Cool, Hands-On Fun in Mino City, Gifu: Ishikawa Mino Washi Paper Goods Workshop for Japanese Old Town Sightseeing & Group Tours Mino Washi Craft Experience —2025.07.25
2025.08.06Ishikawa Paper Goods — Mino Washi Craft Experience Shop
Shop Newsletter No. 258
Cool & Fun to the Max! Recommended Mino Washi Workshop for Summer Vacation (family-friendly, group tours)!
Thank you for visiting the Ishikawa Paper Goods Craft Experience Shop!
As of August 4, 2025 — Google Reviews ★4.9 from 868 posts and counting!
About the “Ishikawa Paper Goods Mino Washi Craft Experience Shop”
Our hands-on program lets you enjoy traditional Japanese culture with all five senses.
Create one-of-a-kind dolls and crafts while discovering the beauty and heritage of Mino washi.
Feel the texture of washi, choose colors and patterns, and shape your own style—an immersive cultural experience for visitors to Japan.
Right in the heart of Mino!
Located on the historic Udatsu Street, within a nationally designated Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings.
Enjoy crafting Mino washi goods together inside an Edo-period building featuring “udatsu” from 1760.
From solo travelers to groups up to 45 people (about one tour bus) can join at the same time.
(For groups over 45, we recommend splitting into a Mino City strolling & shopping group and a workshop group.)
Ideal for couples, friends, families, school trips, group tours, and corporate incentive travel.
Workshop menu:
Washi “Korokoro” dolls, washi fans, washi earrings, clip-on earrings, washi plates, pen stands, bookmarks, and more.
Follow a sample—or create freely with your own intuition!
Make a one-and-only original souvenir from Japan.
Over 30 types of DIY craft kits available.
Please check the shop schedule before visiting—we look forward to welcoming tour operators and travelers!
▼ June / July / August Opening Days ▼
https://www.ishikawa-shigyo.com/news/detail_1710.html
*Group reservations are welcome even outside the above regular business days.
▼ Official Website ▼
https://www.ishikawa-shigyo.com/shop.html
▼ Rakuten EC Store ▼
https://www.rakuten.co.jp/ishikawa-shigyo/
It’s summer—and school is out!
In our neighborhood, parents and elementary school kids still gather at the local temple for morning radio calisthenics, just like the old days.
A pleasant change: junior-high students join in too!
I thought we wouldn’t see them after graduation—what a happy surprise.
◆ Topics in This Issue ◆
• New workshop content! Next year’s zodiac is the Horse—our Washi Korokoro series welcomes a commemorative white horse!
• About Ishikawa Paper Goods: our standard items are sold nationwide as original OEM products—introducing select projects.
• Customer Gallery: real works created during the hands-on experience.
• Our hometown, Mino City: Beat the heat—join the Uchimizu water-splashing campaign!
• Sightseeing in Mino: our craft workshop has excellent access for Japan travel itineraries.
Just off the Tokai-Hokuriku Expressway (Mino IC)—perfect refresh stop during a bus tour.
• Group experiences: flexible, creative, and highly satisfying—perfect for tour groups and student trips.
• For special-needs schools and disability-support organizations: introducing our service plans.
• Our big dream!? “Aim for Japan & World Domination”—tell us where you’re visiting from!
• Mayu “Mino” Diary — Perfect day for playing by the river ♪
Every moment is a lucky, happy moment.
Today as well, we help bring smiles at the Ishikawa Paper Goods Mino Washi Craft Experience Shop.
Thanks for staying with us ^ ^
━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…
New workshop content! Next year’s zodiac is the Horse—meet the commemorative white horse in the Washi Korokoro series.
━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…
A new item has joined our workshop kit lineup.
To celebrate the Year of the Horse, a white horse design is now available.
See more related items from the Washi Korokoro Zodiac Horse “White Horse” series here ♪
We’ve prepared the white horse kit early so you can experience it right away.
Come and make your own adorable white horse!
◆ Ishikawa Paper Goods Experience Shop website
https://www.ishikawa-shigyo.com/shop.html
━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…
About Ishikawa Paper Goods: our standard items are sold as original products nationwide—introducing OEM highlights.
━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…
We handle retail of washi goods, hands-on workshops, and the development of original products for destinations and museums.
With 123 years of craftsmanship, we support your product ideas with care—ideal for tour gift shops and cultural attractions.
