About this site

Find Restaurant

Language

English
Tiếng Việt
ภาษาไทย
Bahasa Indonesia

Apprentice for a day! Chopstick making with classical artisan tools in Tokyo

Update-Date: Aug 12, 2025

Author: Sydney Seekford

Apprentice for a day! Chopstick making with classical artisan tools in Tokyo

In an era where dwindling rural populations and new ways of working threaten Japan’s ancient crafts, Kakehashi challenges tradition to preserve it. At this urban workshop, master craftsmen gain a stage for their work and ordinary people can become deshi for a day, learning to craft chopsticks and lacquerware using an expert’s tools. Join us on this tour of Tokyo’s artisan crafts to discover ancient culture in a new way.

>>Tokyo: Craft Your Own Elegant Handmade Chopsticks from Scratch
Participation fee: 15,000 JPY (tax included)

Sydney Seekford

Gourmet Creator

American living in Japan since 2022. Food writer and gourmet content creator for Japan’s most well known food media. Founder of menu translation and language support service MENUWIZ. Work history includes copywriting for booking platforms, video and media production and appearances, and consulting in F&B for household brands. Passionate about regional revitalization and slow tourism with a focus on local food culture.

About Chopsticks

1400 years ago, chopsticks came to Japan from China. They were easy to use for the Japanese diet, and over time adapted into many different shapes for specific uses. As artisans refined the way chopsticks were made, special styles designed for picking up individual grains of rice, preventing noodles from slipping, and even cutting through and scooping up soft tofu were developed. Today, these deceptively simple tools go unnoticed in their daily use. But,in this experience tour and workshop by the artisans at Kakehashi, we discovered just how special each little pair of sticks really is.

Chopsticks started out very simple. The shipping route of the kitamaebune spread these tools around Japan, and as they traveled, they changed. Tokyo-style chopsticks are simple and austere, inspired by samurai tradition. Those that became characteristic of snowy regions were built up with layers of lacquer over months, becoming works of art inlaid with shells and precious metals. With time, chopsticks came into the varieties of shapes and decoration we know today. But there is much more to their story – much of which you’ll never discover without hearing it from an expert.

For example, you might not know that carving chopsticks is a careful art, or that since Tokyo was one of the main places where the sticks for chopsticks were historically produced, it used to be a hub for chopstick production. Now, most of them have faded away. While Kakehashi isn’t one of these old workshops, by inviting people from all over the world to learn the secrets of chopstick artisans, Kakehashi hopes to preserve the chopstick tradition in Tokyo.

Experience

The chopstick making experience at Kakehashi introduces visitors to the many shapes and uses of chopsticks. The practiced specialists helping out are knowledgeable enough to guide guests in deciding what kind of chopsticks would best suit them. Options include blocky designs for soft, pliable foods, like udon noodles, and delicate, tapered chopsticks ideal for textural foods like tempura. In our case, even after doing similar experiences before, it was the first time even hearing that chopsticks had different shapes for different purposes – a bit of trivia that made our time at Kakehashi all the more exciting.

Participants also learn a little about the wood used to make these crafts and its importance. Hinoki, for example, is lightweight, antifungal and bacterial, and has been prized for centuries in Japanese culture. Pairs with matching wood-grain are traditional, but mixing and matching is always fun. Most tours don’t go so in-depth! Even our Japanese companions learned something new.

Forming the chopsticks is a hands on process, but simple. Participants use a hand-plane with the base block wedged into it. As they push and pull, the plane shaves away thin layers to form an essential chopstick taper.

From here, the chopsticks are customized. Each set is cut to size based on the maker’s hand measurements, then filed down and finally sanded into the target style. Finally, the pair is finished with tsubaki oil, oil from camellia plants, that is used to protect the wood and help waterproof it.

Lacquerware

Most of the chopsticks on display at Kakehashi have been lacquered to preserve their longevity and beauty, but as this process can take weeks, it won’t work for these one-day chopsticks.

However, understanding lacquer is essential to appreciate the work of a chopstick artisan, so the Kakehashi team are more than happy to let amateurs help out their hard working shokunin. On the second floor, participants can sit side by side with professional craftsmen working in the studio and help apply lacquer finished chopsticks prepared by Kakehashi. It’s a unique honor and an experience only available here. Since craftspeople are traditionally very protective of their art, having the opportunity to learn from them directly was one of the most memorable parts of our tour.

Urushi, Japanese lacquer, is an incredibly precious product. A large tree might only produce about 200 cc of urushi (about a cup), and the raw material can cause discomfort and allergies in some people, so artisans must take extra precaution. Although dry urushi is totally safe, being invited to use raw hon-urushi (real lacquer, not synthetic) is a rare and particularly special opportunity.

