- Duration
- 1.5 to 2 hours
- Group size
- 6–40 pax
- Cities
- Tokyo
- Indicative budget
- From ¥44,000 per person
The workshop opens with an introduction to the tools and materials: lacquer, gold powder, fine brushes and spatulas. The artisan shows repaired pieces and explains why, in Japan, people choose to highlight a break rather than hide it. Each participant then receives a small ceramic piece that is already cracked or broken, which they glue, fill and trace with lacquer before applying the gold powder.
Traditional kintsugi requires several weeks of drying between coats of natural lacquer, which can also irritate the skin. For a two-hour workshop, the artisan uses a simplified method with a suitable lacquer that allows participants to reach the gold finish in one session. Depending on the technique, the piece is handed over at the end or delivered to the hotel once dry, in a wooden box.
For a company, kintsugi is a clear starting point for discussion: repair rather than replace, value what has been tested, accept imperfection. It fits well in a transformation seminar, after a reorganization or within a leadership program. The work calls for patience and precision and happens in near silence, which also makes it a genuine pause in a busy schedule.
Objectives
- Open a discussion on change, mistakes and resilience
- Provide time for individual focus within a group program
- Give each participant a gift they made themselves
How it works
- 1Welcome, introduction of the artisan and materials, with an interpreter.
- 2History and philosophy of kintsugi explained through repaired pieces.
- 3Choice of a piece, gluing and filling the cracks under the artisan's guidance.
- 4Tracing with lacquer and applying the gold powder.
- 5Final discussion, group photos, packing or arranging delivery to the hotel.
Good to know
- Artisan studios: 6 to 12 people; for larger groups, the artisan comes with assistants to a hotel room, for up to 40 participants.
- Gloves provided; anyone sensitive or allergic to lacquer should tell us in advance.
- Wear clothes you do not mind marking, as lacquer stains do not wash out.
- Indoor activity, not weather-dependent, easy to schedule late afternoon after a working session. The studio is in central Tokyo, 15 to 30 minutes from hotels in Ginza, Marunouchi or Shinjuku.
- Company logo or a message can be printed on the box for a corporate gift, if ordered in advance.
Indicative budget
From ¥44,000 per person (private session, small-group basis). Tiered group rates on request depending on headcount; interpreter and transfers optional.
Frequently asked questions
Do participants take their piece home the same day?
Usually yes, with the simplified method. If the lacquer needs longer to dry, we have the pieces delivered to the hotel before the group leaves, packed for air travel.
Can the workshop be run for 40 people?
Yes, in a meeting room at your hotel, with the artisan and several assistants, at about one instructor per 8 to 10 participants. To keep a more intimate format, we can also run rotations of 10 to 12 people in the studio.
Is the workshop held in English or French?
The artisan speaks Japanese and an interpreter translates into English or French. Each step is demonstrated, so no prior knowledge is needed.
How can kintsugi fit into a seminar on change?
We often schedule the workshop just before or after a session on transformation. The artisan can stress a few simple ideas (repair rather than discard, own the mark left by a difficulty), which your facilitator then picks up in a debrief with the teams.
