Tour summary
Discover the beauty of Kiso lacquerware, a 400-year-old Japanese craft still used in daily life.
Meet a seventh-generation wholesaler and visit local workshops in Kiso-Hirasawa to see artisans at work and learn how layers of hand-applied lacquer create pieces meant to be used, not just admired.
In detail
Begin with an overview of Kiso lacquerware, learn how its distinctive beauty is created through the careful, repeated hand-application of lacquer to wooden bases—a technique still practiced in the village of Kiso-Hirasawa today.
Visit Chikiriya Tezuka Man’emon Lacquerware, a wholesaler with a 200-year history. The current owner, Mr. Hideaki Tezuka, will explain the origins of Kiso-Hirasawa, as well as the materials, tools, and production process behind Kiso lacquerware.
Continue to Urushi Kobo Ishimoto Gyokusu, where traditional lacquerwork is developed as fine art, and Maruyoshi Kosaka Lacquerware Shop, which brings Kiso lacquerware into a modern, refined lifestyle. At both workshops, observe artisans at work and speak with them directly about their craft.
Participants may choose to try an optional activity, such as urushi-e (lacquer painting) or chōkin (metal inlay), to gain a deeper understanding of the techniques.
Each participant receives a lacquerware item designed by Mr. Tezuka, reflecting Japanese aesthetic concepts such as kasane (layering), osameru (fitting), and tatamu (folding), as a lasting memory of the experience.
Your Host
- Mr. Hideaki Tezuka
Seventh-generation owner of Chikiriya Tezuka Man’emon Lacquerware -
The seventh-generation successor of a long-established lacquerware wholesaler in Kiso-Hirasawa. After graduating from university, Mr. Tezuka apprenticed at a lacquerware wholesaler in Tokyo, gaining hands-on experience as both merchant and craftsman. He continues to refine his skills to reinterpret traditional Kiso lacquerware designs for contemporary life. His works have won international awards, and today he manages his own atelier in Kiso-Hirasawa, where he creates original pieces and mentors young artisans.
Location
- Chikiriya Tezuka Manemon Lacquerware (Kiso Shikki)
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Address: 1736-1 Kisohirasawa, Shiojiri City, Nagano 399-6302, Japan
5 min walk from Kiso shikki kaikan
More information
| FIT / Group | Both |
| Min. and Max. # of Participants | 2 min / 8 max |
| What is Included in the Price | Visiting the artisan’s workshops, lecture |
| Duration | 2 hours |
| Start/End Time | Starting time between 10:00 and 14:00 |
| Meeting / Departing Point | Kiso Lacquerware Hall Parking Lot View on map |
| Notes: dietary restrictions, age limit. etc. | Age 12+ |
| Cancellation Policy | 21 – 30 days before the day of the start of the tour: 30% 7 – 20 days before the day of the start of the tour: 40% 6 – 2 days prior : 50% 1 day prior & on that day : 100% |
※Available until 2026. Jun 30th
Scenes from the Tour
