What to know
Takumi no Sato (たくみの里) is an arts and crafts village nestled among rice fields and apple orchards, with the mountains of Minakami as a backdrop. Scattered throughout this small village are over two dozen workshops and stores where you can shop for various Japanese crafts, or experience them firsthand by watching artisans at work or joining a workshop to create your own.
The workshops are within walking distance of each other, making the village a pleasant day trip popular with families and couples. Crafts range from traditional Japanese arts like soba-making, washi paper, lacquer, indigo dyeing, and bamboo weaving, to other activities such as painting and glass etching. Workshops typically last about an hour and cost between 500 and 1000 yen per person.
Some buses on the Numata-Sarugakyo Line stop at Jomo Kogen Station and Takumi no Sato along the way. The one-way trip from Jomo Kogen Station to the Takumi no Sato bus stop takes about 20 minutes and costs 900 yen, with departures every 1-2 hours. Jomo Kogen Station can be reached from Minakami Station by a separate bus ride (25 minutes, 720 yen, hourly departures).
Alternatively, the village is a 20-minute drive from the Tsukiyono Interchange.
Visitor information
Practical details to check before planning this stop.
- Hours
- Varies by workshop. Typically 9:00 to 17:00 (until 16:00 from November to March)
- Closed
- Varies by workshop. Many workshops are closed on one weekday per week and during the New Year holidays. Conversely, they are open on weekends and national holidays (except New Year)
- Admission
- Free to enter the village; fees for workshops vary
- English name
- Original name
- Takumi no Sato
Verify details before visiting. Currency conversion is indicative and may vary over time.