Experience Yonezawa's traditions and culture! 4 recommended spots for hands-on craft experiences

• Table of Contents
• Traditional culture of Yonezawa City, Yamagata Prefecture
• 1. "Sasano Ittobori" painting experience
• 2. Safflower dyeing and hand weaving experience
• 3. Sutra copying experience
• 4. Arm prayer beads making experience
• Come experience Yonezawa craftsmanship in a casual setting!

Traditional culture of Yonezawa City, Yamagata Prefecture

The traditional culture of Yonezawa City is deeply connected to Uesugi Yozan, the feudal lord who managed the area during the Edo period (1603-1868). Uesugi Yozan is famous for the various ideas he came up with to turn around the city's poor finances. One of these ideas was to create new industries. For example, Yonezawa's unique textiles "Yonezawa weaving" and "safflower dyeing," the conversion of the originally potted plant "Ukogi" into food, and "Sasano Ittobori," a winter craft for farmers, are some of these.

This traditional culture that was born is still passed down today.

1. "Sasano Ittobori" painting experience

"Sasano Ittobori" is a traditional craft that has been handed down in the Sasano district of Yonezawa City for about 1,200 years. "Otaka Poppo", a brave hawk figurine made with Sasano Ittobori, is known as a folk craft that embodies wishes for protection from evil and prosperity in business.

The wood used is from the Japanese yew and the Chinese elm. Wood that has been dried in the shade for a year after felling becomes soft, light, and easier to carve, allowing for intricate carvings to be made.

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"Otaka Poppo" is made by careful handwork using a uniquely shaped blade called "Sarukiri."

At the Sasano Folk Crafts Museum in Yonezawa, you can try painting a pure white hawk with a brush. You will be given a guide with illustrations and easy-to-understand instructions, so even first-time visitors can enjoy the experience.

You can paint your very own original, one-of-a-kind hawk and take it home with you. The hawk's stately appearance makes it perfect as a decoration. It could even become a guardian deity for your home.

The Sasano Folk Crafts Museum, where you can paint, is marked by a large hawk!

[Sasano Ittobori Painting]

・Time required: about 60 minutes
・Price: 1,300 yen (size 6, 18 cm)
*This may vary depending on stock availability.

(How to make a reservation)
・Please make a reservation in advance by phone.
・TEL: 0238-38-4288

(Facility information)
・Name of facility: Sasano Folk Crafts Museum
・Address: 5208-2 Sasano Honmachi, Yonezawa City
・TEL: 0238-38-4288
・Business hours: 10:00-16:00
・Closed on Tuesdays and January 1st

(access)
・By bus: Yonezawa Station → Yuzurukan High School → 28 minutes on foot
・By car: 11 minutes from Yonezawa Station

2. Safflower dyeing and hand weaving experience

Safflower is the flower that represents Yamagata Prefecture. Not only is it appreciated, it has long been used as a dye for kimonos and Japanese accessories, and as a food. Here in Yonezawa City, safflower-dyed textiles, made from dyed silk threads, are a specialty product.

At the "Wakuwakukan" dyeing and weaving studio in Yonezawa, you can experience safflower dyeing and hand weaving. Using a technique called tie-dyeing, you will dye a white handkerchief with dye made from safflower!

When immersed in the dye, the white handkerchief gradually turns pink...

While listening to the coordinator's lecture, participants will tie the handkerchief with a rubber band or pin it between other objects to create a pattern that will not be dyed. Finally, they will rinse it with water, dry it, and it's finished!

Here is the finished product. It turned out vibrant and beautifully dyed.

This time I dyed a white handkerchief, but you can also choose yellow or blue fabric. Yellow will dye it orange, and blue will dye it purple. Your original safflower-dyed handkerchief is the perfect memento of your trip to Yonezawa!

At the Wakuwakukan dyeing and weaving studio, you can also try your hand at weaving. You can make original coasters and other items using threads of your choice. Using a wooden loom is an experience that even Japanese people rarely have.

[Safflower dyeing experience]

・Time required: Approximately 40 to 50 minutes
・Price: Varies depending on what you dye (all prices include tax)

Cotton handkerchief 1,320 yen Silk scarf short type 3,300 yen Silk scarf medium type 6,600 yen Silk scarf long type 11,000 yen

[Hand weaving experience]

・Time required: Approximately 40 to 60 minutes
・Price: Varies depending on what you dye (all prices include tax)

Silk Coaster 1,320 yen Silk Table Center 3,300 yen Silk Table Mat 4,400 yen Silk Mini Tapestry 5,500 yen

(How to make a reservation)
You can make a reservation for both the safflower dyeing experience and the hand weaving experience on the website. Click on the experience you are interested in from the top page and you can choose what you want to make. You can easily check the available dates and times on the calendar.

