Artisans of Leisure can incorporate lessons in the traditional Japanese arts of refinement, including ikebana and tea ceremony, into our private tours of Japan.

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One of our favorite things about Japanese cuisine is the way it always incorporates the season through ingredients and presentation. One of the most fun, colorful, festive times of the year to enjoy this in Japan is cherry blossom season.

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Japanese culture takes design seriously, so it’s not surprising that even the most prosaic Japanese buildings can be thought-provoking, including The Tokyo Toilet project.

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Kurashiki is a picturesque historic town in western Japan that’s perfect for travelers wanting an off-the-beaten-path experience. 

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Ceramics are one of our favorite entry points into Japanese culture. Artisans of Leisure arranges private Japan tours that introduce travelers to the best of Japanese craft traditions.

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Enjoying a private dinner with geisha is one of Japan’s most exclusive and most unforgettable experiences. Icons of traditional Japanese culture, geisha and maiko (apprentice geisha) are professional performers who wear extravagant kimono, makeup and hair decorations while entertaining their guests Geisha typically perform in private ochaya (tea houses) that are clustered in historic neighborhoods […]

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Lacquerware is one of our favorite crafts from Japan, where is it known as urushi (lacquer), shikki (lacquerware) or nurimono (coated things). Ishikawa Prefecture is among the most famous of the many regions in Japan where lacquerware is produced. Kanazawa, the capital of Ishikawa and historically one of the most powerful castle towns in Japan, […]

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The tea ceremony is one of Japan’s most interesting and enduring artistic traditions. More than a ritual for preparing and drinking tea, the tea ceremony is a means to aesthetic appreciation and social interaction that has had a profound influence on Japanese art, architecture, gardens, cuisine and philosophy. What happens during a traditional Japanese tea […]

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