Bamboo Time - We met at the train station and the proceeded to walk through the Bamboo Forest. Noriko was very knowledgeable and took the time to tell us all about it. Once we got to her work shop she explained everything to us. We all had a great time. I would definitely recommend this to all my friends.

An amazing souvenir - An unusual activity but so fun, and an amazing souvenir to take back home. Thank you for the workshop.

Unique experience! - When we travel, my kids and I enjoy doing experience based workshops. I found this and was excited to try it. Unfortunately the dates that we would be in Kyoto did not have any availability so I emailed in to ask if it was full or just not open. To my surprise, Noriko, responded that although she wouldn't be able to hold the workshop, her son and husband would. She opened the date up for me and we booked it! On the day of the tour, Azusa (Noriko's son) messaged me to tell me where to meet. He was there promptly and held a small sign so you could identify who he was (the sign had the workshop name). Azusa was so well spoken and still in high school! We were just amazed by him as at a young age, he speaks multiple languages and has already done a study abroad! We first did a walking tour of the bamboo forest which took about 10 minutes to get to. He was really knowledgeable about bamboo. After walking through, we walked about 10-15 more minutes to get to his family's workshop. Here, his Dad was waiting for us. His Dad spoke in Japanese and was more the craftsman while Azusa guided us in English on what to do. They had precut and prebaked bamboo pieces and you first select your bamboo cut (they had various sizes and also some with flat tops and some that were cut at an angle). Then you select a pattern from their book. The more holes, the more intricate and more time it'll take. Azusa and his Dad then taught us how to drill holes (they changed out the bits depending on the sizes needed for your pattern). After drilling all of the holes, you can use their hole files to file down any rough edged holes. They shoot the dust out for you, give you an LED light and wrap it for you to take home. This was such a unique experience with a take home souvenir iconic of the bamboo forest. In addition, it was nice to support a family's small business and get to meet some locals. I would highly recommend this workshop!

Fantastic Experience - Love the experience whereby I got to craft a real bamboo art piece. Host was extremely welcoming and would engage in a conversation with you so the experience would not be a boring one. Best part about this workshop is that, it is located near the bamboo forest. Meet up will be at Arashiyama Station, after which the host would give you 2 options, one is to walk directly to her home or two, it would be to walk through the bamboo forest n then to her home, so if you would like to catch a glimpse of the bamboo forest, the 2nd option would be perfect, its a win win situation for me. Host was also nice to serve me tea with snacks and to constantly checked that you are drilling in the right direction, to ensure that your drilling is going smoothly.

Best activity for older kids - We had a wonderful experience. Perfect activity for older kids in the midst of walking through bamboo garden and shrines. My kids and nieces loved it. It was so much fun. Creating their own design and working the machinery.

Amazing Experience - After a long day of walking this was a very relaxing and enjoyable experience creating our own keepsake lanterns. We love how they turned out thanks to our wonderful teacher!

Awesome time making the bamboo lantern - Nori is a friendly, courteous instructor. From our meeting point, we walked through the famous bamboo forest (part way) and ducked out to a lovely neighborhood until we reached her studio. The space was clean, bright, and wonderfully set up. Her English is flawless so everyone was comfortable conversing with her. The lantern project was delightfully fun. (My recommendation is to select a design that has several larger holes because it’s not only easier to drill but more light comes through once completed.) You’ll enjoy this experience!

Great family activity - Noriko is very very kind. She was also very patient with my twin 11 year old boys. Also very knowledgeable as my one boy had sooooo many questions and she answered everything for him in perfect English. She walked us through the bamboo forest where she took some spectacular pictures of us. We went through the forest the day before with another tour but just got ordinary pictures. The 15-20 minute walk was worth it for us because of those pictures. We brought home our lanterns in our carry on luggage with no issues. The lanterns are sitting beside our beds looking as a one of a kind piece of art work. Not the usual tourist souvenir. Highly recommend this activity.

Above and Beyond - The host took us on a tour of Arashiyama before leading us to the workshop for the craft. She shared fascinating information about local history and bamboo. She was an excellent teacher for the workshop and our lanterns came out beautifully! We had a blast and would wholeheartedly recommend this experience to anybody!

Truly Memorable Experience - My husband and I are so thankful that we found this experience! Not only is Nori talented and knowledgeable, but she is an absolute delight. She took us on a walk through the bamboo forest and told us so much about the plant itself before we got to her workshop. On the way, she also told us a lot of the history of the area. And then the workshop portion was so much fun! We picked our designs and Nori made sure we were comfortable with the crafting process before we started on our own pieces, and she was ready to help when needed. Not only do we now have beautiful, hand-made souvenirs, but we also have this great experience to look back on. We would highly recommend this experience to anyone traveling to Kyoto - thank you, Nori!!!