Experience Making your own Mino Washi Paper Doll in Gifu Japan: enjoyable Japanese Paper Crafts Workshop in Edo Historic Udatsu-no-agaru Townscape NEWS 2024.12.06
2024.12.10If you’re exploring tourism in Mino City, Gifu Prefecture, this is the place to go! Ishikawa Mino Washi Paper Goods Workshop
E-Newsletter No.225
In the homeland of Mino Washi, the “Udatsu no Agaru Old Town,”
you can enjoy hands-on Mino Washi crafts, perfect as souvenirs,
and discover the latest news from the Ishikawa Mino Washi Paper Goods Workshop.
Mino City Tourism Association Website
From solo travelers to couples, families, and group tours, this experience is recommended for those looking for an enjoyable trip filled with authentic Japanese culture.
We can accommodate hands-on workshops for groups of up to 45 people at once.
Our experience menu includes:
“Washi Korokoro” Washi Doll
Washi Korokoro Zodiac Series & Warlord Series
Currently available at a special price!【
Washi Korokoro Monchhichi】Handmade Experience ¥1100
Washi Plates, Washi Pen Holders, Washi Bookmarks, Washi Earrings & Pierced Earrings
We offer over 30 varieties! We’ll keep you updated on our schedule and more.
Click on the links to view images.
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Check out the latest shop information, menu details, and access info.
What’s the Mino Washi Craft Experience Shop like?
Enjoy hands-on experiences and shop for Mino Washi souvenirs!
▼Official Website▼
https://www.ishikawa-shigyo.com/shop.html
▼Rakuten EC Site▼
https://www.rakuten.co.jp/ishikawa-shigyo/
Highly recommended when touring Mino City.
Latest shop updates
NEW! December, January, February Opening Schedule
https://www.ishikawa-shigyo.com/news/detail_1465.html
We accept group reservations even outside regular business days!
▼As seen on “Tetsuro Degawa’s Recharge Please?”
Mino City, Gifu Prefecture: Washi Doll Craft Experience at Mino Washi Craft Experience Shop Ishikawa Shigyo Video featuring Kumada Yoko
https://youtu.be/S8nqVqxGoiI
▼As seen on NHK “Marutto! Gifu” Mino Washi Uchiwa Craft Experience
Mino Washi Craft Experience Shop Ishikawa Shigyo in Mino City, Gifu - A Tourist Spot in Udatsu no Agaru Old Town Video
https://youtu.be/Pn995x3oX9Q
Gifu Chan “Meccha Gifu Wakaru TV”▼
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKiDL8-xf_w
▼Discover Mino City, Home of Mino Washi – Mino City Tourism Association Website
Our shop is introduced under “Experiences” → “Mino Washi” on the Tourism Association website!
https://minokanko.com/index.php
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A Company Trip from Taiwan
Washi Korokoro Maneki-Neko (Lucky Cat) Craft Experience
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This week, we welcomed a group of 22 guests from Taiwan on a company trip for a hands-on Mino Washi cultural workshop.
They were from an accounting firm, and notably, about 20 of them were young women who showed great enthusiasm.
During the experience, everyone took their time and crafted their dolls carefully.
When we suggested making them in a traditional Japanese-style outfit, almost everyone chose a Maneki-Neko with a kimono-style design.
With just a little advice, their creativity soared,
and they thoroughly enjoyed the experience, leaving with big smiles.
They even posted about us on Google Maps,
so please search for “Mino Washi Craft Experience Shop Ishikawa Shigyo”
and check it out!
Please give us a like!
Travelers from many countries visit us to create these delightful “roly-poly” (okiagari-koboshi) crafts or to shop.
We’ve welcomed guests from over 38 countries (both individuals and groups).
North & South America:
USA, Brazil, Canada
Asia:
Philippines, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao, Vietnam, Indonesia, Myanmar, China, Timor-Leste, Nepal, India, Israel, Cambodia, Laos, Uzbekistan, Mongolia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Pakistan, Malaysia
Europe:
UK, France, Germany, Poland, Scotland, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, Sweden, Austria, Italy
Oceania:
Australia, New Zealand
▼Cultural exchange for international students, social study tours for overseas workers▼
https://www.ishikawa-shigyo.com/news/detail_672_0_0.html
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We will be revising our experience menu prices
starting January 2025.
