Onigawara Creation Class: Personalized Crafting in Homey Workshop Environment

Create your own personalized Onigawara in a small, cozy workshop environment. No experience necessary - anyone can easily make these traditional Japanese roof tiles!

Duration: 2 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • 373 Yamazakichō - To celebrate our opening, we are currently offering a special discount price.
    We accept groups of 5 or more people.
    Up to 40 people
    For groups, the location will change.
    In this experience, we will explore the history of Kawara—the traditional roof tiles of Japan. Typically featuring a design with the fearless faces of ogres and…
What's Included
  • Bottled water provided
What's Not Included
  • Epron
Additional Information

Hi everyone♪
Welcome to Kyoto
Do you know ONIGAWARA? It is on the rooftop of Japanese temples and old houses.
It’s a talisman with a scary face. It has a history of about 1378 to 1400 years.
Although it looks difficult, we have developed a method that makes it easy to make.
Anyone can easily make it.
Everything is handmade from lumps of soil.
Would you…

Location
瓦工房 You家 kawarakoubouyouya
Please come to my store, a 10-minute walk from Shimizu Gojo Station. Please look for the name Kawara Kobo You on Google Maps.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(53 Ratings)
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Lauren_s
Feb 23, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A truly unforgettable Kyoto experience! - We absolutely loved this onigawara (traditional ridge-end tile) workshop in Kyoto, it was amazing for all ages and skill levels! From start to finish, the experience was warm, fun, and creatively inspiring. Our teacher/artisan was incredibly kind, patient, and encouraging, taking us through the process step by step so even complete beginners felt confident and excited. The hands-on instruction made every moment enjoyable and accessible. What sets this workshop apart is the unique souvenir you take home your very own piece of art that’s deeply connected to Japanese culture and history. Instead of just buying something generic, you walk away with a personal piece woven into Kyoto’s architectural tradition. Another uncommon and fantastic bonus is that your fired tile is shipped to you after the experience, something you don’t often get with pottery classes! This was one of the most memorable cultural experiences we had in Kyoto, and we highly recommend it to all visitors — families, couples, solo travelers, and art lovers alike.
Review provided by Viator
416victoriaz
Jan 15, 2026
Amazing experience such fun if have some extra time in Kyoto a must do. - An amazing experience if you have some extra time in Kyoto a must do. Such fun and a great teacher even if you not artsy at all.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
David_m
Dec 24, 2025
Fun time for family - Lovely time, seeing the quite varried results that the family made. They were definatly unique, from looking like a baby dropped on the floor to a stack of tubes and triangles.
Review provided by Viator
Traysee50
Dec 17, 2025
Fun activity to do while in Kyoto - What a great way to spend time together as a family. It was a fun, interesting and very different experience away from temples and shrines. The provider was patient, kind and spoke soon English. Plus he will fire them in a kiln and send them back to your home company. A magnificent 2 hours of crafting. Thank you.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Madeleine_b
Nov 29, 2025
Great time getting creative! - Had the best time! The instructor was amazing, clear instructions meant that even though I am creatively challenged I still managed to make a great looking statue. Shipping went smoothly and my statue arrived undamaged. I ended up being the only booking that day and they didn’t cancel the entire class, which I always appreciate. Perfect experience!
Review provided by Viator
Andrewbx9389ph
Nov 27, 2025
Unique and rewarding experience - The host did an awesome job at making being patient and giving us a step by step instructions. I was def the weak link artistically of the group but the host made sure I was caught up and couldn’t have been nicer. Would highly recommend to anyone visiting Kyoto as it was truly a unique experience.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lilian_m
Nov 24, 2025
Get creative with high-temperature Japanese ceramics - This is a great creative experience!! The teacher is an artist and gives you the opportunity to create a great Japan ease piece of art with a great meaning and history. It is a very nice and easy way to get creative with natural high temperature ceramic with a process that will not fail and looks amazing ! I do recommend this experience for everyone !
Review provided by Viator
Birdbrains1959
Nov 18, 2025
Wonderful Experience - Very enjoyable experience with Japanese business owner. I was even able to mail my onigawara home after the class, keeping my luggage light.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Carol_s
Nov 11, 2025
Working with clay to make... - Working with clay to make onigawara, the traditional demon-face tiles found on Kyoto roofs, was a delightful and fun experience! Yuya, our instructor, is a master onigawara artisan who patiently makes every step very easy and enjoyable, even for those who've never worked with clay before. We had a lovely afternoon and will have our finished onigawara delivered to us once they've been fired in the kiln. The process gave us an appreciation for the dedicated labor that goes into making Kyoto's beautiful, traditional artifacts. Highly recommended!
Review provided by Viator
Julia_s
Nov 3, 2025
I definitely recommend... - I definitely recommend this! It was a really nice way to spend a morning, very relaxing and peaceful. Yuuya-san is a wonderful teacher (and amazing sculptor!!) who is able to break down a complicated end product into very easy steps. I’d definitely do it again!
Review provided by Viator
From $85
up to 5 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).