

Jenny_R, Feb 2026

It was an easy activity. Roman helped us through the process. They’re picture instruction in-front of you as well if you are stuck. Overall it was pretty good.

Don’t miss the fun!

Carol_W, Feb 2026

We had such a fantastic time! And we ended up with a great custom souvenir to take home. Definitely do the engraving! Shout out to Kae for being a great instructor.

Awesome experience! Highly recommended.

Mark_G, Feb 2026

It was super fun. August was great as our instructor and Kae very helpful with engraving our chopsticks. We were a family of 6 and all had a great time!

Attentive and friendly service Al!

NamieLY_M, Feb 2026

Al from Canada walked us through the steps of the chopsticks making. Very sweet and attentive. Thank you!

Amazing Experience

Ben_H, Feb 2026

Traditional Hashi making

John_L, Jan 2026

An exceptional experience to learn traditional Hashi (chopsticks) making. You use a traditional Kana (knife block) to carve the chopsticks and you can even customize an engraving for a personal keep sake of your time in Kyoto. Our host (Patrick) was wonderful and shared many informative stories of the nearby temples. I would highly recommend this experience for families.

Easy chop-stick making experience

Geraldine_S, Jan 2026

Good set-up, tooling and instruction, if not a bit a “production line” feel. Easy to make chopsticks, and engaging staff. Only one of the advertised two choices of wood was available which was a disappointing.

A fun experience for families

Rebecca_K, Dec 2025

We loved learning the process of making chopsticks. Our teacher was very patient. The engraving process was very neat! This will be our souvenir from Japan!