It’s nothing like a making blankets or scarfs. Amigurumi is usually a 3-dimensional stuffed toy. What makes amigurumi so special? Almost every young girl will be tempted to make one because they are so cute and fun to make. It can be a present, for room decoration, or maybe as a phone strap.

Hakata Ori is a special type of weaving with silk textile used to make kimonos and obis (sashes). High quality Chinese silk matched with the weaving style of Hakata Ori was unmatched in the whole of Japan. Hakata Ori became the choice textile for wealthy merchants, samurai and the ruling class in Japan. Let’s look how Hakata Ori began and became so famous.

Okawachiyama, Saga. As soon as you get off the bus, sightseeing starts. You see the mountains in the background, narrow roads, pottery and porcelain everywhere, a stream and cute little bridges over it.

Join the Traditional Japanese Indigo Dyeing workshop at Nihon Minka-en in Kawasaki City for the one-of-a-kind experience of designing and dyeing your own unique handerchief, bandana or t-shirt. Even beginners can have lots of fun with this traditional Japanese craft.

Once the Kingdom of the Ryukyus, a distinct local culture flourished, with strong influences from China, Indonesia, and other neighbors, who traded dyes, tools, and techniques. Many of these beautiful handicrafts survive today, so when in Okinawa, skip the mass produced souvenirs, and have fun making your own instead.

A central town in Hokkaido known for its picturesque landscape, Furano holds one novel treasure: Ningle Terrace, a group of 15 cottages hidden in the woods next to one of Furano’s most popular resorts, New Furano Prince Hotel.

Knives used to carve them are specialized tools called “satou” or “hidari-ba” which are more like tiny scrapers than knives. They look like dental picks for mythical creatures to be used by monstrous dentists. I acquired my first set of satou knives from master carver Kazuaki Nakamura but I needed a knife suited to my individual needs: One that was curved in the opposite direction to the knife included in the set.

One such art is Maki-e, (蒔絵) a traditional Japanese lacquer painting. Maki means “sprinkling” and e means "picture". It is the most basic technique of a pattern of lacquerware making that is traditionally painted on plates, trays, mirrors, cups, boxes and other objects made from bamboo or wood, but also sometimes paper, leather or basket materials.

Do you like pottery? Do you want to test out your slab building-skills or get a special souvenir to bring back home? Look no further than Kobushi Kiln, the oldest pottery kiln in Hokkaido. Kobushi Kiln is a three-generation family kiln that was opened in 1946.

What was it like folding one thousand origami cranes? Not nearly as challenging as you might think! We began the task of folding our cranes in May about four months before the wedding.

If you love the season, but don't like the cold, the Ryukyu Islands invite to a mild but non-the-less eventful Christmas. Here are five things to do on Okinawa-honto this December.

Be amazed at how the workers are very dedicated in creating nothing but perfect quality products worthy of the company name.