If you want a cultural activity in Japan that is easy to enjoy, actually memorable, and leaves you with a souvenir you will keep using later, making your own chopsticks is a very good choice.
It is practical, beginner-friendly, and a lot more fun than just buying a random pair at Don Quijote on your last night.
But of course, not all chopstick-making workshops are the same. Some are quick and cheap. Some are more personal. Some feel like a proper craft experience. Others are basically a fun tourist activity with a nice souvenir at the end.
This guide is here to help you choose the right one in Tokyo or Kyoto, depending on your budget, your travel style, and how serious you want the experience to feel.
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Quick Answer
If I had to sum it up quickly:
- Best mid-range Tokyo option: Kakehashi
- Best cheap Tokyo option: the Kuramae artisan workshop
- Best cheap Kyoto-area option: the Nara workshop if you are already going to Nara
If you just want a fast comparison, start with the table below.
Comparison Table
Tokyo and Around
| Workshop | Area | Price Level | Format | Best For | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mogami Kogei | Kuramae, Tokyo | Premium | Private with interpreter | Travelers who want the best overall craft experience | Wabunka |
| Kakehashi | Sasazuka, Tokyo | Mid-range | Small group with guide | People who want something more artisanal without going all the way up to Mogami pricing | Viator |
| Chopstick Making Workshop with Artisan | Kuramae, Tokyo | Budget | Group | People who want a quick, central, easy class | Viator, GetYourGuide, Klook |
| Shinjuku Chopsticks Making Class | Shinjuku, Tokyo | Budget | Bigger group | Travelers staying in Shinjuku who mainly want convenience | Viator, GetYourGuide, Klook |
| Chopstick Making Workshop in Ginza | Ginza, Tokyo | Budget | Group | Travelers staying around Ginza who want a very central option | GetYourGuide |
| Karaki Mokko | Kawagoe, Saitama | Budget | Short workshop | People already planning a Kawagoe day trip | Jalan |
Kyoto and Around
| Workshop | Area | Price Level | Format | Best For | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Takano Chikko | Nagaokakyo, Kyoto | Premium | Private with interpreter | Travelers who want a more distinctive bamboo-focused experience | Wabunka |
| Nara Chopstick-Making Workshop | Nara | Budget | Small group | People already visiting Nara who want the best value option nearby | GetYourGuide |
| Yokoyama Bamboo Store | Kamigyo, Kyoto | Mid-range | Group | Travelers who want a more central Kyoto option | Activity Japan |
| Gion Chopstick Making Workshop | Gion, Kyoto | Budget | Bigger group | Travelers who care most about location and ease | Viator, GetYourGuide |
| Marumasu-Nishimuraya | Nakagyo, Kyoto | Budget | Group | Travelers who want a simple central class with a decorative extra | Wamazing |
| Kyomachiya Workshop Waraku | Higashiyama, Kyoto | Budget | Group | People who care more about the machiya setting than craft depth | Activity Japan |
Why This Is Actually Worth Doing
I like this activity because it sits in a sweet spot.
It is more personal than a standard souvenir stop, but it is also much easier to fit into an itinerary than something like swordsmithing or knife-making. You do not need special knowledge. You do not need to be good with your hands. You just need to be willing to spend an hour or two doing something a bit different.
And unlike a lot of cultural activities that sound better on paper than they feel in real life, you leave with something you will genuinely use.
If you want another small craft activity with the same kind of appeal, you might also like making your own knife in Japan. But chopsticks are much easier, cheaper, and more beginner-friendly.
How to Choose the Right Workshop
Before you book, there are really only four questions that matter.
1. Do You Want a Real Craft Experience or Just a Fun Activity?
If you want the best version of this kind of experience, look at the premium private workshops like Mogami Kogei in Tokyo or Takano Chikko near Kyoto.
If you mainly want a fun, accessible activity with a nice souvenir at the end, the cheaper group classes are completely fine.
2. Do You Care About Privacy?
Most of the cheaper classes are group-based.
That is not necessarily a problem. It can actually be fun if you are traveling with friends and want to meet fellow travelers. But if you want something quieter, more personal, and closer to spending time with a real craft professional, a private format is usually the better fit.
3. How Much Does Location Matter?
Some of the best options are in central Tokyo. Some are a short detour. Some only make sense if you were already planning to go there.
I would not send anyone to Kawagoe just for a short chopstick workshop. But if you were already going, Karaki Mokko becomes much more interesting.
4. Are You Paying for Depth or Just Convenience?
Some workshops are built around convenience, low pricing, and an easy souvenir. Others give you more time, more privacy, and more contact with the person teaching you. Neither approach is automatically right. It depends on the kind of activity you actually want.
Best Chopstick-Making Workshops in Tokyo
The Tokyo side of this list is where the biggest differences show up.
You have one option that is clearly the premium pick, one that sits in the middle, and several cheaper classes that are mostly competing on convenience and price.
My Top Pick in Tokyo: Mogami Kogei
If budget is not the main concern, this is the Tokyo workshop I would recommend first.
I did this one myself, and it still stands out as the most memorable chopstick-making experience I have seen in Japan. What makes it different is not just the finished chopsticks. It is the whole setup: private session, interpreter support, central Tokyo location, and time spent with Mogami-san in his actual workshop.
That combination is hard to beat.
Mogami Kogei is one of the experiences you can book through Wabunka, a Japan travel website focused on private cultural experiences and stays for international visitors. They work directly with artisans, monks, artists, and other masters to create experiences that feel more personal and less touristy than standard tours or classes. In this case, that means private time in Mogami-san’s real workshop, with interpreter support to help the conversation.
If you want the full first-person version, read my detailed review of making my own chopsticks at Mogami Kogei.
