Japanese Heritage Crafts: Make Your Own Washi Korokoro Dolls and Explore Gifu Mino City’s Edo Old Town-Era Charm 2024.01.15
2025.01.16If you’re sightseeing in Mino City, Gifu Prefecture, this is the place! Ishikawa Mino Washi Paper Goods Workshop
Newsletter No.230
In the birthplace of Mino Washi, “Udatsu no Agaru Old Town,”
enjoy our hands-on Mino Washi crafts, perfect souvenirs,
and the latest news from Ishikawa Mino Washi Paper Goods Workshop.
Mino City Tourism Association Website
Recommended for solo travelers, couples, families, and group tours who want a fun trip.
Groups of up to 45 people can enjoy a hands-on experience together.
Scene from an overseas group tour
Our experience menu includes:
Washi Korokoro Washi Doll
Washi Korokoro 12 Zodiac / Washi Korokoro Warlord Series
Currently at a special price[Washi Korokoro Monchhichi] Handmade Experience ￥1210
Washi Plate, Washi Pen Holder, Washi Bookmark, Washi Earrings & Pierced Earrings
Over 30 different types! Check out our business schedule and more.
Click the link to view images.
Scene from an overseas group tour
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You can find the latest shop information, menu details, and access info here.
What the Mino Washi Zakka Experience Shop Is All About
Handmade Mino Washi craft experiences! Souvenir shopping!
▼HP▼
https://www.ishikawa-shigyo.com/shop.html
▼Rakuten Online Shop▼
https://www.rakuten.co.jp/ishikawa-shigyo/
Highly recommended when visiting Mino City.
Latest Shop News
NEW! Shop December–January–February Business Days
https://www.ishikawa-shigyo.com/news/detail_1465.html
Group reservations accepted even on non-business days!
▼“Degawa Tetsuro no Juuden Sasete Moraemasenka?” Show
Featuring a Mino Washi doll making experience at Mino Washi Zakka Experience Shop Ishikawa Shigyo in Mino City, Gifu, with Kumada Yoko
https://youtu.be/S8nqVqxGoiI
▼NHK “Marutto! Gifu” broadcast about Mino Washi Fan Making
Mino Washi Zakka Experience Shop Ishikawa Shigyo in Mino City, Gifu, a tourism spot in Udatsu no Agaru Old Town. Video link:
https://youtu.be/Pn995x3oX9Q
Gifu Chan “Meccha Gifu Wakaru TV”▼
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKiDL8-xf_w
▼Mino Washi region, Mino City, Gifu Prefecture — what it’s like. Mino City Tourism Association website
Under “Experiences” → “Mino Washi,” our website is introduced!
https://www.minokanko.com/index.php
▼Our products were featured in “Seiryu no Kuni Gifu News Letter”
(Press release from Gifu Prefecture Tourism Resource Utilization Division)
Our washi kabuto ornament was showcased as a “New Way to Enjoy Mino Washi.”
https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000017.000143336.html
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Happy New Year!
May 2025 be another wonderful year to enjoy Mino Washi craft experiences
Thank you for your continued support.
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Happy New Year, everyone.
This year, we’ll keep coming up with new ideas and creative variations
so that your experience is as fun and memorable as possible.
Our entire staff is excited to welcome you.
From the very beginning of the year, we’ve had many visitors from across Asia on Chinese New Year vacation to experience our workshop.
The zodiac animal for this year is “Snake.”
Because snakes shed their skin, the Year of the Snake is believed to be a year of great leaps and progress.
Our Washi Korokoro zodiac Snake is already super cute,
but we’ve also prepared adorable, festive staff-made samples
to spark your own imagination,
so everyone can have fun decorating by copying or modifying these examples.
Customers’ finished pieces can be seen on Google Maps,
so feel free to take a look here.
We also feature customer work on our shop’s Instagram.
https://www.instagram.com/ishikawashigyoshop2016/?hl=ja
Many visitors from around the world come to create or purchase our traditional “okiagari-koboshi” style Washi Korokoro dolls.
We have bookings from Hawaii and Italy as spring approaches.
We checked all the nationalities of visitors we’ve received so far,
and the total is now 38 countries (both individual and group visits).
North & South America
USA, Brazil, Canada
Asia
Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao, Vietnam, Indonesia, Myanmar, China, East Timor, 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
▼For overseas student exchange programs and social studies visits▼
https://www.ishikawa-shigyo.com/news/detail_672_0_0.html
We also welcome company trips.