Guests are suited up in protective wear and gloves before being introduced to the precious sap. Not a drop is wasted. Each chopstick is gently dabbed and wiped with urushi, then the whole batch is placed in a special box to control the temperature and humidity for curing.

This process is meditative, but has its dangers, driving home the dedication it takes to apprentice under a master shokunin. Even with just a one day workshop, anyone can learn to appreciate the culture and legacy of chopstick making as more than a simple tool for eating food.

Shokunin and Deshi

Shokunin are the fully trained, “master” craftsmen behind Japan’s traditional arts. Shokunin are responsible for the beautiful pottery, woodworking, and lacquerware Japan has become known for. Beneath them are the live-in apprentices, called deshi, who are tasked with carrying on each shokunin’s knowledge and legacy.

However, there’s a problem. Deshi are disappearing. Many shokunin have no feasible successors, and modern ways of working discourage the ancient practice of working for knowledge, rice, and board instead of salaries.

This was the case when an elderly hashi-shokunin (a master artisan of chopstick making) approached Mr. Sato of Ginza Natsuno, Kakehashi’s parent company. The artisan had contracted cancer, and had just one year to live, but no successor. Concerned about his legacy and the future of his craft, he entreated Mr. Sato to help find a way to pass on his skills.

Eventually, they were able to find an apprentice. But, after about a year of in-house study, the master passed away, but his tools and skills were forwarded on to Mr. Sato. Through that experience, he was inspired to create a place that could protect the craft of many artisans by challenging long-held practices. Thus began the 8-year journey to build Kakehashi.

Bridging the world of artisans and laymen with chopsticks

For many years, a shokunin’s craft was kept a secret just between them and their apprentices. It’s what made their art unique among competitors and birthed schools of craftsmanship. Different stages of the production process had their own secrets, and even a chain of command, which even led to many “lower” ranking artisans to abandon their much needed step of the process. Afterall, gaining recognition for painting beautiful lacquer designs is much different from being a reliable wood-turner.

In modern times, this closeted and hierarchical approach means that techniques are lost when the artisan has no one to pass them on to. Kakehashi has now received the tools of three deshi-less chopstick artisans who have either retired due to age or passed away. But it refuses to let them, or their craft be forgotten.

Kakehashi invites artisans from around Japan to create in their workshop and participate in pop ups and events. The house even has a large apartment space on the second floor where shokunin can stay. It’s a way for rural artisans to showcase their craft to young people in the city, where they can get the most eyes on their art. These shokunin also have an opportunity to meet other artisans and form connections, building community and transferring their skills through lectures and workshops.

Kakehashi Kobo

By reconsidering traditional roles, Kakehashi believes they can protect this art from disappearing. If just a few ordinary people decide to become chopstick artisans after having the opportunity to be deshi for a day it could change everything. Even those who just use tools left behind by real shokunin and come to understand a little more about chopsticks play an important role in preserving the art for future generations.

The name, Kakehashi, is a play on words. Hashi means chopsticks in Japanese, but it also means bridge. With its stylish, modern space and welcoming atmosphere, Kakehashi is creating a bridge between artisans and ordinary people. After creating their own chopsticks, many guests come to appreciate the time and work that goes into making even a simple pair.

Many of the chopsticks for sale in the shop area are made on site. The others come from private workshops around the country, including Ishikawa, in a bid to preserve Wajima lacquerware after 2024’s devastating earthquake.Among the offerings, eye-catching natto chopsticks and charming chopstick rests represent both deep culture and creativity. The wide selection of tableware made by individual potters and glass artisans mean visitors can go home with a full dinner set if they want.

Even with all the lovely items in store, nothing quite compares to getting one’s hands dirty and making a pair of custom chopsticks. It’s a memory of Japan, but also a promise to the future, that chopstick artisanship will continue to be loved by people around the world.

>>Tokyo: Craft Your Own Elegant Handmade Chopsticks from Scratch
Participation fee: 15,000 JPY (tax included)

• Chopstick-making taught by the craftsman
• Handcrafted chopsticks from hinoki wood
• Create your own unique chopstick shape so you can eat your favorite meals easier
• Optional lacquer coating experience using authentic lacquer
• English-speaking guide available for greater accessibility

〈Itinerary〉
1. Meet at Sasazuka Station
2. Move to the store and workshop ‘Kakehashi’ with a guide (10 minutes)
3. Chopstick-making experience (55 minutes)
4. Lacquer-coating experience (25 minutes)
5. Tour ends at the venue

〈Inclusions〉
Custom made chopsticks, English guide

〈exclusions〉
Hotel travel, transportation expenses, food and drinks

Disclaimer: All information is accurate at time of publication.

Thank you for reading our article.

Our goal is to take your culinary journey to the next level by helping you find the best restaurant. With SAVOR JAPAN, you can search and make reservations for