Here are past examples of our original/OEM projects.
◆ A character themed on Yugawara Town (Kanagawa) became a roly-poly doll!
Yugawara Town has folklore about tanuki (raccoon dogs).
https://kogomenoyu.com/hpgen/HPB/categories/724.html *Details in this link.
That Yugawara Tanuki now appears as a Mino Washi “Korokoro” kit.
A hidden heart on its body and cute droopy eyes ^^
https://www.ishikawa-shigyo.com/news/detail_1814.html
◆ “Tsuwano 100 Scenic Views” (Shimane) on embossed Mino washi paper.
Tsuwano is registered as a Japan Heritage site—enjoy seasonal embossed designs: sakura (spring), iris (summer), autumn foliage (fall), and plum blossoms (winter).
https://www.ishikawa-shigyo.com/news/detail_1803.html
◆ JAXA’s SLIM (Smart Lander for Investigating Moon) turned into a roly-poly doll!
Our “Korokoro” dolls are lucky charms that always bounce back—symbolizing “fall seven times, rise eight.”
A client asked to express SLIM’s lunar landing as a roly-poly doll—and the SLIM Korokoro was realized ^^
With SLIM, humanity shifts from “landing where it’s easy” to “landing where we want”—a qualitative leap in lunar exploration.
Furthermore, future solar-system science missions will require higher-performance instruments. To allocate more resources to scientific payloads when that time comes, it is essential to lighten the spacecraft system itself through weight reduction.
SLIM aims to demonstrate pinpoint landing technology and a compact, lightweight spacecraft system, contributing to future lunar and planetary exploration.
*Source: Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS) website
https://www.ishikawa-shigyo.com/news/detail_1802.html
◆ A beloved national anime character becomes a roly-poly doll!!
The much-loved TV character “Chibi Maruko-chan” now appears as a Washi Korokoro!
https://www.ishikawa-shigyo.com/news/detail_1800.html
◆ A traditional craft from the Hida region of Gifu becomes a roly-poly doll!!
Sarubobo dolls were traditionally handmade by mothers, wishing for their daughters’ and grandchildren’s healthy growth, good matches, safe childbirth, and marital harmony. This beloved souvenir has now become a roly-poly doll. ^^
https://www.ishikawa-shigyo.com/news/detail_1788.html
~ We produce original (OEM) products! ~
Leveraging experience since 1902,
we craft exclusive, custom originals just for your company!
Japan’s No. 1 in registered Mino-Washi brands!
Leave your originals to us: doll making, papier-mâché (hariko), Japanese crafts, stationery, DIY kits, custom name printing, and more.
We propose in various materials—washi, chirimen crepe, wood, ceramic, etc.
Minimum order quantity from 300 units (negotiable depending on product)
Lead time about 1–3 months after design is fixed (negotiable depending on product)
*Partial shipments available; additional fees may apply depending on customer specifications.
Costs product processing, prototyping, label design, mold fee, etc.
Please contact our Circulation Department for requests and inquiries.
Contact Ishikawa Paper Goods ← Click
OEM page (case studies & guidance) here ← Click
For corporate clients we offer wholesale pricing.
Corporate transactions, purchases, and inquiries: Contact Ishikawa Paper Goods
Beyond the Washi Korokoro items that become official products, original creations are quietly born every day in our Mino Washi Craft Experience Shop. ^^
Children’s creativity never ceases to amaze us!
We’ll continue showcasing unique works—not just sample-based pieces—on our blog with photos.
▼ See images! Our newsletters are introduced with photos on the blog (updated every Monday).
Newsletter articles on the blog [with images]
https://www.ishikawa-shigyo.com/news/index__23.html
Endlessly expressive Washi Korokoro—our best-selling item that changes with the maker’s imagination!
Give it a try!
▼ Mino Washi Craft Experience Shop | Ishikawa Paper Goods — official website
https://www.ishikawa-shigyo.com/shop.html
▼ Inquiries for the Mino Washi Craft Experience Shop
https://www.ishikawa-shigyo.com/contact/shop.html
━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…
= Customer Gallery = Showcasing works actually made during the experience ♪
━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…
This time’s featured work…
Even Sengoku warlords have started dressing up. ^^
Please enjoy adding your own personal touches, too!
[See images!] Our newsletters are introduced with photos on the blog (updated every Monday).
