Kamakura: Meet a 4th-Gen Hanko Master & Create Your Name Seal

5.0(26)1 hourJapanese, EnglishKamakura, Japan

From

$188

1. Meet a Fourth-Generation Master Visit a working Kamakura atelier with a family craft dating back to 1898. Discuss your name directly with the craftsman in English.

2. See Award-Winning Craft View award-winning engravings and tools. Both husband and wife hold Japan’s First-Grade National Trade Skill Certification.

3. Watch a Live Demonstration See traditional engraving techniques up close and ask the craftsman questions.

4. Carve and Stamp a Stone Seal Carve one character with guidance, stamp a keepsake card, and take both home right after the workshop.

5. Design Your Name Hanko A wooden katakana hanko, hand-finished after the session, is included. Collect it at the atelier about four hours later, that afternoon. Kanji and upgrades cost extra.

6. A Small, Unhurried Morning Enjoy a small-group experience in a private atelier setting. Your host, a Zen monk and engraver, creates each seal with good wishes for its owner.

Included

Stone seal you carve yourself, with guidance from the craftsman
Hanko case
English guidance throughout
Specially crafted wooden seals carved by master artisans—custom-made with your name.
Calligraphy you write, to take home
Original pouch

Not included

Upgraded materials: buffalo horn, premium woods, gemstone
Kanji engraving / typeface upgrade
Red INK
Shipping (if you prefer not to collect the same afternoon)

What you'll do

Turn your name into a seal to use and treasure
At KAMAKURA SIGNET, meet a fourth-generation engraver, carve a stone seal, and design a name hanko with him. The family craft dates back to 1898. Your host, Mitsuhiro Tsukino, is a Zen Buddhist monk and seal engraver. He and his wife both hold Japan’s First-Grade National Trade Skill Certification. Explore their working atelier, see award-winning works and tools, and watch a live engraving demonstration. Learn in English about hanko and their place in Japanese life. With the master's guidance, carve one character into a stone seal and stamp it onto a keepsake card. Take both home right after the morning workshop. Discuss your name and design preferences with the craftsman. He hand-finishes your name hanko after the session. Your wooden katakana hanko is included, with collection at the atelier about four hours later, that afternoon. Kanji, other typefaces, and material upgrades cost extra. Made with good wishes for the person who carries it, your hanko is a personal mark to cherish. Enjoy the experience in a small group in a private atelier setting.

Meeting and pickup

1 location

Pickup details

Just 55 min from Tokyo, 20 min from Yokohama, and a 2-min walk from JR Kamakura Station's West Exit. Turn left, walk down Onari Street, then left at the first large 5-way intersection; we are on the right. Please be punctual — your seal is prepared in advance, and sessions are morning only.