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Hyogo Prefectures
Craft Workshops NEar OSaKA & KYoto
Learn traditional japanese crafts — pottery, washi paper, kawara tiles & blacksmithing
Many of you have been asking for hands-on Japanese craft workshops near Osaka, Kyoto, and Himeji. Over the past few years, I’ve traveled throughout the Kansai region, experiencing traditional Japanese crafts firsthand, from pottery and washi paper-making to roof tiles and blacksmithing.
Near Osaka, Kyoto, and Himeji, there are workshops where you don’t just watch artisans at work. You shape clay, hammer heated steel, carve roof tiles, and pull fresh sheets of washi paper from water yourself.
In this guide, I’ve gathered some of the most meaningful craft experiences you can visit as easy day trips, with access details included for each location. Whether you prefer traveling independently or joining a guided experience, these workshops offer a way to connect with Japanese craftsmanship through your own hands.
- Tamba Pottery Workshop (Traditional Japanese Ceramics Near Osaka)
- Awaji Kawara Roof Tile Workshop on Awaji Island (From Osaka & Kobe)
- Traditional Blacksmithing Workshop Near Himeji (Forge Your Own Knife)
- Traditional Washi Paper-Making Workshop in Hyogo (Sugiharagami)
- Frequently Asked Questions About These Craft Workshops
Traditional Japanese Ceramics Near Osaka
Tamba Pottery Workshop
In the countryside of Hyogo Prefecture, clay shaped by local soil has been turned into everyday pottery for centuries. This hands-on Tamba pottery workshop invites you to slow down and experience traditional Japanese ceramics from the very first touch of clay.
What You’ll Experience
I visited Shoyo Gama, a historic Tamba-yaki pottery kiln that has upheld this tradition for three generations. In 2022, the studio started a new life at an unused workshop space, creating an open environment that connects Tamba pottery, the local community, and visitors. It’s also a great place to pick up beautiful handmade ceramics to take home with you.
Why Try This Traditional Pottery Workshop?
Tamba-yaki is one of Japan’s Six Ancient Kilns, with over 800 years of history. What sets it apart from other Japanese pottery is its unpretentious, functional character: thick forms, natural ash glazes, and surfaces shaped by long firings in climbing kilns rather than decorative finishes.
Traditionally made for everyday use rather than display, Tamba-yaki reflects rural life and practicality. This workshop lets you experience how local soil, fire, and human hands come together to shape objects meant to be lived with, not just admired.
Practical information
Location
Sho-Yo-Gama Art & Gallery, Tamba sasayama, Hyogo Prefecture
Duration
Approx. 1.5–3 hours
Price
From approx. ¥10,000–¥15,000
Language
Basic English support available
Group Size
Small groups (often 2–6 people)
Access
From Kyoto: Take the JR Tokaido Sanyo Main Line New Rapid Service to Amagasaki Station, then transfer to the JR Fukuchiyama Line and alight at Sasayamaguchi Station. The journey takes approximately two hours. For detailed train schedules, refer to the JR West Timetable.
From Osaka: Board the JR Fukuchiyama Line directly from Osaka Station to Sasayamaguchi Station, with a travel time of about one hour and 15 minutes. Detailed schedules are available on the JR West Timetable.
From Osaka: Board the JR Fukuchiyama Line directly from Osaka Station to Sasayamaguchi Station, with a travel time of about one hour and 15 minutes. Detailed schedules are available on the JR West Timetable.
Upon arrival at Sasayamaguchi Station, local buses and taxis will transport you to various pottery studios and attractions in the Tamba region. For bus schedules and routes, consult the Shinki Bus website.
How to Book
Booking is recommended through the studio’s website, Instagram, or by inquiry via email. Some studios accept same-day bookings depending on availability.
