This 45-minute chopstick-making workshop takes place at HASHI LAB in a traditional Kyoto townhouse about 5 minutes on foot from Kyoto Station. In a small group of no more than 6 participants, you will choose your wood, shape the chopsticks yourself with a Japanese hand plane, smooth them with sandpaper and finish them with oil. Instructors speak English and Japanese, and the activity is wheelchair accessible.
The experience is fully hands-on rather than a demonstration or simple decorating session. You begin with rectangular pieces of natural wood and gradually turn them into a usable pair of chopsticks. HASHI LAB offers up to 12 different wood types, with four standard choices included in the base price and additional premium woods available as paid upgrades.
The differences between the woods are visible and tactile. Color, grain, density, weight and texture vary from one species to another, so the material you select affects not only how the finished chopsticks look but also how they feel in your hand. Staff explain the process step by step, making the workshop suitable even if you have never used woodworking tools before.
You take the finished chopsticks with you at the end of the session, making this both a short craft workshop and a practical souvenir experience. Personalized engraving is available for an additional fee, and GetYourGuide currently lists upgraded woods as another optional extra.
How the Kyoto Chopstick-Making Workshop Works
The entire experience lasts 45 minutes. After arriving at HASHI LAB, staff introduce the available woods and explain how differences in grain, color, weight and texture affect the finished pair.
You then select the material you want to work with. GetYourGuide currently advertises 12 wood types in total, with four options included in the standard price. Some premium woods require an additional payment.
Once you have chosen the wood, the hands-on work begins. Each participant uses a hand plane to gradually remove material and create the long, tapered shape of the chopsticks. A purpose-built guide helps keep the pieces controlled while you work, so no previous woodworking experience is required.
After shaping both pieces, you use sandpaper to smooth the surfaces and refine their feel. The final basic step is an oil finish, which enhances the natural grain and protects the wood while preserving its texture.
You can then take your finished pair home on the same day. If you want additional personalization, name or commemorative engraving is available as a paid option.
Choosing the Wood for Your Chopsticks
Choosing the wood is the first creative decision of the workshop. HASHI LAB works with a range of natural timbers selected for their different colors, grain patterns, weights and textures, including Japanese and other woods sourced from different regions.
GetYourGuide mentions examples such as cypress, cedar and maple. Rather than selecting purely by appearance, take a moment to hold the available pieces and compare their weight and surface. A lighter wood can produce a noticeably different pair from a denser material.
Standard and Premium Woods
The standard booking includes a choice from four wood types. The complete selection can reach 12 types, with certain woods offered as paid upgrades.
GetYourGuide currently lists wood upgrades from ¥1,500, but optional prices can change. Check the options shown at the workshop rather than choosing the activity solely on the basis of a particular upgrade price.
Whichever wood you choose, the essential workshop process remains the same: shaping, sanding and oil finishing are performed by you rather than by the instructor.
The Natural Scent of the Workshop
The wood is also part of the atmosphere of HASHI LAB. The studio keeps different natural timbers around the workspace, and freshly planed and sanded wood adds a noticeable scent to the room as participants work.
That sensory element makes the experience feel different from simply purchasing chopsticks in a shop. You see the grain before working, feel the material change under the plane and sandpaper, and leave with the object you shaped yourself.
Shaping, Sanding and Finishing Your Chopsticks
Shaping with a Hand Plane
The main woodworking step uses a Japanese hand plane. Instead of cutting the chopsticks to shape in a machine, you gradually shave the wood yourself until each piece reaches the desired profile.
This is where the workshop becomes more than a souvenir-customization activity. Small changes in pressure and the amount of material removed affect the thickness and feel of the finished chopsticks, while the guide helps you keep the pair balanced.
HASHI LAB developed its tools and dedicated chopstick-making guides with Kyoto craftspeople so that beginners can perform the process safely and still produce a finished pair they can actually use.
Sanding the Surface
After the basic shape is complete, sandpaper is used to remove roughness and refine the surfaces. This stage affects how comfortable the chopsticks feel against your fingers and helps correct small irregularities left during planing.
You can also pay attention to how the grain becomes more visible as the surface becomes smoother. Because no two pieces of natural wood have identical patterns, the finished pair retains its own appearance even when several participants choose the same species.
Oil Finishing
The final standard step is applying oil to the wood. HASHI LAB uses this process to bring out the natural color and grain while giving the surface a more finished feel and helping protect the material for continued use.
Once the oil has been applied, your pair is complete and can be taken with you the same day.
Engraving and the Finished Chopsticks
If you want to personalize the finished pair, HASHI LAB offers optional engraving for a name, date or other short commemorative detail. This can make the chopsticks easier to identify at home or turn them into a more personal gift.
GetYourGuide currently lists personalized engraving at an additional ¥1,000. As with premium woods, this is an optional extra rather than part of the standard workshop price, and current charges should be checked when you attend.
The advantage of the workshop is that the final object remains practical. Rather than leaving with a decorative craft made only for display, you create a pair of chopsticks intended to be used after your trip.
The combination of wood choice, hand shaping and optional engraving also means that two participants following exactly the same instructions can leave with noticeably different pairs.
Location and Practical Information
The workshop takes place at HASHI LAB’s Kyoto Station main shop at 509-2 Minamicho, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto 600-8232. The operator describes it as approximately a 5-minute walk from Kyoto Station’s Central Exit.
The location makes the workshop particularly easy to combine with an arrival or departure day because it requires less than an hour and does not involve traveling to an outlying district of Kyoto.
GetYourGuide currently limits each session to a maximum of 6 participants. The workshop is also listed as wheelchair accessible.
Instructors speak English and Japanese, and GetYourGuide specifically describes the activity as suitable for first-time participants and children. However, the current GetYourGuide page does not publish a minimum age, so check the participant options for your selected date if you are booking for a young child.
Free cancellation is currently available until 24 hours before the activity for a full refund. GetYourGuide also offers a reserve-now, pay-later option under its current booking conditions.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Long Does the Kyoto Chopstick-Making Workshop Last?
The workshop lasts 45 minutes. Available starting times depend on the date selected when booking.
Where Does the Workshop Take Place?
It takes place at HASHI LAB’s Kyoto Station main shop at 509-2 Minamicho, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto, approximately 5 minutes on foot from Kyoto Station’s Central Exit.
What Do I Make During the Workshop?
You make one pair of wooden chopsticks yourself by choosing the wood, shaping it with a hand plane, sanding the surfaces and applying an oil finish.
How Many Types of Wood Can I Choose From?
GetYourGuide currently advertises 12 wood types in total, with four standard choices included in the base price. Other woods may require an additional payment.
Is Engraving Included?
No. Personalized engraving is optional. GetYourGuide currently lists it at an additional ¥1,000.
Are Premium Woods Included?
Four standard wood choices are included. GetYourGuide currently lists upgraded woods from ¥1,500, depending on the material selected.
What Languages Are Spoken?
The instructors speak English and Japanese.
How Large Is the Group?
GetYourGuide limits the workshop to a maximum of 6 participants per session.
Is the Workshop Wheelchair Accessible?
Yes. GetYourGuide currently lists the activity as wheelchair accessible.
Can Children Participate?
GetYourGuide specifically describes the workshop as suitable for children and beginners, but its current activity page does not state a minimum age. Check the available participant categories for your date when booking.
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