Click here for the "Wakuwakukan" homepage

(Facility information)
Facility name: Wakuwaku-kan dyeing and weaving studio Address: 1-2-37 Gobyo, Yonezawa city
TEL: 0238-24-0268
Business hours: 10:00-16:00 (reception for experiences ends at 15:00)
Closed: Wednesdays; closed on Sundays and public holidays during the winter season from December to March

(access)
・By bus: City Circulation Route (clockwise) Yonezawa Station (East Exit)
Yonezawa Station → Gobyosho West Exit → 3 minute walk / By car: 8 minutes from Yonezawa Station

3. Sutra copying experience

"Shakyo" is the act of copying Buddhist scriptures by hand. It has long been a practice loved by Japanese people as a way to clear away evil thoughts and cultivate a calm mind.

(*Image is for illustrative purposes only. Source: PIXTA)

At "Kinoene Daikokuten Honzan" in Yonezawa City, they offer a sutra copying experience program that anyone can easily try.

First, you will be given an explanation of the meaning of the sutra and the proper way to read it. After the explanation, you will purify your hands with incense, pour water from a special pitcher into the inkstone, and grind the ink. As you continue grinding until it is just the right black, your mind will calm and your concentration will increase.

Once you're ready, you'll dip your brush in ink and write the sutra on the prepared paper. You'll be copying the text from a sample, so even beginners can feel at ease!

After copying out the entire sutra, write down your wish, name, and date, and the head priest will recite the copy and dedicate it to you. Having a monk recite a sutra for you is a rare and precious experience.

Through this experience, I realized that the most important thing about copying sutras is not to "write well," but to calm your mind and write without thinking. The experience of copying sutras allows you to forget about the busyness of everyday life and experience Japanese "calligraphy" and "prayer" in a calm and peaceful way. By placing yourself in a relaxed and extraordinary time, you may be deeply moved.

[Copying Sutras]

・Time required: Approximately 60 minutes
・Fee: 1,000 yen ※Currently, we are not accepting group copying of sutras. All sessions are conducted in private rooms.

(How to make a reservation)
Please make a reservation by phone or through our website at least one day before the experience. (Please contact us if you wish to make a reservation on the day of the experience.)
TEL: 0238-32-2929

Click for the "Kinoene Daikokuten" homepage

(Facility information)
・Facility name: Kinoene Daikokuten ・Address: 2580 Onogawa, Yonezawa City
・TEL: 0238-32-2929
・Business hours: 9:00-17:00 (experience reservations accepted until 16:00)
・Closing days: Open everyday

(access)
・By bus: Yonezawa-Shirabu Onsen Line, bound for Yumoto Station via Matsugasaki, Yonezawa Station → Onogawa Onsen → 6 minute walk ・By car: 19 minutes from Yonezawa Station

4. Arm prayer beads making experience

At "Kinoene Daikokuten Honzan", where you can experience copying sutras, you can also try your hand at making your own arm prayer beads.

"Nenju" is a tool used in Buddhism during training and prayer. In this experience, you can make a simple bracelet that is easy to wear. All the beads used are power stones. There is an explanation of what kind of benefits and meaning each bead has, so you can choose one by looking at the explanation.

From the large selection, you can choose and arrange gemstones to fit the thickness of your arm.

There are many people who have a hard time choosing because the colors and blessings of the beads vary, but you won't be rushed, so you can take your time to think about it until you are satisfied. Even the same type of beads have slightly different patterns, so I enjoyed taking my time to look at each one and examine them carefully.

Once you have finished arranging the stones, thread the string through them. Finally, the head priest will tie the string and the item is complete.

Since arm prayer beads are made according to each person's wishes and preferences, no two are exactly alike. It is said that you can wear them every day, or if that is difficult, you can carry them in your bag.

Just by wearing the wrist beads that I made myself, I feel like something good is going to happen.
This is an experience recommended for those who wish to improve their luck or receive divine blessings.

[Arm bead making experience]

・Time required: Approximately 60 minutes
・Fee: 2,000 yen

(How to make a reservation)
Please make a reservation by phone or through our website at least one day before the experience. (Please contact us if you wish to make a reservation on the day of the experience.)
TEL: 0238-32-2929

Click for the "Kinoene Daikokuten" homepage

(Facility information)
・Facility name: Kinoene Daikokuten
・Address: 2580 Onogawa, Yonezawa City
・TEL: 0238-32-2929
・Business hours: 9:00-17:00 (reception until 16:00)
・Closing days: Open everyday

(access)
・By bus: Yonezawa-Shirabu Onsen Line, bound for Yumoto Station via Matsugasaki, Yonezawa Station → Onogawa Onsen → 6 minute walk ・By car: 19 minutes from Yonezawa Station

Come experience Yonezawa craftsmanship in a casual setting!

Yonezawa is a place where traditional culture continues to thrive for many years. Come experience and enjoy the culture with your own hands. It might be interesting to schedule a course that takes you to multiple spots, rather than just one experience. There are also many programs where you can take home the finished product of your handmade experience, making it a great souvenir of your trip to Japan.

If you would like to know more about how to access Yonezawa and how to get around the city, please also check out the article below.