Price Update Notice
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From January 2025, the following
experience menu prices will be updated.
Washi Korokoro Craft Experience
¥1100 → ¥1210
Washi Korokoro Koinobori (Carp Streamer) Experience
¥1210 → ¥1320
Washi Korokoro Warlord Series
¥1210 → ¥1320
Washi Plate Craft Experience
¥990 → ¥1100
Washi Pen Holder Craft Experience
¥990 → ¥1100
Family Set A
¥1990 → ¥2210
Family Set B
¥1990 → ¥2210
Family Set C
¥1770 → ¥1880
Washi Bookmark Craft Experience
¥770 No change
Washi Earrings & Pierced Earring Craft Experience
¥1320 No change
Reservations made by the end of this year will be honored at the old prices.
We look forward to your reservations!
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Group Travel Custom Tours
Learning about local industry and culture
Recommended for educational trips
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It’s about time to finalize plans for next year’s events and school programs, isn’t it?
For social studies and school excursions,
we highly recommend visiting Mino, where Mino Washi is produced,
and experiencing hands-on Mino Washi crafts!
We will adjust our workshop prices starting in 2025.
However...
If you reserve by the end of December,
you can enjoy the current prices!
Hurry and book now!
Learn about local industry and culture in Gifu Prefecture
Mino Washi, nurtured along the Nagara River basin,
has been recognized as a “Japan Heritage.”
Come to Mino to learn about this Japan Heritage: Mino Washi!
It’s ideal for educational tourism programs,
perfect for school trips or social study excursions to Mino!
Here in Mino City, a place with over 1600 years of Mino Washi history,
we recommend our programs for educational travel groups!
Learn the rich history of Mino Washi in Gifu Prefecture,
and enjoy the texture and beauty of handmade Japanese paper through a hands-on experience!
In the Edo-era scenery of “Udatsu no Agaru Machinami,”
our shop offers the opportunity to create Mino Washi crafts!
You can also try papermaking and Mino Washi crafts.
Learn about Mino Washi history or try hand papermaking at
the Mino Washi no Sato Kaikan (Mino Washi Museum)!
Mino Washi no Sato Kaikan
https://www.city.mino.gifu.jp/minogami/
In the old town that once prospered from the Mino Washi trade,
you can visit traditional merchant houses and see modern washi art, such as Akari Art (illuminations made from washi).
Old Imai Family Residence & Mino Historical Museum
https://minokanko.com/seeing/category/history-culture/p5974/
Akari Art Hall
https://minokanko.com/seeing/category/townscape-architecture/p5976/
Recommended for school education-related trips
https://www.ishikawa-shigyo.com/news/detail_1124.html
Take your time and fully enjoy Mino City.
Our shop is featured as a sustainable tourism resource in a booklet designed for educational travel planning in Gifu Prefecture.
Sustainable tourism, according to the UNWTO,
means tourism that carefully considers the current and future environmental, sociocultural, and economic impacts,
addressing the needs of visitors, industry, environment, and host communities.
You can download a map of the old town from the Mino City Tourism Association’s website▼
https://minokanko.com/pamphlet/
Volunteer guides are also available for tours of the old town. If you’d like a guide, please inquire below.
*Guides are available for groups of 10 or more.
https://minokanko.com/news/news/p6710/
*For groups of 20 people or fewer, if you wish to reserve on non-business days, an additional facility fee applies.
Please contact us for details.
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●○●Media Coverage Information●○●
Seiryu no Kuni Gifu News Letter November 2024 Issue
Enjoying the arts with traditional Mino Washi
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Our products were featured in the “Seiryu no Kuni Gifu News Letter”♪
(Press release by Gifu Prefecture Tourism Resource Utilization Division)
Our washi kabuto (samurai helmet) decorations were introduced as a “New Form of Mino Washi.”
https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000017.000143336.html
The article is filled with the charms of Gifu, including tourist destinations and autumn foliage spots in Mino and Gifu.
Please have a look ^^
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Our beloved hometown: Mino, a Mino Washi Production Area
Gifu Prefecture, Mino City News
If it’s about Mino Washi, come here!
