Visiting Kobaien in Nara and Kyoto, Japan

You can visit inkstick making at Kobaien Headquarters during the winter months. This is between November and March of the following year.

 Reservation needed. After reading the information below, please contact us at iCHI Inc.

We are the authorized Kobaien inkstick dealer for the international market. For this reason, we have been entrusted by the Kobaien headquarters to handle inquiries from overseas. The website you right now is operated by us.

The tour  is guided by Kobaien staff and is conducted in Japanese only. He/She will use the translation function on a smartphone or tablet to communicate with you.

The tour is offered only as a set with our Nigiri-zumi (hand-shaped ink stick) making experience, and the fee for this experience serves as your tour fee. They are unable to accept tour-only visits without the experience.

The experience is available on weekdays. Morning sessions can be booked at 11:00 am, while afternoon sessions start at 1:00 p.m. only. They are closed on Saturdays, Sundays, and national holidays.

About the Nigiri-zumi Experience

Their craftsman will cut a portion from the soft ink dough he has just kneaded and hand it to you. As you squeeze it in your hand, you will create a one-of-a-kind ink stick that carries the shape of your fingers, the creases of your hand, and even your fingerprints.

The fee ranges from 4,400 to 22,000 Japanese yen, depending on the type of ink the craftsman is making that day. Because the craftsman decides the exact price on the day, they are unable to tell you in advance. If you feel the price is too high when you visit our store, you are welcome to cancel the experience before the tour begins.

Drying and Shipping

Your Nigiri-zumi needs time to dry, so it takes about 2 to 3 months to complete.  they will then send it to your address by Japan Post EMS (International Express Mail Service).

Shipping costs vary by destination country and are charged per person. They must be paid in advance, separately from the experience fee. It's around 4,000 - 5,000 Japanese yen

If you agree to the above and would like to join, please let me know. I will check whether the tour can be arranged on those dates.

For Guests from the United States

They are currently unable to ship Nigiri-zumi from Kobaien to the United States, so guests from the U.S. cannot take part in the Nigiri-zumi making experience. Instead of the experience fee, they kindly ask U.S. guests to purchase products (such as ink sticks) worth 5,000 yen or more per person at our store in order to join the tour.

Please contact us using this inquiry page if you are interested in.

If you wish to visit Kobaien, please be sure to be on time,  respectaful, and follow the instructions of the staff.

If you are unable to make it, please be sure to contact us.

Kobaien, or any traditional Japanese industrial workshop, IS NOT a tourist attraction like the Disneyland, a museum, or a zoo.

It is a place where real craftsmen are painstakingly making valuables art works. Everybody have the utmost respect for the craftsmen and staff to support them at Kobaien.

The reason for the set tour times is to ensure that visitors disturb the craftsmen and people of Kobaien as little as possible.

Please be sure to be on time, respectable, and follow the instructions of the staff on site.

• Address:
  Tsubaicho 7, Nara city, Nara, Japan
  奈良県奈良市椿井町7
• Office hours:
  9:00am - 17:00 am ( Monday - Friday)
  
   Inkstick making in traditional way in Japan is held in winter time, usually between November to March. The manufacturing studios are closed in summer. 
  
  
• Closed:
  Saturday, Sunday and National holidays of Japan
• Vegetarian Support in Nara
  If you or your partner is a vegetarian, here's a vegan restaurant list of central Nara city.
  https://vegewel.com/en/area/191
  There's a big supermarket which sells fresh vegetables in the underground mall of JR Nara Station. You can purchase kitchen knife and plates ( if hotel doesn't provide them with you ) at a 1 dollar store at the 2nd floor of also JR Nara station. 
  
  

• Address:
  Yohojimaecho 716-1, Nijonoboru, Teramachi-dori, Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto city, Kyoto, Japan
  京都市中京区寺町通二条上る要法寺前町716番地の1
• Office hours:
  9:00am - 17:30 am ( Monday - Saturday)
• Closed:
  Sunday and National holidays of Japan