Up to 45 people can enjoy the experience at once.
For group inquiries, please see below▼
https://www.ishikawa-shigyo.com/contact/shop.html
The Mino Washi Promotion Division of Mino City Hall
is currently conducting a survey for inbound tourism.
They are collecting questionnaires from travelers around the world.
To make sightseeing in Mino City even more appealing,
we’re gathering information from international visitors!
Please stay tuned!
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From January 2025
we have revised the prices of our experience menu.
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Some customers have already booked at the new prices,
but as of January 2025,
the experience menu prices have changed as follows:
Washi Korokoro Handmade Experience
¥1100 → ¥1210
Washi Korokoro Koinobori Handmade Experience
¥1210 → ¥1320
Washi Korokoro Warlord Series
¥1210 → ¥1320
Washi Plate Handmade Experience
¥990 → ¥1100
Washi Pen Holder Handmade Experience
¥990 → ¥1100
Family Set A
¥1990 → ¥2210
Family Set B
¥1990 → ¥2210
Family Set C
¥1770 → ¥1880
Washi Bookmark Handmade Experience
¥770 remains the same
Washi Pierced Earring / Earring Handmade Experience
¥1320 remains the same
We look forward to your continued reservations!
You can see the experience menu below.
Washi Korokoro – difficulty level guide
https://www.ishikawa-shigyo.com/lsc/lsc-upfile/catalog/02/87/287_1_file.png
Washi Korokoro 12 Zodiac and Warlord Series Menu
https://www.ishikawa-shigyo.com/lsc/lsc-upfile/catalog/02/88/288_1_file.jpg
Washi Plate, Washi Pen Holder, Washi Bookmark, Washi Pierced Earring/Earring Menu
https://www.ishikawa-shigyo.com/lsc/lsc-upfile/catalog/02/89/289_1_file.jpg
Value Family Sets
https://www.ishikawa-shigyo.com/lsc/lsc-upfile/catalog/02/90/290_1_file.jpg
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Our town – the birthplace of Mino Washi –
Mino City, Gifu Prefecture – News
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Municipally Designated Cultural Property
Former Imai Residence, Mino City Historical Archive
A trip back to the Edo Period
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Former Imai Residence, Mino City Historical Archive
https://minokanko.com/seeing/category/history-culture/p5974/
The Former Imai Residence is the oldest udatsu-style building in Mino City, once used as both a village headman’s house and a washi wholesaler. It was built in the mid-Edo Period and later expanded in the early Meiji Period, making it one of the largest floor plans in the city. When expanded, an approximately 3m high skylight was added.
The garden features a suikinkutsu, chosen by the Environment Agency as one of Japan’s “100 Soundscapes,” delighting visitors with its soothing sound.
In the back, you’ll find the Mino Historical Archive displaying local artifacts and history, along with Udatstu Storage and Niwaka Storage.
Getting There
A 10-minute walk from Nagaragawa Railway Mino City Station.
1-minute walk from the Gifu Bus “Gifu-Mino Line” stop at “Udatsu no Machinami Dori.”
About 5 minutes by car from the Mino IC on the Tokai-Hokuriku Expressway via National Route 156.
Parking – use the Kanko Fureai Hiroba lot.
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We will revise the prices
of our experience menu
from January 2025.
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From January 2025,
the prices of our experience menu will be updated as follows.
Washi Korokoro Handmade Experience
¥1100 → ¥1210
Washi Korokoro Koinobori Handmade Experience
¥1210 → ¥1320
Washi Korokoro Warlord Series
¥1210 → ¥1320
Washi Plate Handmade Experience
¥990 → ¥1100
Washi Pen Holder Handmade Experience
¥990 → ¥1100
Family Set A
¥1990 → ¥2210
Family Set B
¥1990 → ¥2210
Family Set C
¥1770 → ¥1880
Washi Bookmark Handmade Experience
¥770 no change
Washi Pierced Earring / Earring Handmade Experience
¥1320 no change
Reservations made within this year will be at the old price.
We look forward to your bookings!
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There are historical landmarks and opportunities for crafting!
Perfect for educational institutions!
Come to Mino City
to learn about Mino Washi and traditional Japanese crafts
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Here in Mino City, we have a 1,600-year history of Mino Washi production.
We highly recommend this as an educational travel program!
