The Kintsugi Journal

The benefits of in-studio classes Sep 24, 2022

In-studio classes provide guided practice of the art of kintsugi, to acquire the necessary skills to repair your own wares. You can certainly learn kintsugi through our Master Class...

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Our "Autumn in Kyoto" itinerary Sep 21, 2022

The word on the street is that after two and a half years, Japan is finally opening its borders to international travelers. That means we get to welcome you to our neighborhood!

Autumn may...

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Kintsugi paired with tea and wine Sep 11, 2022

Kintsugi is a nearly 500 year old repair technique. Initially designed to repair the highest quality bowls for tea ceremony. However, across time and place, kintsugi has evolved to be...

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How to care for kintsugi-repaired wares Aug 26, 2022

Considering the nature of urushi lacquer, the kintsugi-repair process usually takes anywhere from two to three months, and for extremely complex breakages can take up to one year. Each layer of...

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All about kintsugi brushes Aug 08, 2022

Brushes are a key tool in kintsugi-repair. Getting comfortable and friendly with your brush, as if it is an extension of your arm, makes the kintsugi experience that much more pleasurable and...

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The two principles of authentic kintsugi Aug 01, 2022

There is no single correct way to perform kintsugi. Each layer, ingredient, mixture, method, stroke, tool is different based on the region and the person. The repairer's ethos, design...

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What is kokuso urushi? Jul 25, 2022
Kokuso urushi is one of the top three most commonly-used urushi mixtures in kintsugi-repair. A close third to mugi urushi and sabi urushi. Kokuso, whose Chinese characters have multiple...
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What is sabi urushi? Jul 18, 2022
Kintsugi is the process of mending damaged, mostly ceramic and porcelain tableware, by leveraging the innate properties of urushi tree sap. Urushi is applied into the crevasses of broken...
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What is mugi urushi? Jul 12, 2022
Japanese craftwork used to be parsed out into incredibly specific micro-roles. The bristles of the drawing brush, used for hyper-detailed lacquerwork, is made from mice hairs. And not just any...
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What is urushi? Jul 05, 2022

Urushi lacquer is the sap of the urushi tree. And it is the fundamental ingredient of kintsugi-repair. While "kin" of kintsugi, points to gold, it is in fact urushi that does all of the...

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