Visiting one of Japan’s best manufacturing cities ～Echizen washi paper and Echizen lacquerware～

Echizen City in Fukui Prefecture, known as “ A city of craftsmanship”, is a unique area in Japan, where a variety of traditional industries such as the production of Japanese paper, cutlery, lacquerware, and chests are found. Echizen lacquerware and washi paper are well known for their high quality and durability, and boast a large share of the domestic market. We will visit Echizen, which has a history of more than 1,500 years and is a vibrant industrial city to this day.

Date

Time

Schedule

Content

Day1

11:00-12:00

Takiseishi

  • Echizen washi panel making

12:00-13:00

Lunch

13:30-16:30

Shitsurindo

  • Experience making of Echizen lacquerware

17:30

Check-in

  • Ryokan Kochou

18:30

Dinner

  • at Ryokan Kochou

Experience

Shitsurindo

●Overview: Experience the making of Echizen Lacquer Ware ●Duration: 3h Echizen is said to be the oldest lacquerware production area in Japan. Lacquerware is a vessel coated with the sap of the lacquer tree, which is said to have powerful anti-bacterial and anti-rust properties. Echizen lacquerware, with multiple lacquer layers on its surface, is characterized by its elegance and lustre as well as its lightness and durability. It boasts a domestic market share of over 80% in the food service and professional lacquerware industries. Since its foundation in 1793, Shitsurindo has been passing down its skills in the lacquering of lacquerware.

See detail

Takiseishi

●Overview: Echizen Washi panel production ●Duration: 3h Echizen washi which is high-quality paper, is characterized by its strength, due to its long, thick fibres. It was used from the Muromachi period (1336-1573) to the Edo period (1603-1868) as official paper for the noble and samurai classes. Established in 1875, TAKIPAPER has been manufacturing a wide range of washi, used in traditional Japanese sliding doors, wallpaper and art. While preserving traditional techniques, TAKIPAPER continues to discover new possibilities for washi by fusing traditional techniques with contemporary design through collaboration with hotels, shops, artists and manufacturers.

See detail

Stay

Kochou

Kocho presents an upscale experience of Yamanaka Onsen Hot Spring. Outdoor baths in a garden-like setting and private baths offer a moment of soothing bliss in the natural grandeur of Ishikawa. Immerse your body and soul in one of the three greatest hot springs of Japan, known also as “Hot Spring of Egret”, with a history of 1300 years.

See detail
  • ・
    Languages
    ：
     Mainly in Japanese, other languages based upon request.
  • ・
    Number of participants
    ：
     2 to 8 people
  • ・
    Meeting place
    ：
     negotiable
  • ・
    Reservation deadline
    ：
     14 days prior to departure
  • ・
    Payment method
    ：
     Bank transfer, credit card
  • ・
    Clothing
    ：
     None specified
  • ・
    Tour guide
    ：
     Local producer or interpreter (arrangements made based upon customer’s preference)
  • ・
    Cancellation fee
    ：
     29~15days prior to departure 5% 14~7days prior to departure 20% 6~4days prior to departure 50% 3~1days prior to departure 70% Departure day or no show 100%
  • ・
    Precautions
    ：
     -Tour will be held even in cases of rain, except in the event of a typhoon or heavy rain warning. -All photos shown are for illustrative purposes only. -The places to be visited are not tourist destinations, and due to circumstances, there may be different processes within the factory with the machines not being in operation. -Elementary school students and younger may participate in the tour with the accompaniment of a parent or guardian. However, we cannot be held responsible for any injuries or accidents happening during the tour, including in the parking lot and in the workshop. -Please make sure that parents/guardians do not touch the machines, especially during the tour inside the workshop. -We recommend that you purchase travel insurance for your participation in the tour. -The tour will be cancelled in the event that smooth operation of the tour becomes difficult due to the new coronavirus infection situation or other reasons. If the tour is cancelled, full amount of the tour fee will be refunded.
Get a quote

Explore destinations

Craft tours are available in production areas throughout Japan.
Choose your favourite tour by area or theme. Destinations

Destinations