Come to Mino City in Gifu Prefecture to learn the history of Mino Washi,
and experience its unique texture and beauty while making your own crafts!
In the Edo-period streets of “Udatsu no Agaru Townscape,”
you can enjoy making Mino Washi crafts at our shop!
You can try papermaking or washi crafting.
For more in-depth learning about Mino Washi’s history or hands-on papermaking,
visit the Mino Washi no Sato Kaikan!
Mino Washi no Sato Kaikan
https://www.city.mino.gifu.jp/minogami/
Learning about local industry and culture in Gifu Prefecture
Because Mino Washi is nurtured by the Nagara River basin,
it’s been recognized as part of the “Japan Heritage.”
Come explore Mino and learn all about this Japan Heritage–certified Mino Washi!
It’s an excellent educational travel option.
We welcome you for school field trips or social studies tours!
And in the old town where Mino Washi prospered,
“Udatsu no Agaru Machinami,”
you can see historical washi wholesaler townhouses and modern washi art like Akari Art.
Former Imai Residence / Mino History Archive
https://minokanko.com/seeing/category/history-culture/p5974/
Akari Art Hall
https://minokanko.com/seeing/category/townscape-architecture/p5976/
Recommended for school-related visits
https://www.ishikawa-shigyo.com/news/detail_1124.html
Take your time and fully enjoy Mino City.
We are featured in the Gifu Sustainable Tourism brochure as a recommended resource for educational travel planning in Gifu Prefecture.
Sustainable Tourism is described by the UNWTO (World Tourism Organization) as:
“Tourism that takes full account of its current and future environmental, socio-cultural, and economic impacts,
addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment, and host communities.”
A town map can be downloaded from the Mino City Tourism Association website▼
https://minokanko.com/pamphlet/
Local volunteer guides are available to show you around the historic town,
so please inquire if you’d like a guided tour.
*Guided tours are available for groups of 10 or more.
https://minokanko.com/news/news/p6710/
*Groups of 20 or fewer may be charged a facility fee if booking on non-business days.
Please contact us for more details.
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Create hina dolls (traditional Girl’s Day dolls) with your family
Stroll around various Hina Doll events
Make your own Mino Washi Hina Dolls
Washi Korokoro Hina Doll Handmade Experience
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Udatsu Townhouse Hina Doll Event
Schedule
February 8, 2025 (Sun) – April 3, 2025 (Wed)
The “Udatsu no Agaru Machinami” of Mino City
becomes the venue for our lively Hina Doll event.
Everywhere you look throughout the old town, you’ll see vintage Hina Dolls,
luxurious seven-tiered displays,
and a wonderfully festive atmosphere.
At our shop within this historic district,
you can handcraft your own “Washi Korokoro Hina Doll.”
Why not create your very own personalized Hina Doll?
Let’s make them cute and unique!
Thinking of holding a workshop to make your own Hina Doll
at your local Hina Doll event? Let us know!
We offer Hina Doll Kits with instructions!
All you need is a table, chairs, glue, and scissors.
We can even lend you glue and scissors if needed!
Yes, Ishikawa Shigyo can rent out the necessary tools.
≪Tool Rental≫
For 10 people: ¥5000 + tax
Contents: 10 tweezers, 5 containers of glue (1 per 2 people), 5 scissors (1 per 2 people), 1 “Workshop Projects” file
Besides Hina Dolls, we have
dozens of items to choose from.
Feel free to contact us.
Make your workshop even more fun
by decorating your finished piece!
≪Recommended Additional Materials for Workshops≫
Paper cutouts set, 10g for ¥1000
This set includes decorative cutouts for about 10 people.
We’ve added a little extra, so it’s a great value!
Pretty cutouts look amazing when used for patterns, too!
“Experiential tourism” is just as important as “local souvenirs”!
You can take home your creation right away, so it makes the perfect souvenir!
Our Washi Korokoro series is available year-round!
～You can propose it any month of the year!～
≪Experience Achievements & Examples≫
January: Zodiac or Setsubun – brand new Red Demon!
February: Hina Dolls or Valentine’s Day with Korokoro messages!
March: Easter – rabbits
April: Festival season – lion dance, etc.
May: Boys’ Festival dolls – warlords, Koinobori carp streamers, etc.
June: Rainy season – frogs, goldfish
July: Tanabata
August: Goldfish
September: Cute animals, rabbits, owls, etc.