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Over 1300 years of history and tradition
Learn about Mino Washi
Mino Washi no Sato Kaikan (Mino Washi Museum)
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Mino Washi no Sato Kaikan
https://minokanko.com/seeing/category/history-culture/p5975/
Here you can see, feel, and experience Mino Washi, which boasts a history and tradition spanning over 1300 years.
Learn everything about Mino Washi’s history, raw materials, and production processes.
They also offer papermaking experiences. In addition to the permanent exhibition that showcases the history, techniques, and modern development of Mino Washi,
unique exhibitions related to paper are also held.
Transportation Access
From Gifu Bus “Mino City Station” take Gifu Bus Makidani Line to Horado Kurihara for about 20 minutes,
get off at “Washi no Sato Koen Mae.”
About 20 minutes from Tokai-Hokuriku Expressway Mino IC via National Route 156 and Prefectural Route 81.
Parking available
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For Year-End and New Year events,
Washi Korokoro Zodiac Snake (巳)
Create your own original zodiac snake!
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For year-end and New Year events,
why not make a “Washi Korokoro Zodiac Snake”?
We recommend it for New Year’s events at hotels and other venues.
The kit includes instructions, so
anyone can easily make it.
This kit is perfect for international guests visiting during the holidays, easy to make and culturally appealing.
By featuring the Japanese zodiac and the roly-poly doll tradition, you can highlight Japanese culture.
All you need is glue and scissors,
which we can also lend to you!
Ishikawa Shigyo can provide glue, scissors, and other tools.
≪Tool Rental Contents≫
For 10 people: 1 set ¥5000 + tax
Includes: 10 tweezers, 5 glue bottles (1 for every 2 people), 5 scissors (1 for every 2 people), and 1 file for completed works.
In addition to the zodiac,
we have dozens of different kit designs to choose from.
If you prefer other lucky motifs, we have maneki-neko (lucky cats), daruma, shishimai (lion dance), and more.
For simple and fun experiences, see▼
Our “Handmade Kit Difficulty Chart”
www.ishikawa-shigyo.com/lsc/lsc-upfile/catalog/00/82/82_1_file.pdf
Please contact us directly.
Items to make your workshop even more enjoyable
Decorate your creations
≪Recommended Material Set for Workshops≫
Die-cut paper, kirigami set 10g ¥1000
This set includes enough die-cut and cut-paper pieces for about 10 people.
It’s a great deal with a little extra included!
Beautiful cut paper can be used to create lovely patterns!
We recommend offering “experiential consumption” like our workshop alongside local souvenirs!
Since participants can take their finished creations home immediately, it also serves as a memorable souvenir!
Our Washi Korokoro series is available year-round!
~You can suggest it any month!~
≪Experience Examples≫
January: Zodiac, Setsubun, brand-new “Red Oni”
February: Hina dolls, Valentine’s Day with Korokoro messages!
March: Easter rabbits
April: Festival season, Shishimai (lion dance)
May: May dolls, Warlord series, Koinobori
June: Rainy season motifs like frogs and goldfish
July: Tanabata
August: Goldfish
September: Cute animals like rabbits and owls
October: Halloween
November: Zodiac, Daruma, Maneki-Neko
December: Christmas, Zodiac, etc.
All year round: The Good Luck/Ennichi series, Historical (Warlords, Princesses) series, highly recommended!
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Report from JAXA Institute of Space and Astronautical Science
Washi Korokoro’s Global Debut
Now heading overseas
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Over the past two months, we have delivered our “Washi Korokoro SLIM”
(Officially known as Washi Korokoro Small Lunar Landing Demonstrator SLIM)
to JAXA headquarters.
This “Washi Korokoro SLIM” was presented as a gift to overseas VIPs,
and JAXA shared the moment on “X” (Twitter).
Staff from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, who received the gift, also posted happily about it.
Check it out here:
https://x.com/masahiro_ono/status/1859804446701781178
Image from an X post
Also, the JAXA President and Director of the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science gifted one to the head of the European Space Agency!
https://x.com/ISAS_JAXA/status/1859507037488496743
From JAXA Institute of Space and Astronautical Science’s X post
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Gifu Washi Craft Cultural Experience
In “Udatsu no Agaru Machinami”
Make Your Own Zodiac Figure
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See our Washi Korokoro Zodiac lineup here:
https://www.ishikawa-shigyo.com/lsc/lsc-upfile/catalog/02/69/269_1_file.jpg
Create your own zodiac animal in the historic Udatsu district
to bring good luck!
