i.
Welcome tea
You’re greeted at the atelier with a seasonal cup of tea. Your teacher walks you through the materials and the day ahead.
Maana Atelier · Workshop
Earthen Wall
Workshop.
Make your own art panel using tsuchikabe — a traditional machiya wall material of clay, rice straw, sand, and seaweed.
2 hoursOne session
Maana AtelierNishijin, Kyoto
Up to 8Per session
¥38,000Materials included
The craft
Tsuchikabe土壁
Tsuchikabe, or earthen wall, is a key material in Kyoto’s traditional machiyas, valued not only for its durability but also for the way it supports physical and mental well-being.
A distinctive blend of clay, rice straw, sand, and seaweed, crafted by skilled craftspeople called Sakans. In our workshop, discover this traditional craft by making your own earthen wall art panel, a piece of Japan’s heritage to bring home in a meaningful way.
Your keepsake
What you’ll take home
Each panel you shape is yours to keep. A piece of Kyoto’s machiya tradition, finished by your own hand and ready to display in your home.
- 01
The panel
H45 × W36 × D2 cm, on a lightweight wooden frame. Hangs flush, like a small tile of earth.
- 02
Yours the same day
Your panel will take a day to fully dry, but you can take it home once the workshop ends, wrapped in soft padding so it fits flat in your luggage. No fragile fuss.
- 03
A wall that breathes
The same earthen mix that calms a Kyoto machiya. It softens sound, balances humidity, and settles a room.
The session
How you’ll spend it
Spend 2 hours at the atelier with your teacher, guided from start to finish.
ii.
Mixing
Bringing natural elements together, judging texture by feel. Balancing rice straw, sand, and seaweed under guidance from your teacher.
iii.
Application
Trowel work onto your panel. Layering and smoothing — the small choices that make the piece yours.
iv.
Finishing
Texture, colour, edges. We pack your panel in light wrapping so it travels home safely.
Reserve
Upcoming sessions
All times JST · GMT+9
From past guests
What people say
Guests come for an afternoon and leave with a panel, but here’s what stuck with them after returning home.
One of the most unique experiences I had in Japan. The moderator spoke perfect English and the space was so calming. Highly recommended.
S S · Google review
Inspiring to learn the ways Japan uses ancient materials in buildings around Kyoto. Creating our own piece with full creative freedom made it a beautiful experience.
Stephan Knight · Google review
The warm environment of the renovated machiya and Tomomi’s nurturing teaching style. Smells of tea, earth and sea flowed into good conversations. My aunt and I created a beautiful memory and two art pieces together.
Dennis Aydemir · Google review
Guest panels
The city · 京都
A reason to come to Kyoto.京の手しごと
Kyoto runs at half-speed. Temple bells in the early hours. Shop curtains drifting at noon. The river quiet by dusk. The seasons change without asking permission — cherry, plum, maple, snow.
You arrive at Maana Atelier on a small street in Nishijin, the old weavers’ district. Inside, the machiya keeps its own air: cool stone, soft daylight, the smell of clay.
Questions
Practical things.
The space
Maana Atelier.
Maana Atelier is a multi-faceted space created to explore the ever-expanding passions and new offerings for our community. This traditional machiya is thoughtfully restored to reveal its raw beauty and imperfections — a place for exploration through workshops, community events, and more.
- Hours
- Maana Atelier is only open to workshop participants.
- Private
- For private bookings, please email atelier@maana.jp.
- Getting there
- By taxi (recommended), or take the Karasuma Line 烏丸線 to Kuramaguchi 鞍馬口 station — 10 minutes on foot from there.
In collaboration withLearn more
Kyoto Research Institute
Kyoto Research Institute was founded under the direction of Momoko Nakamura. Momoko’s interest stems from 20 years of communicating and educating on cookery culture and the food system, informed by anthropological field research across the Japanese archipelago.
The Institute’s research now extends beyond food, expanding into both textile and home — with the growing understanding that each pillar of Japanese living originates from a single terroir.
Make a piece of Kyoto, by hand.
All materials provided · 7-day flexible cancellation.
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