Maki-e Gold Decoration

Timeless Craft: Quiet Beauty of Maki-e Lacquer

Maki-e is a technique passed down in Japan for over a thousand years: painting with lacquer, sprinkling gold or silver powder, and allowing beauty to deepen over time.

Today, this tradition continues through contemporary artists — including Miyuki. She does not depict nature as it appears. She quietly observes wind, waves, rain, and light, and reads the hidden structures and rhythms within them, then translates what she perceives into her own visual language of geometry.

In this workshop, we explore how tradition is preserved, how form is reimagined, and how this ancient art continues to live — not only in history, but in the present.

What is Maki-e?

Maki-e is a Japanese technique passed down for over a thousand years — painting with lacquer, sprinkling gold or silver powder, and allowing beauty to emerge slowly, layer by layer.

But maki-e is more than a technique. It reflects a way of thinking about beauty, time, and how people live with nature. This way of thinking took root in the Kaga domain, where culture was valued over displays of power, and refinement over excess. Gold was used not to show off, but to express restraint, taste, and respect for time.

Meet the Artist: Miyuki Kinoshita

Lacquer artist. Miyuki has developed her own distinctive artistic style and creates works incorporating techniques such as raden (mother-of-pearl inlay) and maki-e. She has received awards at several national craft competitions.

Selected Works

Details

Location

Central Kanazawa

Workshop Length

2 hours

Fees

Starting at ¥41,800 for chopsticks / ¥42,800 for bowls for a group of 2

(Extra fee of ¥5,500 (chopsticks) / ¥6,600 for bowls for each additional guest)

Notes

Finished results will be sent to the guest’s hotel within a few days after the workshop, so please schedule accordingly. This workshop involves working with raw lacquer, which can cause severe allergic reactions in people who are allergic to mango or cashew. Please take proper safety precautions.

How to Contact Us

If you have any questions about this tour please contact us using the button below.

Join the Experience

Discover how tradition is preserved and form is reimagined.