Whittle Your Own Chopsticks at Kiyomizudera
Kyoto has never been short on things to watch being made. This summer, at Kiyomizudera, visitors can make chopsticks themselves.
By AAJ Editorial TeamShimizu Bashi, a chopstick-making experience, was launched on June 23, 2026, at Yukkuri-tei, a venue within the grounds of Kiyomizudera temple in Kyoto.
Shimizu Bashi opens at Yukkuri-tei, within Kiyomizudera, from June 23, 2026
From Ginza to Kyoto
The experience is run by Mokkobo Kura, a woodworking brand founded in Echizen City, Fukui Prefecture, in 1935. In 2024, the company launched Ginza Bashi, a chopstick-making experience in Ginza, Tokyo, which now draws more than 3,000 visitors each month, many of them travelers from abroad.
Participants shape their own pair of chopsticks using a kanna, a Japanese hand plane. The session also covers chopstick etiquette, table manners, and the concept of mottainai—the Japanese value of using things fully and wasting nothing.
Wood from Otowayama
The wood comes from Otowayama, the mountain long associated with Kiyomizudera. Using every part of the wood is a value central to Japanese woodworking culture.
Shaping your own chopsticks with a kanna (hand plane)
Wood from Otowayama, the mountain closely associated with Kiyomizudera
A Memory That Gets Better with Use
Unlike most craft experiences in Kyoto, your finished piece can go directly into daily use. The wood changes color and character with use over time.
International participants at the workshop
DATA
Experience: Shimizu Bashi (chopstick-making workshop)
Location: Yukkuri-tei, within the grounds of Kiyomizudera, Kyoto
Started: June 23, 2026
Activity: Make your own chopsticks from Otowayama wood
Duration: Roughly 30–40 minutes (※subject to confirmation)
Operated by: Mokkobo Kura (Echizen City, Fukui Prefecture)
Official website: https://ginzabashi.com/
