Earthen Wall Workshop
Join us in Yugawara for a hands-on workshop in traditional Japanese earthen wall construction. You'll learn to build the woven bamboo lattice (komai) that forms the skeleton of a historic mud wall, working directly with a local carpenter using the same technique found in Japanese buildings for centuries.
This is genuine craftsmanship, not a demo. Come ready to get your hands dirty, or hang back and watch if you'd rather. Either way you'll spend the day inside a building tradition most people only see finished, never made.
Practicalities:
Wear clothes and shoes you don't mind getting muddy. Lunch isn't provided, so bring your own; there's space to eat outdoors under the trees. Children are welcome. Come by car or taxi; there's no shuttle. After you sign up we'll send the full location, taxi directions, and parking details. A taxi from Yugawara Station is straightforward.
Bonus
That evening is the Yugawara Yukake Festival (19:30 to 21:00), an Edo-period tradition where spectators pour 60 tons of hot spring water onto portable shrines (and everyone else) as they parade through the onsen district: https://japantravel.navitime.com/en/area/jp/spot/90013-fesm00016/
If you want to make a full day of it and stay overnight, here are some decent spots around town: https://yugawaraclub.com/accommodations