Get your hands dirty!  Well, maybe not dirty but get some paint on them and learn about Japanese traditional crafts by making some yourself in the historic city of Kyoto.
You will walk away with a better understanding and appreciation for the art forms than you will get from any museum – and you’ll have a great souvenir from your trip too!
The Kyoto Handicraft Center offers a variety of hands on activities such as cloisonne making, dorei (Clay bell) doll or fan painting, Koma spinning top making, woodblock printing (ukiyoe), incense mixing (part of the art of koh-do), drawing with gold powder, damascene accessories (gold & silver inlay) and shichimi (Japanese spice) blending. Each lesson is conducted by Japanese artisans and English translation is provided.  The cost ranges from Y1,890 to Y3,980 and each session takes about an hour.
The center also offers demonstrations by working crafts people and a shop where you can purchase local Kyoto handicrafts.
Located near the Kyoto Imperial Palace, the Kyoto Municipal Museum of Art and the Heian Jingu Shrine, the Kyoto Handicraft Center is approximately half an hour by bus or fifteen minutes by taxi from Kyoto Station and is open daily from 10AM-5PM except for January 1st – 3rd. (Kyoto Handicraft Center Access Map)
Image Credit: Wikimedia, Fan, Japanese

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