Modern Kintsugi Workshop (3-Hour Experience)

Join us for a small-group, 3-hour Kintsugi experience led by Emi Kato Jones, founder of The Kintsugi Room (and Kishu Baby). Emi was born in Seto City, Aichi, Japan — one of Japan’s most historic pottery towns, known for its deep-rooted ceramic traditions.

As a child, Emi lived in her grandmother’s home, surrounded by pottery wheels and climbing kilns — known in Japanese as noborigama (登り窯) — traditional hillside kilns that fire ceramics through naturally rising wood-fired heat. Her uncle, a master potter with over 55 years of experience, continues to create work in the region and has been a lifelong inspiration.

After graduating from university in the U.S., raising two children, and running a business, Emi returned to Japan in 2024 for a 9-month stay. There, she studied Kintsugi under master artisans in Nagoya City, Aichi and Ichinokura City, Gifu Prefecture, reconnecting with the ceramic culture that shaped her early years.

“When I first tried Kintsugi, I thought it would be a one-time experience. I didn’t know it would start growing in me. Being surrounded by ceramics again felt so right — like returning to my childhood. I even started imagining a future storefront in LA filled with my uncle’s pottery. Kintsugi gave me back something I didn’t know I had lost — a sense of calm, of wholeness.”

Now based in Los Angeles, Emi is honored to share the spirit of Kintsugi — not just as a creative practice, but as a deeply calming and meaningful experience.

⚠️ Please Note: This Is Modern Kintsugi (Not Traditional Urushi-Based)

This workshop introduces participants to modern Kintsugi, a contemporary interpretation of the centuries-old Japanese art form.

Modern Kintsugi uses fast-setting epoxy adhesive and gold-colored powder to recreate the visual effect and philosophy of Kintsugi in a single session (for decorative purposes only, not food-safe).

Traditional Kintsugi, by contrast, uses natural lacquer (urushi) and real gold — a slow, labor-intensive process that takes at least one month to complete and requires years of practice.

Emi has studied the traditional method in Japan and hopes to offer a longer, multi-part workshop series in the future for those who wish to explore authentic materials and deeper technique. For now, this 3-hour workshop is a beautiful and beginner-friendly introduction to the spirit and aesthetics of Kintsugi.

✅ Included in Your Booking

• 3-hour guided workshop with personal instruction from Emi
• All supplies and materials provided — including a ceramic plate
• One complimentary beverage of your choice from the cafe where event is hosted
• No prior experience needed

Questions? Email emi@kishubaby.com

Location

• 📍 Jackson Cafe (not Jackson Market!)
  5880 W Jefferson Blvd, Ste B
  Los Angeles, CA 90016 (Culver City area) 
  🕒  9:30am - 12:30pm
  

What is the Flower Bowl Kintsugi Workshop?

• For this special workshop, we will repair a larger ceramic piece so that you can display your own beautiful flower arrangement inside. Includes a kenzan but does not include flowers. A kenzan, also known as a flower frog, is a tool used in Japanese floral arranging (ikebana) to secure flowers and branches in a vase or container. It is a weighted metal base, typically with upright needles, that holds stems in place and allows for creative, stable arrangements. 
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