October: Halloween
November: 12 Zodiac, Daruma, Lucky Cats
December: Christmas, next year’s zodiac…
Also popular all year round: our good-luck, fortune, and historical (warlord/princess) series!
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Popular with inbound visitors
Try your hand at Japanese traditional culture
Create the zodiac in “Udatsu no Agaru Machinami”
Experience the 12 Chinese Zodiac in Washi Korokoro form
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Check out the Washi Korokoro 12 Zodiac here:
https://www.ishikawa-shigyo.com/lsc/lsc-upfile/catalog/02/69/269_1_file.jpg
Our Washi Korokoro zodiac dolls are always popular, even for groups!
At our shop, you can make any of the 12 Zodiac—
so you can create the sign that matches your birth year!
“Create your Zodiac in the historic townscape of Mino”
and boost your luck!
To travel agents,
please consider recommending us for:
Overseas group tours featuring Mino Washi craft plans
Japanese cultural tours
Company trips to strengthen team bonds with washi craft experiences
Traditional craft tours
World Heritage / Japan Heritage–based learning tours
Student field trips for unforgettable experiences
The 12 Zodiac are a deeply rooted part of Japanese culture,
and overseas visitors love learning about them!
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December–January–February Instagram Contest
The hashtag is
#石川紙業コンテストwinter2025
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We’re holding our Instagram contest again in December, January, and February.
The hashtag is
#石川紙業コンテストwinter2025!
We look forward to seeing your posts!
*Note that the hashtag has changed slightly.
Please use caution.
We welcome not only works created in our shop,
but also those made with our DIY kits at home or elsewhere.
If you’d like to purchase kits:
Rakuten Kit Sales
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Ishikawa Shigyo Headquarters Info
Greatly expanded! New Japanese Stationery
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Introducing our new products!
We’ve expanded our popular “Wa-Bungu” (Japanese stationery) category!
We now carry “Seeing,” a leading Mino Washi stationery brand,
delivering from Ishikawa Shigyo directly to you.
All 687 products in this huge lineup.
We’ve also increased our lineup of “Origami” series popular with inbound tourists! Special trials available!!
Please take a look!
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【 Special Trial Campaign! 】
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Order “Seeing’s Japanese Stationery, Origami + Your Usual Orders”
with a total wholesale price over ¥10,000 and get free shipping!
■Seeing products
View the catalog here ↓
https://www.ishikawa-shigyo.com/lsc/lsc-upfile/catalog/03/18/318_1_file.pdf
*Protected by a password. Please contact our Circulation Department.
*If you can’t open it, we can send it via GigaFile. Please let us know.
*Special discount rates apply.
【Important Order Information】
When placing your order, please note the following:
1. Provide either the 7-digit catalog product number or our 5-digit in-house product code
2. Product name (abbreviations acceptable)
3. Order quantity (observe the minimum order lot). The minimum lot is 5, or 1 for certain products.
*If you need 7 pieces, please order 10 as the lot is in multiples of 5.
4. We do not keep backorders.
If you need more, please reorder.
*Shipping fees for backorders of Seeing products are not waived.
■Origami Series – Extremely popular with inbound tourists!!!
Catalog (Japanese Stationery Catalog) p12–p17
https://www.ishikawa-shigyo.com/lsc/lsc-upfile/catalog/00/62/62_1_file.pdf
*Some origami products are under special discount rates.
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Minowa’s Note [New Year’s Shrine Visits on a Stroll]
Happy New Year!
Thank you for continuing to read the “Mino Washi Zakka Experience Shop Newsletter.”
Please consider incorporating us into your travel plans!
It was such beautiful weather on New Year’s Day.
Perfect for a shrine visit.
Where I live, there are three local shrines along my grandchildren’s walking route.
I tried to pay my respects carefully at each one,
expressing gratitude for the past year and praying for a safe new one,
but…
My 2-year-old and 3-year-old grandkids don’t really get the concept of “hatsumode,”
so they took off running as usual. I had to chase after them yelling, “Wait!”
Basically, I jogged between shrines.
