While it's great to visit popular tourist destinations and food spots, isn’t it also fun to learn about the history and traditions of your travel destination and experience some of its unique local crafts? Joining a craft workshop run by local residents is a great way to make unforgettable travel memories. Every time you see the one-of-a-kind item you made, the enjoyable memories of your trip will come back to life.

Back when maritime transportation was thriving, the Kawashiri area in Minami-ku, Kumamoto City served as Kumamoto's gateway to the sea. This historical backdrop resulted in many unique crafts that are still practiced by artisans today. Kawashiri is also home to the Kumamoto City Handicrafts Promotion Center, where visitors can see, touch, and experience the traditional crafts of Kumamoto, including Kawashiri knives, Higo zogan inlay, bamboo crafts, and Higo spinning tops.

The craft shop on the first floor, Kura, showcases a wide range of traditional crafts like Higo zogan inlay, pottery, woodworking, bamboo crafts, glass work, Kawashiri cutlery, fabrics, and toys from around Japan. The items on display are available for purchase, and they also accept special orders and offer repairs.

You can observe live demonstrations by skilled craftsmen and even try your hand at creating your own crafts. These demonstrations and workshops are held daily, with different activities offered each day. (Please note that the cost and duration of the workshops may vary depending on the activity, so be sure to check the website for more details).

On the day of our visit, there were workshops for bamboo crafts, Higo spinning tops, and Higo leather dyeing. A lot of people had come to participate.

The deputy director, Naoko Shiogai, said, "Nowadays, you can get almost anything cheap. That's why I want many people to experience traditional crafts here, to understand the skills of artisans, the dedication to crafting things, and to know the joy of using something of good quality for a long time." 
Reservations are generally required for these workshops, but participation without reservations is available on some days. Feel free to inquire.

The Yamaga Lanterns Folk Crafts Museum, situated in Yamaga City (Northern Kumamoto Prefecture), showcases the traditional craft of Yamaga lanterns (Yamaga toro) through workshops and live demonstrations. It also introduces the history and culture of Yamaga. The museum is situated along the Buzen Kaido, which used to be a bustling route for feudal lords traveling to and from Edo (modern day Tokyo) centuries ago, and still retains its historic atmosphere.

Yamaga lanterns date back many centuries. Beginning with golden lanterns around 600 years ago, the lanterns evolved into various forms such as shrines, residences, and castles. They are constructed without wood or metal, using only washi paper and a small amount of glue to achieve seamless curves and joints. They are known as the "pinnacle of washi craftsmanship," and in 2013 they were officially designated as Japanese Traditional Crafts.

The Yamaga Lantern Festival is the biggest festival in Yamaga and is held every August. Its highlight is the Thousand-Lantern Dance, where a thousand women dance with the golden lanterns on their heads. This tradition preserves the cultural heritage of Yamaga and exhibits the beauty of Yamaga lanterns for all to see.

The craftspeople who create lanterns are called "toroshi." In the separate Yamaga Lantern Workshop building at the museum, visitors can witness the meticulous techniques of these masters up close.  Visitors can also try making a giboshu, the decorative symbol that rests on top of a Yamaga lantern.  (Activity fee: \1500 yen + admission: \300, duration: 1 hour)

The completed giboshu lamp. Add a basic, readily available LED light to give your giboshu a pleasant glow.

According to Daiki Hirayama, a Yamaga Lantern preservation expert, "People of all ages, from kids to adults, come to our workshop. To make the giboshu, we use the 'koguchi-tsuke' technique, which involves adhering the cut edges of thick paper together, and the 'kuse-zuke' technique, giving a 3D effect to flat paper by curving it with a spatula or stick. We hope that by experiencing the tools and techniques we use, participants will feel the charm of this traditional craft."

If you wish to participate in this workshop, please make a reservation by noon the day before.

Finally, let me introduce you to a unique activity in the town of Mifune, about a 30-minute drive from Kumamoto City. Mifune is one of the leading dinosaur fossil excavation sites in Japan, and is where the country's first carnivorous dinosaur fossil was discovered in 1979. The Mifune Dinosaur Museum was established in 1998 to showcase these remarkable findings.

The museum has approximately 850 exhibits on permanent display, including valuable fossils discovered in the region and complete dinosaur skeletons collected from around the world. In the Open Lab area, visitors can observe the specimen preparation room, research labs, and storage facilities. Visitors can experience the museum activity in real time as they observe the museum’s staff at work.

There is also the Wakuwaku Experience Classroom held every second and fourth Saturday of the month where participants can join various science-related workshops, like making dinosaur pop-up cards.

The outdoor fossil park offers access to layers of earth dating back approximately 90 million years. Visitors can even go fossil-hunting here in the spring and fall!

Noriko Tomizawa, a curator at the museum, is in charge of planning these events. "When planning, I always strive to create events that both adults and children can enjoy. By visiting the dinosaur museum and observing and experiencing what we offer, visitors can enjoy a special time where they can get to imagine how dinosaurs once lived," says Tomizawa.

The events change every month, and advance registration via the museum's website is required. There may be an admission fee or additional costs (such as material or insurance fees) depending on the event.