Get the chance to handcraft your own sudare bamboo mats in the graduated kasumi style during this hands-on experience. Join professionals in a sudare factory and learn the techniques behind the traditional Japanese art before making your own set of 2 to take home.

Head to Kawasaki Sudare, one of the few remaining sudare factories in Japan, to learn the craft of mat-making from an expert. Sudare are screens or blinds woven from bamboo slats and braided yarn–though the art dates back 1,400 years in Kyoto, it is a rare form of traditional art now. A professional shows you how to braid the yarn before weaving the bamboo together with it.

As you watch, learn about the different styles of sudare, which create different visual effects. After your demonstration, get the chance to make your own mats in the graduated kasumi style. Choose your preferred colours for bamboo and yarn, then get to braiding and weaving. At the end of your session, you can take your mats, which roll up for easy transport, home with you as one-of-a-kind souvenirs.