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Each Journey has a two-person minimum, four-person maximum. Rates are per person.
This is our first day tour offering, allowing you to see and experience Kyoto through the lens of its craft and artisan history.
On this tour, you will connect Zen principles with aesthetic principles like wabi-sabi, following kintsugi from its birthplace through its relevance in local craft ecosystems. You’ll conclude your tour with a kintsugi class so you can channel what you’ve learned into a piece of your own.
Our tour offers two variations, with Kintsugi Journey+ providing an interactive experience at a Zen temple and an opportunity to connect with a practicing monk. Pull back the curtain on the inseparable connection between Kyoto’s artistry and spirituality.
To ensure availability, we kindly ask that reservations be made at least 7-10 days in advance.
Kintsugi Journey
10 AM–4 PM
The Kintsugi Journey begins at the birthplace of the art form, in one of Kyoto’s most iconic temples. You’ll learn about the rich connection between Zen Buddhist principles and kintsugi.
We’ll then go to a temple complex that embodies core concepts of the wabi-sabi aesthetic, which comprise a key element of kintsugi’s philosophy.
After lunch, you’ll visit a lacquerware workshop that shows how kintsugi is just one part of a wider ecosystem of craftsmanship in Kyoto that orbits around limited quantities of urushi lacquer.
Your Journey will conclude with a hands-on class where you get to channel the history and principles of kintsugi and begin the repair process on a piece of your own.
Kintsugi Journey+ (with morning meditation)
9 AM–4 PM
Kintsugi Journey+ begins with an exclusive opportunity to experience a guided morning meditation, a tea ceremony in a traditional tea room, and a conversation with a practicing Zen monk at a traditional temple complex. You will dive deeper into kintsugi’s origins in tea culture, as well as gain a richer appreciation for the ties between Zen Buddhism and kintsugi that still exist today.
The Kintsugi Journey+ will follow the core Kintsugi Journey itinerary with the exception of a visit to the wabi-sabi temple.
The price for this experience is per person.
Self-paced classes
Experience Japanese traditional crafts from the comfort of your home with our master classes that come with each of our DIY Kits.
Become a Kintsugi Apprentice
POJ Studio’s two-month intensive program. Study to practice and share the craft of kintsugi-repair with the world, through our 150-hour apprenticeship in Kyoto.
As a graduate, you will become create a strong foundation as an educator and ambassador to foster the kintsugi practice in your community. The Kintsugi Apprentice Program ensures that you are armed with the logic, philosophy, traditional tools, natural materials, and historical and cultural context that are at the heart of the authentic Japanese tableware restoration technique.
Kintsugi in depth
Kintsugi is part of a rich ecosystem, Urushi lacquer being at its core. Learn about its many facets with our blog.
How to mend breaks: red and black urushi (part 3 of 3)
Once mugi urushi has been used to glue the broken fragments together, and sabi urushi has been used to fill the nooks and crevasses, phase 3 of the repair process is applying red and black urushi t...
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How to mend breaks: sabi urushi (part 2 of 3)
Once mugi urushi has been used to ‘’glue’’ broken fragments together, part 2 of the repair process is making and applying sabi urushi.
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How to mend breaks: mugi urushi (part 1 of 3)
When beginning kintsugi-repair, the first question to ask is, ‘‘how is the piece damaged?’’ Is it broken, cracked, or chipped? First and foremost, accurately identifying the fractures is an art in...
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Kintsugi-repair restores broken pieces with urushi tree sap, and often finishes the repair in gold or silver powder. As a restoration practice, pieces repaired with hon-kintsugi are aesthetic, food...
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Kintsugi Apprentice Stories: Summer 2023
In Summer 2023, we welcomed our inaugural class to Kyoto for the first ever Kintsugi Apprentice Program.
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