Kanazawa
Kanazawa Glass Art Workshop: Sandblast Your Own Glass with a Young Artist in a 100-Year-Old Machiya
A 75-minute glass workshop (¥7,000) inside a 100-year-old Kanazawa machiya, led by working glass artist Miku Kono. You tour her kura gallery, learn sandblasting basics, then carve your own design into a glass cutlery rest to take home. No drawing experience needed; the session ends with tea in the …
Activity duration
About 2 hours
Start times (JST)
10:00, 12:00, 14:00
Maximum Participants
Up to 6 people
Languages
Japanese, English
Meeting place
In Kanazawa House (Machiya) · Hotel pickup available
Overview
For ¥7,000, spend 75 minutes with glass artist Miku Kono inside a 100-year-old Kanazawa townhouse. See how her work is made, carve your own design into glass with a sandblaster, and finish over a cup of tea. You leave with a glass cutlery rest made by your own hand.
Taught by the artist, not a stand-in
Miku was born in Osaka in 1997 and left home to study glass. She trained at the Toyama City Institute of Glass Art, worked at Toyama Glass Studio, then spent 2022–2025 at Kanazawa Utatsuyama Crafts Workshop, where the city raises its next generation of makers. Her vessels, objects and jewelry are about small, quiet moments of light. This isn't a souvenir-shop class. You sit at the bench of a working artist, early in a career worth following.
A dye house, a storehouse, a studio
The session takes place in one of Kanazawa's larger wooden machiya, built a century ago as a dye shop. The beams, joinery and garden are original. Miku's pieces are shown in the old kura storehouse on the ground floor; her studio is upstairs.
What you'll do
- Walk the kura gallery with Miku. Some pieces are sold only here
- Go upstairs to her studio and see how glass is shaped by hot work, kiln work and cold work, through video and finished pieces
- Draw your own design on a glass cutlery rest, large or small
- Sandblast it: sand and air slowly wear the glass away until your lines rise from the surface
- Sit down for tea in the machiya
No drawing skills needed. Miku teaches in English and Japanese.
Go with a Local
Book with a Local and they'll pick you up at your hotel, walk you over through the neighborhood, and tell you where they'd eat or wander afterwards. One workshop becomes half a day in Kanazawa, spent the way people who live here spend it.
At a glance
| Price | ¥7,000 per person |
| Duration | 75 minutes |
| Start times | 10:00 / 12:00 / 14:00 |
| Group size | 1–6 guests (shared class) |
| What you make | A sandblasted glass cutlery rest (large or small) |
| Included | Gallery and studio tour, materials and tools, your glass piece, tea |
| Where | In Kanazawa House, 1-4-28 Hosai, Kanazawa |
| Language | English / Japanese |
FAQ
Do I need any art skills?
No. You draw a simple design and the sandblaster does the carving. Miku helps you at every step.
Is it a good plan for a rainy day in Kanazawa?
Yes. Everything happens indoors, in the gallery, studio and tea room of the machiya. Kanazawa's weather turns quickly, so it's an easy one to keep in your back pocket.
Is this a private session?
No. It's a shared class of up to 6 guests, small enough to ask Miku anything.
Can I take my glass home the same day?
[要確認]
Can children join?
[要確認：参加可能年齢]
Operated by
Presented by: Ishikawa Locals Network
Route
- 1
Meet at the Machiya
rrive at In Kanazawa House, a spacious wooden townhouse that once housed a dye shop. Its original beams and garden are still here. Your Local meets you at the entrance, or staff welcome you if you come on your own.
- 2
The Kura Gallery
Meet Miku Kono, the glass artist whose studio this is. Born in Osaka in 1997, she trained in Toyama and spent three years at Kanazawa Utatsuyama Crafts Workshop, the city's program for emerging makers. She leads you into the old storehouse where her work is shown, and talks you through the pieces — what she was after, and how each one was made. Some are sold only here.
- 3
Inside the Studio
Head upstairs to her studio. With video and real pieces, see how glass is born and shaped — hot work at the furnace, kiln work, and cold work at the bench.
- 4
Draw and Sandblast
Pick a large or small glass cutlery rest and draw your design on it. Then carve it with a sandblaster: sand and air slowly wear the glass away until your design rises from the surface. That's the moment most guests remember.
- 5
Tea in the Machiya
Sit down for tea while your piece is cleaned and wrapped. A good time to ask Miku anything you're curious about, then head out with your glass in hand.
What's included
- Local insights and insider tips
- Food and drink
Gallery and studio tour with the artist, sandblasting materials and tools, your glass cutlery rest, tea
Not included
- Transportation fee
- Other personal expenses
Local accompaniment fee (if selected), purchases at the studio
Optional add-ons
- Local guide, with hotel pickup if you'd like (+¥8,000 per group, tax incl.)
If you choose to be guided by Locals, the host arranges Locals to guide you on the day. You can also ask them to pick you up at your hotel.
What happens after you request
- 1
Send your request
Pick your dates and party size and send a request. No payment yet.
- 2
Decide the details together
Chat with Kohaku Co., Ltd. to work out the date, plan, and final price together.
- 3
Pay securely
Once confirmed, pay through a secure link to lock in your booking.
- 4
Enjoy your experience
Enjoy the day. You can leave a review afterwards.
For cancellation fees, see our Cancellation Policy.
Meeting point
In Kanazawa House (Machiya)
1-4-28 Hosai, Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan
Your Local will meet you at the entrance 10 minutes before start. Without a Local, ring at the entrance and tell staff you booked through WOW U.
Hotel pickup available
Locals can also pick you up at your hotel instead. You can choose this and enter your hotel when you send the booking request (or tell us later in the chat).
Pickup available from hotels and guesthouses in Kanazawa City (taxi fare, if used, paid by you). Outside Kanazawa City, the Local's round-trip transport is added. Message us for details.
Things to know
- Please arrive 10 minutes early; this is a shared class and starts on time.
- Sandblasting produces fine dust; the studio provides what you need, but avoid your best clothes.
- Shoes come off inside the machiya — socks are a good idea.
- Groups of 7 or more: send us a message before booking.
More to explore in Kanazawa
Spots in the same area as this activity. Some may be a train or car ride away.
Kanazawa
Kanazawa Castle Park
400-year-old stone walls rebuilt by hand, blossom-ringed each spring.
Kanazawa
Higashi Chaya District
Candlelit teahouse streets where geisha culture still lingers at dusk.