Easy access from Osaka & Kobe
Awaji Kawara
Roof Tile Workshop
Roof Tile Workshop
On Awaji Island, kawara are not decorative ceramics, but traditional roof tiles made to protect buildings from rain, wind, and time. Kawara production in Japan dates back over 1,400 years, introduced alongside early temple architecture and evolving to suit Japan’s climate.
What You’ll Experience
At GALLERY 土坐 (tsuchiza), you’ll create a small kawara piece, a tile coaster, by carving patterns into clay using traditional techniques. Guided by local craftsmen, you’ll work with the dense, slightly porous clay used for roof tiles, feeling its weight and texture as you shape it by hand.
Because kawara naturally absorb moisture, they work well as coasters, soaking up condensation from cold glasses. Unlike large-scale factory tours, this workshop is intimate and hands-on, offering a rare chance to engage directly with a craft usually seen only from rooftops.
Why Try This Traditional Kawara Workshop?
Awaji Island is one of Japan’s three major kawara production areas, alongside Sanshu (Aichi) and Sekishu (Shimane). Among them, Awaji is especially known for its ibushi-fired silver-gray tiles, valued for their durability, weather resistance, and understated beauty.
GALLERY 土坐 was created to make this architectural craft accessible to visitors. By working with kawara firsthand, you gain insight into how durability, climate, and design come together in Japanese architecture.
Practical information
Location
GALLERY 土坐 (Tsuchiza), Awaji Island, Hyogo Prefecture
Duration
Approx. 1–1.5 hours
Price
Around ¥3,300
Language
Limited English support (visual guidance is clear and beginner-friendly)
Group Size
Small groups
Access
Just 60 minutes by train to Shin-Kobe＋direct bus to Awajishima. There is an island loop bus that runs from Michi-no-Eki Riku no Minato Seidan to Matsunomae, the stop closest to the venue.
How to Book
Reservations are recommended, especially on weekends. Bookings can be made through GALLERY 土坐's official website. You can also visit this place as part of our curated Awaji Island tour, so you can experience the area without worrying about planning or access.
Forge Your Own Knife Near Himeji
Traditional Blacksmithing Workshop
Just outside Himeji, in the rural area of Aioi City, blacksmithing is still practiced in a working forge surrounded by mountains and fields. At Kikyo Hayamitsu Swordsmith Workshop, you can step into this environment and forge your own blade using traditional Japanese techniques.
What You’ll Experience
This is not a simplified "knife-making class," but a genuine blacksmithing experience. You’ll work with solid steel, heating it in a charcoal forge to temperatures exceeding 800 °C, then hammering it on an anvil to shape the blade. Under the guidance of a licensed swordsmith, you’ll learn how repeated heating, hammering, and cooling gradually strengthen and define the steel.
You’ll experience the full process, from controlling the heat of the forge to shaping the blade edge and finishing the surface. The work is physically demanding and requires constant focus. The sound of hammer striking steel, the heat of the fire, and the pace of the forge give a clear sense of how much skill and endurance this craft requires.
Why Try This Traditional Blacksmithing Workshop?
Japanese blacksmithing forms the foundation of Japan’s blade culture, which historically supported everyday life through farming tools, carpentry blades, kitchen knives, and swords.
At Kikyo Hayamitsu's forge, this tradition is practiced as daily work, not staged for visitors. What makes the experience rare is the level of access: participants are allowed to handle tools, work directly with heated steel, and complete their own blade under close supervision. Rather than observing from a distance, you gain first-hand insight into how heat, force, and repetition shape steel into a functional object.
Practical information
Location
Kikyo Hayamitsu Swordsmith Workshop, Aioi City, Hyogo Prefecture
Duration
Approx. 3–4 hours
Price
From approx. ¥12,000
(optional upgrades available, such as wooden box or tamahagane blade)
(optional upgrades available, such as wooden box or tamahagane blade)
Language
Basic English support (with visual guidance and translation apps)
Group Size
Very small groups (1–3 people)
Access
- Around 20 minutes from Himeji by JR train to Aioi Station
- From Aioi Station: local bus or taxi (approx. 15–20 minutes)
How to Book
Advance reservation is required due to safety and preparation. Bookings are typically made by contacting the workshop directly via email or phone at least 7 days in advance.
