Hands-On Lacquerware Experience & Plum Wine Factory

OVERVIEW

Learn to embellish lacquerware in a hands-on class and see how plum wine is produced using locally sourced ingredients. Lacquerware was initially produced in the Wakayama Prefecture in the 1300s and the technique became even more sophisticated over the centuries that followed. You will see firsthand how lacquerware is now produced and then try your hand at decorating it using a technique known as maki-e. It involves making a design on wet lacquerware and then sprinkling gold or silver powder on it. You will also delve deeply into the making of umeshu– more commonly known as plum wine– the emblematic fruit liqueur of Japan. The main ingredient is ume, a small plum closely related to apricots. As you will discover through a sampling, plum wine has a natural tartness and a sweetness from the sugar used during fermentation. You can indulge in a full meal on your own in Wakayama’s bustling seafood market Kuroshio.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Try your hand at decorating lacquerware using the traditional technique maki-e.
• Tour a factory that produces plum wine and enjoy a tasting of this fruit liqueur.
• Dine on your own in the Kuroshio seafood market in Wakayama.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.