Travel agencies,
please feel free to recommend us to:
Cultural class observation tours
Parent-child group travel
Women’s groups
Community association tours
Inbound tours
The Zodiac is part of Japanese culture
which is sure to spark interest!
Mino Washi craft experiences
Japanese cultural tours
We hope you’ll include it in your travel packages!
For group inquiries▼
https://www.ishikawa-shigyo.com/contact/shop.html
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December, January, February Instagram Contest
The keyword is
#IshikawaShigyoContestwinter2025
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Thank you for participating in the autumn contest.
One customer celebrating their 60th birthday (kanreki) created a zodiac snake wearing a red hat and vest, and posted it!
Customer’s work
This customer visits us every year to make the zodiac figure.
It’s been 7 years now!
Each year, their work becomes more elaborate and they thoroughly enjoy the experience.
We will upload the photo when we post this newsletter on our website blog,
so please check it out!
In December, January, and February, we’re holding another Instagram contest.
The keyword is
#IshikawaShigyoContestwinter2025!
We look forward to your posts!
*Note that the keyword has changed slightly.
Please be careful.
Not only creations made at our shop,
but also works you made at home using our kits
are welcome for submission.
To purchase kits...
Rakuten Kit Sales Site
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Ishikawa Shigyo Headquarters Information
Packed with the latest and best deals
Special purchase benefits!!
New magnet designs are here!
Buy 30 or more and get a free magnet board!
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Our “Clip-On” magnets now come in new shapes: “Flower,” “Hexagram,” and “Heart”!
【Purchase Benefits】Currently on campaign!
Campaign Name: “Magnet30”!
Purchase 30 or more clip-on magnets (assorted allowed),
and receive a complimentary magnet board for display!!
Check out our blog introduction↓↓↓
https://www.ishikawa-shigyo.com/news/detail_1415.html
◆We are accepting reservations for 2025 New Hina Dolls now!
2025 Hina Doll Catalog▼
https://www.ishikawa-shigyo.com/news/detail_1404.html
◆We are accepting reservations for 2025 New May Dolls now!
2025 May Doll Catalog▼
https://www.ishikawa-shigyo.com/news/detail_1414.html
Special benefits for regular customers: Nameplates
We can create custom nameplates!
Contact your sales representative for details.
◆New Release: 3 new clip-on magnet designs
Heart, Hexagram, Flower
We’re attaching our clip-on magnet catalog.
◆For Ishikawa Shigyo’s special deals, see▼
https://www.ishikawa-shigyo.com/news/detail_1377.html
Ishikawa Shigyo 2024 1st Half (Jan~Jul) New Products and Special Offers▼
https://www.ishikawa-shigyo.com/news/detail_1377.html
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Minowa’s Musings [A Favorite Treat]
The other day, the president kindly gave me an “ichigo daifuku” (strawberry mochi) as a treat in the evening.
It looked delicious, but I was working overtime, so I took it home instead of eating it right away.
My grandson (eldest) just loves ichigo daifuku,
so I thought he would be thrilled.
As expected, he was extremely happy.＼(^o^)／
It was almost his bedtime, so he said he would eat it in the morning, and told me to
“Make sure to say thank you to the president!”
The next morning, he reminded me again, “Don’t forget to say thank you!”
So I conveyed to the president how delighted he was.
Usually my grandson says, “Grandma, don’t tell anyone,”
but he still has a cute side.(^^♪
Well then...
For inquiries about our newsletter information, please contact us▼
https://www.ishikawa-shigyo.com/contact/shop.html
In a townscape that still retains the Edo atmosphere,
you can experience making Mino Washi crafts
at Mino Washi Craft Experience Shop Ishikawa Shigyo
Address: 1909-3 Honjyu-cho, Mino City, Gifu Prefecture, 501-3728
Shop Manager: Minowa
Tel: 0575-29-3680
Fax: 0575-35-1363
Minowa’s mobile: 090-5851-4673
Email: shigyo@jt7.so-net.ne.jp
Website: http://www.ishikawa-shigyo.com/
【Company Overview: Mino Washi Craft Experience Shop Ishikawa Shigyo】
Founded in 1902 (Meiji 35), Ishikawa Shigyo is a Mino Washi goods manufacturer.
