Chopstick Making Tokyo: Private Cultural Day Tour
- 8 Hours
- Free Cancellation
- Hotel Pickup
- English
- Private Vehicle
Make your own wooden chopsticks, whisk matcha at a tea ceremony and write kanji with a brush, with hotel pickup and a private English-speaking driver guide
Highlights
- Make your own pair of wooden chopsticks by hand and take them home
- Whisk your own matcha in a quiet tatami tea room with a tea master
- Write kanji with brush and ink, and take your final piece home
- All workshop fees included in one group price, with nothing to pay at the door
- Hotel pickup and drop-off with a private car and English-speaking driver guide
- Option to swap the tea ceremony for a hands-on sushi making class
About this tour
This chopstick making Tokyo day tour lets you shape your own wooden chopsticks, whisk matcha at a tea ceremony and write kanji with a brush. You travel in a private vehicle with an English-speaking guide who also drives. The price is for your whole group and is all-inclusive: the vehicle, your driver guide and every workshop and entrance fee are covered.
Make your own chopsticks
A craftsperson shows you how to plane and sand a pair of wooden chopsticks by hand. It takes about an hour, no woodworking experience is needed, and the finished pair is yours to take home. Premium woods and name engraving are optional extras paid on the day.
Tea ceremony and matcha
In a quiet tatami room, a tea master walks you through the basic steps of a Japanese tea ceremony. Then you whisk your own bowl of matcha and enjoy it with a seasonal sweet. It runs about 45 minutes.
Kanji calligraphy
A teacher shows you how to hold the brush and build each kanji stroke by stroke. After some practice you write a final piece, such as your name in Japanese characters, to take home. Expect about an hour.
Lunch and a temple walk
Your guide stops for lunch at a lively food market or a local restaurant. Lunch is not included, so you choose what to eat and pay on the day. To finish, you stroll through Senso-ji, Tokyo's oldest temple, before the drive back.
Swap in a sushi making class
The tea ceremony can be swapped for a hands-on sushi making class, and the sushi you make becomes your lunch. Ask when you book, and we will confirm availability and any price change.
How the day works
Hotel pickup is between 8:00 and 10:00 AM from anywhere in Tokyo's 23 wards, and the tour lasts about eight hours, drives included. We reserve each workshop for your group in advance, so please book at least 5 days before your tour date. Your guide translates during each lesson and waits with the car.
Who this tour suits
Families, couples and small groups who want hands-on Japanese culture. For temples and gardens instead, see our Tokyo temples and gardens private tour, or our guide to private tour costs in Japan.
What's Included
- Private vehicle with an English-speaking driver guide
- Hotel pickup and drop-off within Tokyo's 23 wards
- All workshop fees: chopstick making, tea ceremony with matcha and a Japanese sweet, and kanji calligraphy
- Your handmade chopsticks and your calligraphy piece to take home
- Fuel, parking and tolls
- About 8 hours of private car and guide, counted from pickup
What's Not Included
- Lunch and drinks, paid on the day
- Optional extras at the chopstick workshop, such as premium woods or name engraving
- Personal expenses and souvenirs
- Overtime beyond 8 hours: ¥5,000 per 30 min, paid by card
Not suitable for
- Travelers looking for a shared group tour with other guests
- Guests who find it hard to sit or kneel for about 45 minutes, although chairs can often be arranged on request
Important information
What to bring
- Japanese yen in cash for lunch, temple offerings and small shops
- Clothes you do not mind getting a little ink or wood dust on
- Socks, since you remove your shoes in the tatami tea room
- A charged phone so your driver guide can reach you on the day
Good to know
- The price is for your whole group, not per person, and includes all workshop fees
- Book at least 5 days in advance so we can reserve each workshop for your group
- The 8 hours start from your hotel pickup time
- Workshop order and timings can change with availability and traffic, and your guide will confirm the plan with you
- Premium woods and name engraving at the chopstick workshop are optional and paid on the day
- Pickup from outside Tokyo's 23 wards may cost extra. Ask us when you book
Before your tour
- Share your hotel name and address when booking
- Tell us the number of guests, the ages of any children and any dietary needs
- Let us know if you would like the sushi making class instead of the tea ceremony
Full Itinerary
Approx. total driving time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Meeting Location
Pickup from your hotel, apartment or any location within 23 wards in Tokyo.
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything for the day except lunch. The group price covers your private vehicle, your English-speaking driver guide, hotel pickup and drop-off in Tokyo's 23 wards, fuel, tolls and parking, plus all three workshops: chopstick making, the tea ceremony with matcha and a Japanese sweet, and kanji calligraphy.
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