My first run of the year (*^_^*)
That’s all for now…
For inquiries regarding newsletter information, please see▼
https://www.ishikawa-shigyo.com/contact/shop.html
Experience Mino Washi craft making
in the atmosphere of the Edo Period townscape
Ishikawa Mino Washi Paper Goods Workshop
〒501-3728
1909-3 Honjushi-cho, Mino City, Gifu Prefecture
Shop Manager: Minowa
Tel: 0575-29-3680
Fax: 0575-35-1363
Mobile: 090-5851-4673
Email: shigyo@jt7.so-net.ne.jp
Website: http://www.ishikawa-shigyo.com/
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[About Mino Washi Zakka Experience Shop Ishikawa Shigyo]
Founded in 1902 (Meiji 35), a Mino Washi goods manufacturer,
our main office, Ishikawa Shigyo, offers “handmade washi” experiences at the Mino Washi Zakka Experience Shop.
Located in the “Udatsu no Agaru Machinami,” the historic district in Mino City, Gifu Prefecture,
you can craft washi in a 270-year-old traditional building.
Families, groups, and couples love our Mino Washi craft experiences—
it’s a local highlight for Gifu tourism.
We also welcome educational tours, letting visitors learn about the history of Mino Washi while crafting their own pieces.
Popular experiences include making our signature okiagari doll “Washi Korokoro,”
as well as washi earrings, pen holders, plates, bookmarks, and summer fan crafting—over 30 options in total. We even have historical warlords and princess figures, plus tie-ups with Gifu Bus and Nagaragawa Railway experiences.
We’ve welcomed visitors from 37 countries for inbound cultural experiences,
and our workshop accommodates walk-ins without reservations (30–60 min). No special skills required, so anyone can join comfortably. You can bring your piece home right away.
For groups of 10 or more, please book in advance.
We can accommodate up to 45 people at once, and larger groups can rotate in turns.
Group tours are welcome outside regular hours as well.
We also have a shop with 600 items of Mino Washi souvenirs. It’s very popular!
As of July 9, 2024, our Google Maps rating is 4.9 (466 reviews).
[Mino Washi Zakka Experience Shop Ishikawa Shigyo – TV Coverage]
Degawa Tetsuro no Juuden Sasete Moraemasenka? featuring Washi Doll Making in Mino City, Gifu
https://youtu.be/S8nqVqxGoiI
NHK “Marutto! Gifu” featuring Mino Washi Fan Making
https://youtu.be/Pn995x3oX9Q
Matsuken Sanpo featuring Washi Plate Making
https://youtu.be/0Xj95TBhXoU
“Hanasaka Times” featuring Washi Korokoro Dolls with Haruka Minowa & Yuriyan Retriever
https://youtu.be/u9tJ1DURNic
NHK News – Mino Washi Doll Making!
https://youtu.be/OULbvsHaA8w
NHK Gifu – Mino Washi Doll Making at Ishikawa Shigyo on “Hot Evening Gifu”
https://youtu.be/u1g85fl89KI
Chukyo TV “Catch!” – Enjoy Mino Washi craft making at Mino Washi Zakka Experience Shop Ishikawa Shigyo
https://youtu.be/k9Kd993PUq8
CBC “Ippou” – Gifu Mino City Sightseeing & Washi Craft Experience at Mino Washi Zakka Experience Shop Ishikawa Shigyo
https://youtu.be/qZ7_hOmaQ-8
Gifu Chan “Mecha Gifu Hunter” – Washi Korokoro Lucky Cat & Kimono Dressing
https://youtu.be/xGpfUOAcmtM
CCN Area Topic – Washi Korokoro Gifu Bus Collaboration & Workshop
https://youtu.be/aowdKHSnze8
Mino Washi Crafts – Great for families
Gifu Traditional Craft Hands-On Experience
Mino City Washi Souvenirs – How to Make Them
Gifu Tourism Local Experience Tours
Handmade Washi Doll Experience for Families
Mino Washi Craft Workshop
Paper Crafts for Children in Gifu
Group Tours: Mino Washi Zakka Experience
Gifu Handmade Washi Craft Workshop
Senior-Friendly Mino City Tourism
Gifu Washi Zakka Culture – Reservations
Washi Craft Tourism in Mino City
Mino Washi Craft Experience – Japanese Cultural Tours
Family-Friendly Gifu Sightseeing Spots
Mino Washi Travel Packages
We welcome groups! Up to 45 people can have fun together—ideal for school trips or social studies visits!
Overseas workers’ social study plans: Washi cultural exchange tours for groups up to 45 people
Local elementary schools enjoy hands-on experiences, sharing local culture and history
Welcoming foreign tourists to Mino City for traditional crafts and cultural immersion with Mino Washi dolls
Overseas group tours – Unforgettable Japanese culture
Up to 45 people at once! Group bookings for Mino Washi Workshops
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