mon cadeau - kintsugi workshop - Shibuya, Tokyo

Jessica Jowett

This is long overdue but still goes to show how this experience has stuck with me! I visited in August with my boyfriend and had a special time - easily our favorite memory in Tokyo and tops our 5 weeks of travel overall (includes Hawaii, Texas, New York City). Here are all the reasons why:

- There was some trouble locating the business and she (and her Kiwi husband!) were so gracious in waiting and helping us find it

- Started with a lovely serving of wagashi and matcha

- Your pick of small plates to perform kintsugi

- Switching to reggae after hearing my boyfriends' ties to Jamaica (got really lively after that!)

- Offering to fix AND SHIP my boyfriend's piece!!! His was a particularly complex break and we were running out of time so she personally offered to fix it over the coming days and ship it to our next hotel in Osaka! It arrived in perfect condition along with a touching note and is my boyfriend's most treasured item in the kitchen now.

- Giving my boyfriend a different piece to the line work on while I finished mine (to take that home too!)

- Packed HANDFULS of the tea we were drinking when my boyfriend asked what flavor!

- And finally the host herself, Michiko, an incredible woman who made this day standout and who welcomed us into her life. Her kindness, thoughtfulness, humor, and joy stays with us and we are lucky to have spent time with her. We were either smiling or laughing the whole time - we didn't want to leave!

And for any new patrons that may run into a similar issue of finding it, I've included a picture of the building it's located in. Go inside and use the keypad to the left along with the information in the email she sends ahead of time.

Kelly O'Shea

What a great experience- probably the highlight of my trip to Japan. Everything about this class was warm and welcoming, from the teacher to the apartment to the classical music playing in the background. Michiko-san is a great instructor, patient and willing to help, offering tips and gentle corrections. Starting with the welcome matcha and sweets to the absolutely beautiful final product, I enjoyed every minute and would highly recommend.

yumiko miyazaki

日本古来の技法で漆や金を用いて美しく器を継ぐ金継ぎは馴染みも薄く敷居の高い習い事でした。

こちらの教室は、とてもリラックスした雰囲気の中、先生は抹茶を点てて私たちを迎えてくれ、どのような器でも初めから一つ一つ丁寧に教えてくれます。

多くの工程、時間を掛けて自らの手で継いだ器はより愛着深いものとなり、日常に新たな潤いをもたらしてくれます。

Joyce Shi Sim

Short story: Great intimate experience! Highly recommend!

Long story: I was on vacation in Japan and did not do any homework on booking classes etc beforehand. Luckily, mon cadeau had space for me for a kintsugi class! I have been potting for several years now and have beloved pieces that broke so have been looking around to learn kintsugi. This was the perfect opportunity!

After I book and paid for the next day (which was really easy online), I got an email from Michiko-sensei on detailed directions. This was super helpful because if you have been to Japan, the addresses are not the easiest to follow.

It turns out I was the only student that day so I got a private lesson! My partner dropped me off and Michiko-sensei invited him into her place as well and offered us both tea. The nice cold tea was necessary given how hot it has been.

Michiko-sensei also prepared matcha along with wonderful Japanese sweets for me for during the class. Michiko-sensei started the lesson by going through a brief introduction to Kintsugi, which she also had nicely printed out for you to bring home. We started the first step of kintsugi: pick a broken small plate from a selection. Then, we have to wait after the reassembly part so she continues on the intro of kintsugi and also showing me traditional kintsugi pieces that she or her students were working on. They were beautiful! I had plenty of question along the way and she was super nice to answer all of them! She made the whole process smooth as she checks my handiwork through each step and suggest improvements that can be made.

Meanwhile, as we waited for the piece to dry in between steps, we also talked about kimonos and yukatas as she is a kimono specialist! I also learn about great pottery places from her.

I learnt plenty about kintsugi and had fun conversations with Michiko-sensei! I hope to return for longer to learn about traditional kintsugi.

Aki Takayama

和の文化に精通された先生のセンスの良いお宅でのレッスン。お皿の素材や色に合わせて丁寧に継ぎ方を教えて下さるので、初心者にもとてもわかりやすいお教室です。先生のお人柄とセンスの良さで毎回のレッスンがとても楽しく和やかで、特別な時間を過ごさせて頂いています。洗練された美しい空間で、金継ぎを通して和の文化に浸りたい方におすすめです♪ 日本人の友人はもちろん、日本の文化に興味のある外国人の友人にも絶対にお勧めしようお思います。

鈴木直美

なんといっても、お稽古を始める前に先生がお抹茶をたてて美しいお菓子と一緒におもてなしくださり、日々の慌ただしさを忘れさせてくださいます！
漆の扱い、器に合わせる「金」も淡い色から濃いものまであり、作業一つひとつ
が「器を育てる」穏やかな時間です。オシャレで「はつらつ」とした先生のライフスタイルに刺激を受けるお稽古は、毎回楽しみです。
海外の方に大注目されている金継ぎですが、グローバルに活躍のMICHIKO先生のレッスンは東京滞在中に是非おすすめです！

Asami

お気に入りの割れた自分のグラスやお皿を持ち込んで楽しく直しています。センスのいいご自宅サロンで美味しいお茶をいただきながらインテリアやしつらえも参考になります。時間はかかっても直したものを使えると愛着も増します。日本の素晴らしい技術金継ぎを楽しく学ばせてもらっています。

Yoko Akimoto

閑静な住宅街にあるマンションの一室でレッスンがあります。その室内は落ち着く空間で非日常を感じさせ、とても癒されます。先生の楽しい会話と明るい人柄もあり、レッスンが毎回待ち遠しいです。思い出がつまった大切な食器を漆や金箔を使って修復する作業は、ひとりの世界に没頭し、日ごろのストレスを忘れさせてくれる喜びもあります。
再び息を吹き返した食器を食卓に並べることで子供たちも日本の伝統文化を感じているようです。日本の方だけではなく、日本文化を愛する外国の方にもとてもおすすめのレッスンです。