At our Mino Washi Craft Experience Shop, you can enjoy “the handiwork of a washi shop.”
Located in the “Udatsu no Agaru Machinami,” a preserved historical district in Mino City, Gifu Prefecture,
we offer washi craft workshops inside a 270-year-old historical building.
Our Mino Washi handmade experiences are popular with families,
and group tours visiting Gifu for sightseeing also love this unique activity.
As an experiential tourism program, it’s perfect for family trips, group tours,
learning about Mino Washi’s history on school excursions, or couples looking for a memorable date.
We offer various workshops, including making the “Washi Korokoro” dolls,
washi earrings, pen holders, plates, bookmarks, and even Mino Washi uchiwa in summer—over 30 types of experiences.
We have animal-themed dolls, historical figures from Sekigahara,
and even experiences featuring the Gifu Bus and Nagaragawa Railway motifs.
These hands-on Mino Washi craft experiences are popular with inbound tourists from 37 countries.
No reservation needed for individuals, workshops take about 30-60 minutes.
With staff support and prepared materials, even beginners can create confidently,
and you can take your completed work home immediately.
For groups of 10 or more, please reserve in advance.
We can host up to 45 participants at once,
and for larger groups, we’ll organize multiple sessions. Group tours can be arranged even outside normal hours.
Alongside the workshops, we sell about 600 types of Mino Washi souvenirs made at Ishikawa Shigyo’s main office,
also very popular.
Google Maps rating is 4.9 (466 reviews) as of 2024.07.09
【Mino Washi Craft Experience Shop Ishikawa Shigyo TV Features】
Tetsuro Degawa’s “Recharge Please?” Gifu Mino City Washi Doll Craft Experience
https://youtu.be/S8nqVqxGoiI
NHK “Marutto! Gifu” Mino Washi Uchiwa Craft Experience
https://youtu.be/Pn995x3oX9Q
Matsuken Sanpo Washi Plate Making Experience
https://youtu.be/0Xj95TBhXoU
“Hanasaka Times” Handicraft Experience: Washi Korokoro Dolls with Haruka Minowa and Yuriyan Retriever
https://youtu.be/u9tJ1DURNic
NHK News: Mino Washi Doll Craft Experience!
https://youtu.be/OULbvsHaA8w
NHK Gifu “Hotto Evening Gifu” Mino Washi Doll Craft Experience Ishikawa Shigyo
https://youtu.be/u1g85fl89KI
Chukyo TV “Catch!” Fun Handicraft Experience at Mino Washi Craft Experience Shop Ishikawa Shigyo
https://youtu.be/k9Kd993PUq8
CBC “Ippou” Gifu Mino City Tourism Craft Experience at Mino Washi Craft Experience Shop Ishikawa Shigyo
https://youtu.be/qZ7_hOmaQ-8
Gifu Chan “Meccha Gifu Hunter” Handicraft Experience: Washi Korokoro Maneki-Neko with Kimono Dressing
https://youtu.be/xGpfUOAcmtM
CCN Area Topic: Washi Korokoro Gifu Bus Collaboration Handicraft Experience
https://youtu.be/aowdKHSnze8
Mino Washi Craft for Families
Gifu Traditional Craft Hands-On Experience
Mino City Washi Souvenir Making
Gifu Tourism Local Experience Tour
Handmade Washi Doll Workshop for Family Trips
Mino Washi Crafts Production Experience
Washi Craft Lessons for Kids in Gifu
Group-Friendly Mino Washi Craft Tour
Gifu Handmade Washi Craft Workshop
Senior-Friendly Mino City Tourist Tours
Gifu Washi Cultural Experience Reservations
Washi Art Tourism Plan in Mino
Mino Washi Craft Experiences for Japanese Cultural Tours
Gifu Parent-Child Experience Travel Spots
Mino Washi Travel Package Tours
Groups Welcome! Up to 45 People – Ideal for School Trips and Social Study Tours!
Overseas Workers Cultural Exchange Plan, Washi Culture Workshops for Groups of up to 45!
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