meme, kintsugi artist, at work
Enquire about a workshop See the workshops
Scroll

Kintsugi — “golden joinery” — mends what is broken with seams of gold. Rather than hiding a crack, it adorns it: its history is written in gold.

Ⅰ — The Tradition

A beauty found in breakageWabi-sabi, in a bowl mended with gold

A white bowl mended with seams of gold

Kintsugi — “golden joinery” — is a uniquely Japanese way of repairing broken ceramics: the pieces rejoined, the seams finished in gold. Believed to date to the 15th century and the world of the tea ceremony, it grew from simple repair into an art form expressing “the beauty that resides in imperfection.”

Most of us know of kintsugi, but few have ever tried it. Mending a broken bowl with your own hands is the simplest way to understand it — and the piece comes home with you.

Wabi-sabi

Beauty found in imperfection, transience, and the irregular.

Mono no aware

A tenderness toward the passing of time — cherishing even scars.

Ichigo-ichie

Deep respect for a moment, or a meeting, that will never come again.

Mottainai

To use things with care, and to let nothing be wasted.

A fine brush drawing a golden seam along a delicate dish

Ⅱ — The Evolution

Contemporary Kintsugi

Traditional kintsugi uses genuine urushi lacquer and can take weeks, even months. Our approach keeps the same aesthetics, philosophy and design sense — while making it possible to finish a piece in a single sitting.

For bonding and filling chips, we use fast-curing putty and gel that comply with Japan’s Food Sanitation Act, allowing you to experience kintsugi in a shorter time than traditional methods.

For the final finishing touch, we apply gold powder, giving your piece the beautiful, authentic finish that makes kintsugi so unique.

  • Everything providedAll materials are supplied — bring a broken piece you love, and mend it.
  • Finished the same dayA completed piece is ready within the roughly two-hour workshop.
  • Beyond repair, into wearable artThe technique adorns not only vessels but brooches, pendants and earrings.
  • An authentic encounterThe tools have changed; the spirit of cherishing what is broken has not.

Recent Workshops

Step inside a recent workshop

meme leading Modern Kintsugi, Day 1 first sessionModern KintsugiDay 1 · First session meme leading Modern Kintsugi, Day 1 second sessionModern KintsugiDay 1 · Second session meme leading Kintsugi Accessories, Day 2 first sessionKintsugi AccessoriesDay 2 · First session meme leading Kintsugi Accessories, Day 2 second sessionKintsugi AccessoriesDay 2 · Second session

The Experience

Two ways to encounter
the art of golden repair

Hands drawing a golden seam along a mended bowl
01 · Repair

Vessel Repair

Repair a chipped or broken vessel and make its damage shine with gold. In about two hours you take home your own one-of-a-kind, reborn piece.

Hands holding a boxed pair of kintsugi accessories joined with gold
02 · Adorn

Kintsugi Accessories

An original programme that carries the kintsugi aesthetic into wearable art — brooches, pendants and earrings. We work with natural stones and sea glass too, joined with gold and worn home the same day.

Each experience runs around two hours — and every piece is taken home the same day.

See all workshops

Schedule

Upcoming workshops

Kintsugi workshop in Ashiya, 22–23 August 2026, with memé Saturday 22 August — vessel kintsugi workshop Sunday 23 August — kintsugi stone-accessory workshop
22–23 August 2026 art gallery 寂永堂, Ashiya · guest instructor memé

Sat 22 Aug — mending vessels in gold. Sun 23 Aug — kintsugi stone accessories. Two sittings each day, 10:00–12:00 and 13:30–15:30. ¥8,800, with a glass of sparkling wine or tea and sweets. Places are limited; applications close 21 August, 13:00.

Book your place

Want to join the next one? Leave your email and we’ll let you know the moment the next workshop opens.

Thank you — please check your inbox to confirm, and we’ll be in touch about the next workshop.

meme leading a Kintsugi workshop around a studio table

Why take part

Two quiet hours — and something you love, made whole again.

  • Mend something that matters to youBring the piece you could never throw away — a bowl from your grandmother, a cup broken years ago. Watch it become whole again, its history traced in gold.
  • An experienced teacher at your sidememe guides you through every step, at your own pace. No skill, no experience, and nothing to prepare beforehand.
  • A calm, unhurried couple of hoursSlow, absorbing work with your hands. The room goes quiet, and so does everything else. Most people leave lighter than they arrived.
  • Finished, and in your handsEvery material is provided, and your piece comes home with you the same day — nothing to wait for, nothing to collect later.
meme, kintsugi artist, smiling

The Instructor

meme

Kintsugi artist / Radio personality / MC

Born and raised in Kobe, meme is a radio DJ, emcee and public speaker — a familiar voice on FM COCOLO, where she has hosted many programmes since her debut in 1996. Alongside her broadcasting, she leads hands-on workshops in Kintsugi, the traditional Japanese art of golden repair.

Fluent in Japanese, English and Chinese, she speaks with international guests directly about the philosophy and artistry of kintsugi — with no language barrier, and no interpreter needed.

Based inKobe, Japan
LanguagesJapanese · English · Chinese
On airM’s Groove Friday — Fridays, 7:00 a.m., FM COCOLO
PracticeKintsugi — workshops & wearable art

Questions

Before you come

Do I need any experience?

None at all. meme guides you through every step, at your own pace. Every material is provided, and there is nothing to prepare beforehand.

Can I bring my own broken piece?

Yes — and most people do. A bowl, a cup, a plate you could never bring yourself to throw away. Bring it along, and take it home mended.

How long does it take?

About two hours. Your finished piece comes home with you the same day — nothing to wait for, nothing to collect later.

Where are the workshops held?

In and around Kobe and Osaka, and across the wider Kansai region.

How many people are in a workshop?

Small groups — six people at most, so there is time and attention for everyone.

Can I book a private session?

Yes. Private sessions can be arranged for one person, for two, or for a small group of your own.

Is there a minimum age?

The workshops are designed with adults in mind, but teenagers from around thirteen are very welcome.

What language is the workshop in?

Japanese, English or Chinese. meme speaks all three, so you talk with her directly — no interpreter, and nothing lost in translation.

What is the difference between the two workshops?

Repair mends a broken vessel in gold. Adorn carries the same technique into wearable art — brooches, pendants and earrings — working with natural stones and sea glass.

How do I book?

Simply email hello@memekintsugi.com and tell us what you have in mind. If you need to change or cancel a session, write to the same address.

Get in touch

Arrange a workshop

Whether for yourself, a private group, or a special occasion — tell us what you have in mind, and we’ll craft a Kintsugi experience to suit. Every session can be shaped in scale, setting and spirit.

What can we help with?

Thank you — your message is on its way to meme. We’ll reply by email soon.

Prefer email? Write to hello@memekintsugi.com