Newsletter articles on the blog [with images]
https://www.ishikawa-shigyo.com/news/index__23.html
━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…
Introducing our hometown, Mino City! Cool down the sizzling summer—Uchimizu Water-Splashing Operation!
━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…
In midsummer, the sun blazes down on Mino City.
On a scorching day like that, a lively Uchimizu event took place along the Udatsu-lined streets!
We heard they would help participants dress in yukata for free at the event, so my daughter and I joined in. ^^
My daughter wore a charming yukata with refreshing light blue and pink floral patterns—light blue (yukata) × pink (obi)!
I wore a chic, stylish yukata that’s rare to come across—navy (yukata) × a yellow obi with a black lining!
And as it turned out, my combination was exactly the same as the woman I thought was the most beautiful among the models this time!
Eh…? Well then, I guess I’ll be her supporting cast this time. (^^;
In total, about 20 participants joined us—high-school girls in lovely yukata, energetic elementary schoolers, and their moms!
All the models wore colorful yukata and smiled brightly.
With buckets in hand, their cheerful “Ready, splash!” poses were adorable—and the photographers were thrilled!
Shutter sounds echoed through the cinematic scenery of Mino’s historic streets.
Looking closely at one girl,
she was wearing our company’s “washi earrings,” sparkling by her ear.
Yes! She wore washi earrings you can make at our Mino Washi Craft Experience Shop. ^^
The gentle texture of Mino washi pairs perfectly with a yukata!
They’re lightweight and comfortable to wear—the sway adds even more charm!
We heard excited comments like, “Wait, is this really made of washi?!” and “So cute!”
They drew attention as stylish summer accessories that blend tradition and kawaii.
You can make Mino-washi earrings through the hands-on program at the Ishikawa Paper Goods Mino Washi Craft Experience Shop.
This summer in Mino, why not create your own “sparkle” just for you?
▼ For inquiries about the Ishikawa Paper Goods Experience Shop ♪
https://www.ishikawa-shigyo.com/shop.html
▼ Information on Mino-washi piercings and earrings ♪
https://www.ishikawa-shigyo.com/lsc/lsc-upfile/catalog/02/89/289_1_file.jpg
▼ If you’d like to stroll Mino City in kimono, enjoy great prices and a wide selection—at Kamii Kimono Dressing School ^^
━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…
Recommended for sightseeing in Mino! The Mino Washi Craft Experience Shop offers great transport access.
Located in central Japan—an ideal refresh stop during a group tour itinerary.
Just off the Tokai-Hokuriku Expressway (Mino IC)! Please make use of us ♪
━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…
Dear planners at travel agencies creating packaged tours,
The Mino Washi Craft Experience Shop sits
on the route from Nagoya to Takayama,
and from Nagoya to Kamikōchi—
making it a perfectly located mid-way stop.
“We use the Tokai-Hokuriku Expressway, but going straight to the destination means a long time on the bus.”
If that sounds familiar,
we strongly hope you’ll include our Mino Washi craft workshop as a hub on a circular route—about 1 hour from Nagoya by expressway, easily combined with Gujo Hachiman, Shirakawa-go, and Takayama.
Please consider adding us as one option in your itinerary!
If you’re seeking an experience of around 90 minutes including transfer time,
we recommend the Ishikawa Paper Goods Mino Washi Craft Experience Shop in Mino City, Gifu.
Why we’re recommended:
1) From the Tokai-Hokuriku Expressway Mino IC: 5 minutes to the parking lot, then 5 minutes on foot to the shop—very convenient.
2) Workshop time is within 1 hour.
3) Take your finished work home immediately.
4) R10 rebate available for travel agencies.
5) Participants get 10% OFF in-store purchases over ¥1,000.
6) Not a fixed-format activity—create freely with your own sensibility! (Make originals.)
7) Our shop is right in the middle of Mino’s famous Udatsu historical district.
8) Using Mino washi—Gifu’s traditional local specialty—you can craft small goods that embody Japanese culture.
9) High Google ratings show strong guest satisfaction.
Google Reviews: ★4.9 from 835 posts (as of July 11, 2025, and counting).
Through fun making-memories at the Ishikawa Paper Goods Mino Washi Craft Experience Shop,
overseas guests can enjoy learning about Japanese culture,
and domestic guests can experience the tactile joy of traditional Mino washi.
Because it’s an original item finished with your own creativity, you’ll feel attached to it!
