Make Your Own Souvenir in Tokyo: Hands-on Craft Experiences for Travelers

Mont Blanc／Tsukada Workshop／Seikyodo

Your current location:

東京北部｜東京東部

東京スカイツリーとその周辺｜両国｜浅草

In Japanese, there is a word that describes the art of making things with a deep appreciation of craftsmanship: ‘monozukuri’. It reflects the culture's respect for craft and the connection between the creator and the materials around them. What better way to take that spirit home than with a souvenir you made with your own hands?

This June in Tokyo, skip the tourist shops and avoid the rain by stepping inside three intimate craft experiences — at Mont Blanc, Tsukada Workshop, and Seikyodo — where experienced craftspeople can guide you through authentic Japanese making traditions.

Whether the rainy season has dampened your outdoor plans, or you're simply craving something different to sightseeing, these hands-on experiences will transform a drizzly day into a precious memory you can keep forever. The best part is that all the results are compact and travel friendly. Plus, you can easily reserve your spot in advance through GOTOKYO's official ticket site.

Create a miniature umbrella using traditional techniques at Mont Blanc

Founded in 1960, Mont Blanc is a historic shop known for practicing a labor-intensive hand-weaving technique known as "hogushi-ori”. Specializing in hand-made umbrellas, the shop offers a one-of-a-kind experience for visitors to make their own miniature umbrella using traditional techniques.

The workshop takes around one to one-and-a-half hours, and begins with selecting a fabric from around 10 Japanese patterns. Then, the staff will direct you through the same steps a real artisan would: cutting the fabric to shape, sewing it carefully onto the frame, and assembling the finished piece. The instructors work primarily in Japanese, but the hands-on nature of the craft means most steps are shown rather than explained – you'll understand exactly what to do just by watching.

The finished umbrella is light and folds up neatly into a little bag. In Japan, umbrellas are also associated with protection and good luck; gifting one is seen to wish someone happiness and wellbeing. A miniature you made yourself carries that meaning even more.

With a timely connection to the rainy season, Mont Blanc is a perfect place to begin your ‘monozukuri’ journey in Tokyo this June.

Choose your favorite pattern and create a one-of-a-kind miniature umbrella

The artisan also shares the history of umbrellas

Carefully stitched together by hand

A miniature umbrella in a size that’s perfect as a souvenir

Exterior of the Mont Blanc

Make Your Own Kimekomi Sumo Wrestler at Tsukada Workshop

Tsukada Kobo is a workshop specializing in Edo-style wood-inlay dolls known as ‘kimekomi’. It was founded in 1841 by the first-generation master, Nagawa Shunzan, and is now in its seventh generation. It sits in Sumida Ward in the same neighborhood as Ryogoku, the historic home of sumo in Tokyo.

The kimekomi technique dates to 18th-century Kyoto, but the technique eventually travelled to Edo (now Tokyo), where it took on the city's sharper, more refined aesthetic. It has since been recognized as a traditional craft by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry ever since.

At Tsukada Workshop, this centuries-old technique comes to life through an experience in which you can make your very own sumo wrestler. The task is to dress the wrestler by fitting its mawashi belt using the same kimekomi method the artisans use: tracing grooves with a wooden stick, applying glue, and pressing the fabric firmly into place. It sounds straightforward, but the process requires precision and force. Visitors are bound to come away with a genuine appreciation for the meticulous skill involved in crafting these intricate dolls.

The workshop takes around one to one-and-a-half hours, with instructors providing a printed guide and basic English support throughout. As a final touch, the instructor will create a kanji name especially for you, which you can then write onto a small wooden plaque using a traditional fude-pen calligraphy brush. The finished figurine comes complete with its own miniature dohyo sumo ring, ready to display.

Cute miniature sumo wrestler figure complete with its own ring

The artisan explains each step with care

Kimekomi is a traditional Japanese craft technique dating back to the 18th century

A special souvenir featuring a personalized wooden name plaque written in kanji

Exterior of the Tsukada Workshop

Create Your Own Gamaguchi Clasp Purse at Seikyodo

The gamaguchi purse takes its name from the Japanese word for toad: gama. Its wide metal frame, snapping open and shut, resembles the creature's gaping mouth. In Japanese folklore, the toad is a symbol of good fortune too, linked to the belief that money spent will find its way back.

Seikyodo opened in Kappabashi in 2022 as the physical home of Shokunin Zukan, an online magazine dedicated to traditional Japanese crafts. A cosy shop selling crafts and tableware made by artisans across Japan, it is located within easy walking distance of Sensoji Temple, making it an ideal stop for anyone already exploring Asakusa.

The experience, which offers basic English support, begins with choosing your fabric — 10 to 15 beautiful Japanese offcuts (hagire) of varying colour and pattern. The selection varies from day to day. The instructor describes this as ichigo ichie — a once-in-a-lifetime encounter. You then select a contrasting lining before the making begins: cutting the fabric, folding, and pressing, finishing with glue, and slotting the gold metal clasp frame into place. No sewing is required — even the least crafty participants produce clean results.

You make two items in total: the main piece — a slim accessory case, pen case, or glasses case — plus a miniature coin purse keychain as a warm-up. Both are finished and ready to take home within the hour.