Sugiharagami — traditional hand-made paper
Washi Paper-Making workshop
In rural Hyogo, paper is still made using techniques that date back over 1,300 years. At Sugiharagami Research Institute, you can experience traditional washi paper-making in the same area where Sugiharagami, also known historically as Harima paper, was once produced for everyday life.
What You’ll Experience
At the Sugiharagami Research Institute, you’ll make your own sheet of washi paper using natural plant fibers, water, and simple wooden tools. The process follows traditional methods: dipping a wooden frame (suketa) into a vat, lifting it slowly, and allowing the fibers to settle evenly across the surface.
The movements are repetitive and precise. Small changes in rhythm, pressure, or angle affect the thickness and texture of the paper, making the process both technical and meditative. You can place in some local leaves, flowers, or colored fibers into your sheet, creating a piece that reflects the season and your own pace.
Why Try This Traditional Washi Workshop?
Sugiharagami has a documented history of more than 1,300 years, and was once widely used for official documents, letters, and daily writing. As industrial paper production expanded, the craft nearly disappeared. Today, it has been carefully revived and is recognized as an intangible cultural heritage of Hyogo Prefecture.
What makes this workshop special is its setting. The Sugiharagami Research Institute is not a display facility, but a working research center dedicated to preserving materials, techniques, and knowledge. By making washi here, you engage directly with a craft shaped by water quality, plant fibers, repetition, and time, the same factors that sustained paper-making in this region for centuries.
Practical information
Location
Sugiharagami Research Institute, Taka Town, Hyogo Prefecture
Duration
Approx. 1–2 hours (including drying time)
Price
Approx. ¥450–¥900 per sheet depends on the size
Language
Limited English support (visual guidance is clear and beginner-friendly)
Group Size
Small groups
Access
- Train to JR Nishiwakishi Station
- Local bus to "Sugiharagami no Sato," then short walk
How to Book
Reservations are recommended, especially on weekends and during peak seasons. Bookings can be made through the Sugiharagami Research Institute or local tourism offices. Walk-ins may be accepted depending on availability.
Conclusion
Beyond temples, castles, and busy city streets, the areas around Osaka, Kyoto, and Himeji offer something deeper: the chance to slow down and experience traditional Japanese crafts firsthand.
Each workshop in this guide has a different rhythm. Some are calm and meditative, others intense and physical. Rather than asking which experience is “best,” it’s worth asking which one fits how you feel today.
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Looking to slow down and work quietly with natural materials?
Tamba Pottery Workshop or Washi Paper-Making at Sugiharagami Research Institute
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Curious about structure, materials, and how buildings are made?
Awaji Kawara Roof Tile Workshop at GALLERY 土坐
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Craving something physical, focused, and unforgettable?
Traditional Blacksmithing Workshop at Kikyo Hayamitsu Swordsmith Workshop
All of these experiences are reachable as easy day trips from Osaka, Kyoto, or Himeji, with no car required. They offer a way to connect with Japanese tradition not by observing from the outside, but by participating with your own hands.
Frequently Asked Questions About These Craft Workshops
- Are these Japanese craft workshops beginner-friendly?Yes. All the workshops featured in this guide are suitable for beginners. Artisans guide participants step by step, with an emphasis on the process rather than perfection. No prior experience is required.
- Do I need Japanese language skills to join?No. While each workshop is deeply rooted in local tradition, basic English support or clear visual guidance is available. You don’t need Japanese language skills to fully enjoy these craft experiences.
- How long do these workshops usually take?Most workshops last between 1 and 4 hours, making them easy to include in a day trip from Osaka, Kyoto, or Himeji. More intensive experiences, such as blacksmithing, may take longer due to the hands-on nature of the work.
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