Workshops and experiments
Experiencing Japan
Japan isn't just a place to visit… it's an experience! AYUMI Voyage invites you to discover a variety of authentic Japanese crafts and activities during your stay. When creating your itinerary, we encourage you to share your preferences and ask for our advice. We will then make suggestions tailored to your tastes.
The following list is not exhaustive. Please note that the following workshops and experiences are subject to availability and specific constraints depending on the organizing establishment. Details will be provided to you by your advisor when your itinerary is created.
Tea ceremony
Cooking classes
Walk and photo shoot in kimono or yukata
Pottery
Calligraphy classes
Japanese shibori dye
Gold repair or “kintsugi”
Visit to a traditional forge
Archery
Baseball
Golf
Make the most of the workshops by using a guide. They will accompany you during the workshop and help with communication with the staff.
Tea ceremony
Is there a more beautiful and touching introduction to traditional Japanese culture than the tea ceremony? It perfectly illustrates the subtlety and complexity of Japanese culture.
During this workshop, you will learn how to prepare tea using traditional methods, as well as the etiquette of tea consumption.
Duration: approximately 1 hour
Recommended location: Kyoto, Kanazawa, Tokyo, Osaka
Due to the length, seriousness and calm required to fully enjoy the tea ceremony, we recommend this activity for participants aged 15 and over.
Cooking classes
While Japanese cuisine is known worldwide, it's primarily for its meat skewers and raw fish. However, everyday Japanese life is quite different. From bento boxes and gyoza to tempura and donburi, learn about everyday Japanese cooking so you can recreate these dishes at home.
Your host will teach you the basics of Japanese cooking, the subtle use of soy sauce, mirin and ryōri-shu cooking alcohol, as well as the flavors of dashi broth.
Duration: approximately 2 hours
Recommended location: Kyoto, Tokyo, Osaka
Walk and photo shoot in kimono or yukata
Enjoy a stroll through the streets of Kyoto or Osaka, enhanced by the charm of traditional clothing. Far from being a mere folkloric item, the kimono is still regularly worn on various occasions: coming-of-age ceremonies, weddings, or simply an outing with a partner or friends.
Duration: one day or half a day
Recommended location: Kyoto, Kanazawa
Kimonos are typically worn with traditional wooden sandals called geta. These are not designed for long walks and can become uncomfortable after a few hours. We therefore recommend that people with reduced mobility wear dress shoes.
Pottery
In Japan, pottery is a recognized and widely practiced craft, as evidenced by the many types and styles found throughout the country, including Akita-yaki in the north of the country and Bizen-yaki in Okayama.
Accessible to all, this workshop is an opportunity to shape a cup, chopstick rests or an "o-chawan" rice bowl, or even a decorative object that you can take home as a souvenir*.
Duration: approximately 2 hours
Recommended location: Okayama, Kyoto, Himeji, Kanazawa, Tokyo
*Your creation will be shipped to you by parcel after baking. Please allow several weeks for delivery.
Calligraphy classes
Japanese writing is one of the most complex in the world. It combines the use of kanji, characters of Chinese origin, with two syllabaries.
During this workshop, you will learn to calligraph kanji with a brush and Chinese ink under the guidance of a master calligrapher who will teach you the order of strokes, the pressure to apply to the brush, and all the techniques necessary for the calligraphy of the character you have chosen.
Duration: 1 hour or more
Location: everywhere
Calligraphy classes are open to everyone, especially families, with younger children using water instead of ink.
Japanese dye
The shibori technique is one of the most original techniques for creating patterns on fabric.
Now known worldwide, shibori – “tying” in Japanese – involves dipping folded and tied garments or tablecloths into ink. Once dry and unfolded, the result is elegant and unique patterns. This technique is often used to give a second life to faded linens.
Duration: 1 to 2 hours
Location: Kyoto, Osaka, Tokyo
Provisions are in place to make this workshop accessible to children despite the use of ink. Families are therefore welcome.
Gold repair or “kintsugi”
Kintsugi—literally “golden joinery”—is a ceramic technique that involves repairing a broken or cracked object with a gold-based join, giving it an elegant second life. Rather than concealing the breaks, kintsugi highlights them, transforming the scar into an integral part of the object's history. This philosophy is based on the idea that the marks of time and accidents do not diminish an object's value; on the contrary, they enrich it.
It's a complex technique that requires some experience. However, there are workshops suitable for beginners for simpler pieces. You can take your creations home with you at the end of the workshop.
Duration: 2 hours
Location: Kyoto, Osaka
Visit to a traditional forge
Japanese cutlery is renowned worldwide for its precision, beauty, and ancestral craftsmanship. It is a field where tradition, technique, and aesthetics converge to create knives of exceptional quality, used by both professional chefs and home cooks.
In this workshop, discover knife-forging techniques with a French blacksmith, one of the few foreigners in Japan practicing this craft. The tools and techniques used are true to Japanese tradition, without the use of machine tools, relying on time-honored methods. He will explain each step of knife-making in his forge and let you hammer the metal yourself.
Duration: 1 hour
Location: Osaka
Due to the working conditions in a forge, including heat and noise, the visit is not recommended for young children.
Kyūdō archery
The bow was originally the weapon of choice for samurai before being replaced by the famous katana. In this sense, archery—or kyūdō in Japanese—is one of Japan's oldest martial traditions. It retains its prestigious status today as a sport that combines discipline and skill.
In this workshop, learn how to handle a bow and arrow, the proper posture for a successful shot, and the discipline of this martial art from a master archer. Several types of bows and arrows are available depending on the age, height, and strength of the archer, making this workshop accessible to everyone.
Duration: 1 hour
Location: Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto
Baseball
Baseball is a true national passion where the enthusiasm of the fans rivals the intensity of the game. Between organized chants, drums, and collective cheers, each game offers a unique spectacle where the strategy and technique of the players are revealed to the rhythm of the hits and runs.
During this activity, immerse yourself in the atmosphere of a Japanese stadium, try out training facilities open to visitors, allowing novices to try their hand at throwing or swinging. A moment of sport and culture to be experienced intensely.
Duration: 2 to 3 hours
Location: Tokyo, Osaka, Kobe, Hiroshima, Fukuoka
Golf
Golf in Japan combines elegant scenery with technical challenge, offering a perfect setting for both amateurs and experienced players. Many Japanese are passionate about the sport, and there are courses and facilities right in the heart of cities, allowing urban dwellers to play without leaving the city center. During this experience, you can play on courses renowned for their charm and refinement: the Karuizawa Prince Golf Club for its natural beauty and pleasant summer climate, the Awara Golf Club in spring to admire the blossoms, or the Niseko Golf Course in Hokkaido for a spectacular winter setting. Benefit from personalized coaching, perfect your swing, and savor Japanese hospitality, all while admiring the unique landscapes that make every round unforgettable.
Duration: half-day to full day
Location: Tokyo, Osaka, Hokkaidō
Q&A
What does a typical workshop look like?
We will provide you with all the details in advance, but generally, you simply need to arrive at the workshop location at a predetermined time. If the workshop is conducted exclusively in Japanese, a guide will be required. The staff will have been informed of your arrival and your details (name, age, and other relevant information) to ensure the workshop runs smoothly.
I have an idea for a workshop but it's not on the list.
No problem. Share your ideas with us and we'll do our research.
in order to offer you an experience that matches your desires.
The little extra
Our advisors have personally participated in many of the workshops we offer. Therefore, we are able to provide relevant and high-quality workshops. Furthermore, we can communicate directly with our partner institutions, either in person or by phone, to convey your preferences and needs, whether they relate to mobility or health issues, for example.
