Crafts Shopping in Kyoto: Kyoto Handicraft Center

Monday was a Japanese national holiday (Respect Your Elders Day). We did a whole lot of nothing and it felt so nice. Feeling rested is not a bad way to start the week.

I thought I'd talk about some great shops in Kyoto this week. My husband and I had a giggle over that rumor about Steve Jobs buying shuriken (ninja throwing stars) in Kyoto. I've never spotted shuriken for sale in Kyoto (my shopping list usually includes less menacing items than ancient weaponry anyway), but if you're really interested in that kind of thing you could check out some antique shops. But let's talk about some other kinds of crafts, shall we?

First up is the Kyoto Handicraft Center, 7 floors of handmade goods plus a restaurant and studios for craft making demonstrations and classes. Pretty much any kind of traditional Japanese craft can be found here. I love this store for their huge selection of affordable woodblock prints. If you're feeling creative, you can sign up for a workshop (in English), like woodblock printing, folding fan painting or cloisonné.

The store is a little bit out of the way, so you're best off taking a bus or a taxi from downtown. From Kyoto Station take bus #206 to Kumano Jinja-mae. It's a short walk from there. Click here to see their English website which includes a map.

Hope you check back later this week for more great shops in Kyoto!

(Photos via Kyoto Handicraft Center)