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Make a Shimenawa: The Japanese New Year Wreath, in Nagoya

Top rated
4.4
Activity provider: Asia Resource Connection Corp.
Make a Shimenawa: The Japanese New Year Wreath, in Nagoya
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An hour making the sacred rope wreath that marks a purified space at Japanese doorways, in a tiny three-person studio with all materials provided.

Make a Shimenawa: The Japanese New Year Wreath, in Nagoya: Key Facts

PriceFrom $48 per person
Duration1 hour
Group sizeUp to 3 people
LanguagesEnglish
Tour typeMini Tour
BookingDirect with the local operator — no OTA markup

Choose from 1 available option

Shimenawa Wreath Workshop

One hour making a decorative shimenawa wreath with all materials and tools provided, in a group of no more than three.
1 hour
English
$48
Free cancellation

Full description

A shimenawa is a rope of rice straw that marks a boundary. You will have walked under dozens of them in Japan without registering it — strung across shrine gates, tied round ancient trees, hung above doorways at New Year — and what they do is separate the purified space from the ordinary one. At New Year, households hang a wreath form of it at the entrance to invite good fortune in and keep misfortune out.

This workshop builds one. The decorative logic behind it comes straight out of ikebana, Japan's flower arrangement tradition, which is why the session begins there: harmony with the season, deliberate use of empty space, and restraint. Those principles are what stop a wreath from becoming a pile of ornament, and they are the difference between something that looks Japanese and something that does not.

You work with artificial flowers, so the piece is durable and — importantly for a traveller — can cross a border, unlike fresh plant material. A glue gun and wire cutter are provided, and the instructor guides each stage. No craft experience is assumed.

The group caps at three, which makes this one of the most personal sessions in the city, and instruction is in English. The studio is a compact single-storey building in Kaminagoya with white plaster walls and wooden pillars, in Nishi-ku — easy to identify from the street.

An hour, and you leave with a wall piece that carries a genuine piece of Japanese domestic ritual rather than a fridge magnet. It is wheelchair accessible.

Tour Itinerary

Itineraries are customisable as per your request

The schedule below is a suggested plan and can be adjusted to suit your preferences.

Arrive at the Kaminagoya studio

What a shimenawa is and where it is used

Ikebana principles: season, space and restraint

Choose and arrange your materials

Assemble and secure the wreath

Take your finished piece home

Includes

  • One-hour shimenawa wreath-making workshop
  • Artificial flowers and all decorative materials
  • Glue gun and wire cutter
  • Instruction in English
  • Your finished wreath

Excludes

  • Transport to the studio
  • Food and drinks
  • Additional materials

Important information

Meeting point

1-1-17 Kaminagoya, Nishi Ward, Nagoya 451-0025 — a compact single-storey building with white plaster walls and wooden pillars.

Know before you go

  • Free cancellation available up to 24 hours before the activity starts

About this activity

Free cancellation
Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
Secure payment
Complete your booking safely with Razorpay. Full refund if you cancel 24h prior. Read more
Duration 1 hour
Check availability to see starting times
Live tour guide
English
Wheelchair accessible

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Main Tour Price
Starting from $48
$48
Need a custom booking or have a larger group?Contact Support via WhatsApp
Free cancellation
Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
Secure payment
Complete your booking safely with Razorpay. Full refund if you cancel 24h prior. Read more

