Touch, Make, and Feel It in Shinjuku: 8 Japanese Cultural Experiences Showcasing History and Tradition

Somenosato Ochiai, founded in 1920, stands quietly along the Myoshoji River.
It is a dyeing workshop that carries Japanese traditional dyeing techniques passed down since the Edo period (1603-1868) into the present day.
In this authentic Edo Sarasa stencil-dyeing experience held weekly, you use 14 Ise katagami (traditional stencil patterns), dye, and a deer-hair brush to dye a table runner.
As you layer colors, the patterns emerge so vividly that you cannot help but let out a cheer.
Once the dyeing is finished, the cloth is steamed to complete the piece.
The expression of the colors shifts with the pressure of your brush, turning it into a one-of-a-kind piece.
The workshop also has an on-site shop where you can buy small goods made with dyed textiles, so the fun continues after your experience.

Tomita Some-Kogei has operated a workshop along the Kanda River for more than 110 years.
This long-established dyeing studio specializes in Edo Komon and Edo Sarasa, preserving techniques that continue from the Edo period (1603-1868) to this day.
Inside the workshop, traditional tools still in active use include an itaba (worktable used to apply color to fabric) and steaming boxes, unchanged from the past.
In the tote bag dyeing experience, you can choose from 23 designs such as seasonal flowers or an adorable raccoon-dog motif, and select one of three colored pastes: gold, silver, or white.
Placing the stencil and pressing in the colored paste with a spatula is a process that lets you feel the artisan’s skills up close.
While you wait for it to dry, you can tour the workshop, and you can take your finished piece home the same day.

Bingata is a traditional Okinawan dyeing technique known for vivid colors created with natural materials.
Modern Bingata Okamekobo is a dyeing studio established in Ochiai in 2007 by an owner captivated by bingata dyeing.
Its appeal lies in modern designs that incorporate Edo-style chic into Ryukyu bingata techniques, along with a gentle, soft texture.
In the silk experience course for an art panel, you choose your favorite design from four patterns, then add color while exploring your own sense of color.
Using a surikomi brush, you lay in pale colors, then overlap deeper tones and blend them to express delicate patterns. The process of patiently building layers of color is profound, and before you know it, you are completely absorbed.

Shinjuku Eikoudou is a wagashi shop long loved by locals.
Its specialty is high-quality fresh confections used in tea ceremony, crafted to express the feeling of the seasons.
Around 10 kinds are available at all times, and the shop may also create original designs upon request.
Inside the shop, a nerikiri-making class is held every month.
You can try making two types of nerikiri that change monthly, featuring motifs such as seasonal flowers and birds.
First, you begin by spreading colored dough made by mixing white bean paste with mochi-like dough in your palm, then wrapping sweet bean paste inside.
Next, you shape it with tools such as triangular sticks and bamboo spatulas, watching the pressure you apply, and finish by refining it with your fingertips.
Through the warmth of your palms, feel Japan’s beautiful four seasons.

Juttoku. is a shop where you can enjoy incense blended with natural aromatic ingredients.
In the in-store incense-making experience, you can create items such as finely powdered incense or scented sachets by choosing your preferred combination from nine aromatic materials.
In the “Inko making experience,” you add a binding powder to your chosen ingredients, knead the mixture, then mold the clay-like incense into shapes such as birds or flowers and dry it to finish.
You can burn the finished incense at home and enjoy quiet moments of centering your mind as you are wrapped in its scent.

Today, kumihimo is often used for kimono accessories such as obijime (decorative kimono cords), and it is one of Japan’s traditional techniques.
DOMYO, a specialist in kumihimo, is a long-established shop founded in Ueno about 370 years ago.
At the Kagurazaka location, Kumihimo Experience by DOMYO, a wide variety of workshops are held so you can experience the appeal of kumihimo firsthand.
In the Nara-gumi making experience recommended for beginners, you first learn about the history and characteristics of kumihimo in the attached museum, then take on the making process yourself.
You begin by choosing your preferred color combination from a wooden braiding stand set with 12 bundles of hand-dyed silk threads.
With careful guidance from an artisan, you move the thread bundles in a fixed order, and a kumihimo cord with beautiful, dimensional braiding gradually takes shape.
The process of patiently braiding a single cord is a moment you can lose yourself in and forget time.

Tenaraido offers classes and workshops where you can experience a Japanese culture of carefully using everyday tools for a long time, from kintsugi (traditional repair techniques) to clothing darning and other repairs.
Here, you can join an Arita ware small plate making experience, featuring a decorating process using transfer paper.
You choose a favorite design from a range of patterns, moisten it with water, and place it freely on a pure white small plate.
After decorating, the plate is carefully fired at a kiln in Arita, and the finished piece is delivered to your home at a later date.

Juunihitoe Tokyo is a specialty shop that provides and dresses clients in Heian court attire, including Juni-hitoe.
At the shop, you can be dressed in Juni-hitoe, which was considered formal court wear in the Heian period (794-1185), using methods based on tradition.
The experience begins by choosing from two patterns, including combinations of hakama trousers and kimono colors.
After putting on the hakama, you layer multiple kimono one by one in order.
It sounds heavy when you hear “layering,” but because it is dressed along the body, it can feel surprisingly light.
Finally, tightening the entire outfit with a single cord completes an elegant and beautiful Juni-hitoe look.
After dressing, you can freely take photos, making it popular for anniversaries and trips with friends.