It is also the clearest example in Tokyo of what you are paying for when you move above the budget range. You are not just paying for nicer branding. You are paying for privacy, for more time with the host, and for a workshop that still feels like someone’s real working environment rather than a standardized activity designed to move people through quickly. Some travelers will care a lot about that, and others will not. The important thing is being honest about which side of that line you are on before you book.
If you know already that you mainly care about price and convenience, that does not make Mogami a bad fit so much as an unnecessary one. But if you want the workshop itself to feel like a highlight rather than a quick side activity, this is the Tokyo option I would keep coming back to.
Best Mid-Range Tokyo Option: Kakehashi
Kakehashi is the one I would look at if Mogami feels too expensive, but you still want something more serious than the touristier budget classes.
It is not trying to compete on cheap pricing. The appeal is that it still feels more craft-oriented, with real artisans involved and a small-group format rather than a quick conveyor-belt class.
For a lot of travelers, this is probably the best compromise in Tokyo.
Best Cheap Tokyo Option: The Kuramae Artisan Workshop
If you want something central, easy, and reasonably priced, the Kuramae artisan workshop is the most practical budget pick.
It is short, the location is good, and it does not ask for much commitment. You are not booking it because it is the deepest craft experience in Tokyo. You are booking it because it is a fun and efficient way to do the activity without spending much.
Other Tokyo Options
Shinjuku Chopsticks Making Class
This one is mostly about location convenience.
If you are staying in Shinjuku and want an easy activity nearby, the Shinjuku Chopsticks Making Class can make sense. Just go in expecting a more standard tourist-facing class, not a serious craft workshop.
Chopstick Making Workshop in Ginza
Very similar logic here.
The Ginza workshop is a decent option if you are staying around Ginza and want something central and simple. I would not choose it over Mogami or Kakehashi if quality is your main concern, but I can see the appeal if convenience is doing most of the work.
Karaki Mokko in Kawagoe
This one is only really interesting if you are already going to Kawagoe.
As a standalone reason to leave Tokyo, no. As a nice extra during a Kawagoe day trip, yes, it works.
Best Chopstick-Making Workshops in Kyoto
Kyoto has fewer options that I would call truly distinctive, but it still gives you a good mix of premium and budget choices.
The main difference is that the best premium pick here feels like its own experience rather than just a Kyoto version of the Tokyo format.
My Top Pick Around Kyoto: Takano Chikko
If you want the strongest option in the Kyoto area and your budget allows it, Takano Chikko is the one I would look at first.
This is not just another class where you shape a pair of chopsticks at a workbench. The bamboo focus makes it feel more specific, and the overall experience has more character than the cheaper Kyoto alternatives.
Takano Chikko is also booked through Wabunka, which makes sense for this kind of workshop. Wabunka specializes in private experiences, built around direct time with a respected master, in authentic and beautiful settings. Here, that gives you a more personal and memorable experience than the other Kyoto-area options.
Best Value Pick Near Kyoto: The Nara Workshop
If you are already doing a day trip to Nara, this is the best-value option in the wider Kyoto area.
The small-group format is more appealing than some of the bigger group classes in Kyoto itself, and the price is much easier to justify for travelers who simply want a fun activity and a handmade souvenir.
I would not go all the way to Nara for this alone. But if Nara is already on your itinerary, the Nara workshop becomes a very easy recommendation.
Other Kyoto Options
Yokoyama Bamboo Store
Yokoyama Bamboo Store is a reasonable central-ish option if you want something more accessible than Takano Chikko but still a bit more specific than the cheapest group classes.
Gion Chopstick Making Workshop
The Gion workshop is good if you care most about being in a historic Kyoto area and want something straightforward.
Not the one I would choose for craft depth, but definitely easy to fit into a Kyoto itinerary.
Marumasu-Nishimuraya
This one works best for travelers who want a simple, affordable class in central Kyoto and do not need the experience to feel especially exclusive.
Kyomachiya Workshop Waraku
The main appeal here is the machiya setting in Higashiyama. If atmosphere matters more to you than the craft side itself, it has a nice angle.
Best Picks by Traveler Type
If you are still hesitating, this is how I would simplify it.
- Best overall in Tokyo: Mogami Kogei
- Best overall around Kyoto: Takano Chikko
- Best value in Tokyo: Kakehashi
- Best cheap and easy Tokyo option: the Kuramae artisan workshop
- Best cheap Kyoto-area option: the Nara workshop
- Best if you are already going to Kawagoe: Karaki Mokko
- Best if convenience matters more than craft depth: Shinjuku or Ginza
FAQ
Can Kids Join a Chopstick-Making Workshop?
Usually yes. This is one of the reasons the activity works well for families. Still, check age restrictions on the booking page before you reserve, because they are not the same everywhere.
Do I Need to Be Good With My Hands?
No.
If anything, being slightly clumsy makes the experience more entertaining. I was a very average student at Mogami Kogei and still left with chopsticks I was happy to take home.
How Long Do These Workshops Usually Last?
Most of them are around 30 minutes to 2 hours depending on the format.
The cheap tourist-facing classes are often shorter. The more premium workshops tend to be longer and more personal.
Should I Book in Advance?
Yes.
For the more premium options, I would definitely book ahead. For cheaper classes, last-minute availability can be better, but I still would not count on it during busy travel periods.
The Bottom Line
If you want a Japan activity that is fun, practical, and a little more personal than the usual souvenir stop, making your own chopsticks is easy to recommend.
If you want the best version of it in Tokyo, I would look at Mogami Kogei first.
If you want the Kyoto-area equivalent and are happy to pay more for something special, Takano Chikko is the strongest pick.
And if you just want a lighter, cheaper version of the activity, that is completely fine too. You do not need the most expensive class to enjoy this. You just need to book the option that fits the kind of trip you are actually having.
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