Frequently Asked Questions

1-1-17 Kaminagoya, Nishi Ward, Nagoya 451-0025 — a compact single-storey building with white plaster walls and wooden pillars.
The price does not cover transport to the studio, food and drinks and additional materials. Everything it does cover is listed in full on this page, so if something is not on that list, budget for it separately.
Unless the option says private, this runs as a small group. The operator caps it rather than filling a coach, and if you want it to yourselves the private option is priced separately on this page.
Asia Resource Connection Corp.. We book with them directly rather than through a reseller, which is why we can confirm your place with the operator before taking it as final.
We confirm your booking with the operator before we treat it as final, and we need at least one day's notice outside India. Once it is confirmed you get the meeting point, the time and a contact number for the day. If the operator cannot take your date we tell you and refund you rather than leave you waiting.
One-hour shimenawa wreath-making workshop, Artificial flowers and all decorative materials, Glue gun and wire cutter, Instruction in English, Your finished wreath
The duration of the Make a Shimenawa: The Japanese New Year Wreath, in Nagoya is typically 1 hour. We recommend arriving 15 minutes before the scheduled start time for a smooth check-in. Your guide will meet you at the designated meeting point and ensure the experience runs on schedule while remaining flexible to your pace.
For most experiences, we highly recommend an early morning start. This allows you to avoid the midday heat, bypass the largest crowds, and capture the best lighting for photography. Your guide can advise on the optimal timing based on the season and specific attractions included.
Yes, once your booking is completed via our secure payment gateway, you will receive an instant confirmation email with your tour details, meeting point address, guide's name, and direct contact information. You can also view and manage your booking through your AsiaByLocals account dashboard.
Yes! All our private tours are fully customizable. Whether you want to add extra stops, skip certain locations, change the pace, or adjust the start time — simply let your guide know in advance or on the day. We aim to create a personalized experience tailored to your interests and energy level.
We offer free cancellation up to 24 hours before the scheduled start time for a full refund. Cancellations within 24 hours may be subject to a partial charge depending on the tour type. Weather-related cancellations for outdoor and boat tours are handled on a case-by-case basis, with full refunds or free rebooking offered when safety is a concern.
Most of our experiences are family-friendly and suitable for children of all ages. However, some tours involving extensive walking, water activities, or early morning starts may be better suited for children aged 5 and above. Please check the specific tour description for age recommendations, or contact us for personalized family itinerary advice.
After booking, you will receive detailed meeting point instructions via email. Most tours include complimentary hotel pickup within the central area. For tours without pickup, your confirmation email will include the exact address, Google Maps pin, and your guide's phone number for easy coordination. Guides typically arrive 10 minutes early and will message you on WhatsApp.
We accept all major credit and debit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express), PayPal, Apple Pay, and Razorpay for Indian cards. All payments are processed through a PCI-compliant secure gateway with 256-bit encryption. You can also pay in multiple currencies — the price is automatically converted to your local currency at checkout.
Yes, all AsiaByLocals guides are licensed professionals who have been rigorously vetted through background checks, skill assessments, and customer reviews. Many hold government-issued tourism licenses, university degrees in history or cultural studies, and have years of experience leading tours for international travelers. Every guide maintains a minimum 4.5-star rating to remain active on our platform.
Late March to early April for cherry blossom at Nagoya Castle, or mid-to-late November for autumn colour at Korankei Gorge. Summer (July-August) is hot and humid, often mid-30s°C. Full breakdown in our best time to visit Nagoya guide.
The original 1612 castle was destroyed in 1945 bombing raids; the current keep was rebuilt in 1959 in concrete, though the Honmaru Palace was faithfully reconstructed in traditional wood, finishing in 2018. Full history in our Nagoya Castle guide.
The subway (6 lines, from ¥210) covers almost everything, and the Me-guru sightseeing bus loops between the castle, museums and Atsuta Shrine. See getting around Nagoya.
Hitsumabushi (grilled eel, eaten three ways), tebasaki (twice-fried chicken wings, a Nagoya invention), and miso katsu — all built around haccho miso, a dark fermented red miso. See the Nagoya food guide.
Inuyama Castle (~30 min, one of Japan's 12 original wooden keeps) is the closest; Tokoname pottery town and the Magome-juku to Tsumago-juku Nakasendo walk are also easy half-days. Honest rankings in our Nagoya day trips guide.
Two days works well: one for the city (castle, Osu, Sakae), one for a day trip. Our Nagoya 2-day itinerary breaks it down hour by hour.
Starting from$48