Kyoto is a city that has adapted to the modern world without losing its ancient soul. It is a place where tradition is not just an adjunct to contemporary life but is woven into its very fabric.
Discover it during Urushi Tours which will take you from a Buddhist temple to a century-old lacquer workshop, and beyond.
Urushi is Japan
The beauty of urushi in everyday life.
Before Japan became famous for electronics and anime, it was renowned for the production of urushi―a black or vermilion lacquer made from the sap of the urushi tree. In fact, the country of Japan became synonymous with this lacquerware to the extent that Europeans once called it “japan,” in the same way that porcelain is often called “china.”
Urushi, however, is actually more than just a craft. It is a philosophy that embraces preservation, determination, and refinement. Urushi lacquerware is produced by painstakingly applying refined sap in layers to a variety of items and then hand polishing it to a lustrous finish. The result is a treasure that lasts for generations. The sheen of urushi is not just pleasing to the eye but is also inspiring as a beautiful representation of nature’s bounty joined with humanity’s patience and hard work.
Kyoto Beyond the Guidebooks
Urushi Tours offers an up-close encounter with authentic Kyoto and its living heritage. There are two versions of the tour. The Basic Tour lasts 2.5 hours and consists of a stop at a Buddhist temple, a café lunch, and a visit to the Tsutsumi Asakichi Urushi-ten Co., Ltd. factory (established 1909), which includes a lacquer wipe-on experience.
The Full Course lasts 5 hours and includes everything in the Basic Tour plus two extra experiences, including a visit to an authentic Kyoto bathhouse, that gives participants a deeper, richer understanding of the city and its people.
The bathhouse that participants of the 5-hour tour will relax in.
Hidden Kyoto: An Itinerary of Craft and Culture
The atmosphere of the Bukkoji Temple encourages reflection and a communal spirit.
Curiously, the urushi tour does not begin in a lacquer workshop but in Bukkoji Temple, which was founded in 1212. Bukkoji may not be grandiose or swarming with visitors, but it is the soul of the neighborhood and the center of the spiritual universe for the local community. Surrounded by centuries-old wooden walls and immersed in whispered prayers, you will absorb the history of urushi and learn how its water-resistant quality has long been used to protect both the sacred and the mundane, preventing decay in both wooden altars and everyday tools.
Elevate any meal to new heights with the use of authentic lacquerware bowls.
Lunch is at D&DEPARTMENT, a cozy café nestled in the peaceful temple grounds, and it includes some food items served in urushi-coated bowls, whose understated elegance turns the meal into a quiet meditation.
Going back to the source to learn about urushi.
The next stop on the urushi tour is Tsutsumi Asakichi Urushi-ten Co., Ltd., a family-run lacquer-refining house that dates back to 1909. Their newly remodeled flagship store, opened in 2024, is the perfect place to learn how the centuries-old craft has survived by adapting to the modern world.
Inside Tsutsumi Asakichi Urushi Inc.’s flagship store.
The workshop begins with an introduction to the precious urushi sap, which can be obtained only in limited quantities from 10-to-15-year-old urushi trees. Not a drop can be wasted. On the first floor of the shop, the raw sap is refined, while upstairs on the third floor, young artisans work quietly at their stations, applying layer upon layer of urushi lacquer to various materials that will be used to make everything from floorboards to speaker cabinets.
Participants will acquire a better understanding of Kyoto’s identity through the Fuki-Urushi experience, in which lacquer is gently polished into wood. Like Kyoto itself, the process is ancient, authentic, and subtly beautiful.
The urushi-coated bath buckets at Sauna no Umeyu are an example of the versatility of Kyoto lacquerwork.
In the five-hour Full Course, the visit to the factory is followed by a relaxing soak at a Japanese public bathhouse. Sauna no Umeyu is a beloved Kyoto establishment with a retro charm and neon exterior that attracts bathers of all ages. More than a simple bathhouse, it is a kind of community center.
During your visit, take a behind-the-scenes tour of the kama-taki, the wood-fired boiler system, then bathe using the Tsutsumi Asakichi lacquer-coated bath bucket before soaking in the warm bath, where you will feel all your troubles being washed away. For many Kyotoites, this exquisite experience is part of everyday life.
Time flows more slowly for the people of Kyoto. Experience it yourself with a delightful picnic by the Kamo River.
Cap off the Full Course by relaxing near the Kamo River. First, visit Mati, nicknamed the Bakery That Lets You Drink, where you can grab some freshly baked bread, maybe some snacks, and a bottle of wine or a few bottles of craft beer. With your picnic box assembled, wander down to the Kamo River, an iconic symbol of Kyoto, and enjoy a serene picnic among the locals stretched out on the grassy banks.
Related Links
AloJapan.com