[Access to the Mino City Experience Shop, Ishikawa Paper Goods]
From Nagoya
Nagoya Ring Road IC → Mino IC — about 1 hour by car via Nagoya Expressway
Ichinomiya JCT → Tokai-Hokuriku Expressway → Mino IC
Approx. 67 km — about 1 hour
From Takayama
Takayama-Nishi IC (Chūbu Jūkan Expressway)
Hida-Kiyomi IC → Tokai-Hokuriku Expressway → Mino IC
Approx. 100 km — about 1 hour 15 minutes
From Shirakawa-go
Shirakawa-go IC (Tokai-Hokuriku Expressway) → Mino IC
Approx. 110 km — about 1 hour 15 minutes
From Gujo Hachiman
Gujo Hachiman IC (Tokai-Hokuriku Expressway) → Mino IC
Approx. 28 km — about 17 minutes
From Chubu Centrair International Airport
Centrair East IC (Chita Transversal Road)
Nagoya Expressway / Mei-Nikan → Ichinomiya JCT → Tokai-Hokuriku Expressway → Mino IC
Approx. 95 km — about 1 hour 20 minutes
From Toki Premium Outlets
Toki IC (Chūō Expressway)
Toki JCT → Tokai-Kanjō Expressway → Mino-Seki JCT → Tokai-Hokuriku Expressway → Mino IC
Approx. 39 km — around 30 minutes
We look forward to welcoming you!
*There is no parking at our shop. Please use municipal parking—we will come to pick you up.
▼ Mino City Map — Municipal parking map
Packed with handmade charm! It also covers many shops around Mino City. ^^
[Front] https://minokanko.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/30ddbcbb17e8592a50b2d0c9fcab3229.pdf
[Back] https://minokanko.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/90c3049d7dadf0b1aa05f315a3aacf68.pdf
▼ Access to Mino City & Parking information
━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━… ━…━…━…
For those seeking group-friendly activities: flexible, creative, and highly satisfying—here’s our guide to the Mino Washi Craft Experience Shop!
━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━… ━…━…━…
Elementary, junior high, and high schools; children’s clubs; family travel; PTA parent–child trips; company outings; corporate trainings; sports clubs; senior clubs; NPOs and volunteer groups; cultural-experience tours, and more.
For those searching for destinations—managers, planners, coordinators, concierges, and all persons in charge:
Give children experiences different from everyday school life.
Create memories of spending joyful time together.
Yes! In such cases, please consider the Ishikawa Paper Goods Mino Washi Craft Experience Shop.
You’ll create wonderful memories through hands-on making. ^^
We still have plenty of availability.
We welcome both group reservations and individual bookings via the reservation site. ^ ^
As for our hands-on experiences, starting with Ishikawa Paper Goods’ Washi Korokoro projects,
Easy for everyone—yet your creation will be full of originality.
“Is that all the instruction we get?”
“Is it really this free and flexible?”
We’re often asked questions like these during guidance.
We clearly explain the few important points you shouldn’t miss,
and then, with our easy-to-follow guide in hand,
please finish your piece however you like—follow your inspiration and personal style. ^^
If you visit the shop, our staff are happy to give you a little hands-on help. ^^
Our year-round “Washi Korokoro Series”
is perfect for making your zodiac animal,
and also offers a rich lineup tailored to monthly events and seasonal festivals. ^ ^
Our shop staff have picked the best sellers for each season. ^ ^
January: Zodiac animals, Setsubun (red ogre)
February: Hina dolls (Girls’ Day)
March: Easter (rabbits)
April: Boys’ Festival dolls, carp streamers
May: Warlords & princess series
June: Frogs & goldfish
July: Hand fan making
August: Hand fan making
September: Halloween
October: Cute animals (sheep, Shiba Inu, cats, etc.)
November: Cute animals (sheep, Shiba Inu, cats, etc.)
December: The twelve zodiac, Daruma, Maneki Neko
We also offer many options popular all year: “Good Fortune & Auspicious Series” and “History Series (warlords & princesses).”
If you’re lucky, you might find special Washi Korokoro items sold only at the Ishikawa Paper Goods Mino Washi Craft Experience Shop!
Beat the heat—enjoy crafting together in our cool, comfortable facility (great for Japan group tours) ♪
Make memories with your usual friends in a setting that’s a little out of the ordinary ♪
We keep 30+ DIY kits in stock at all times,
so something is sure to spark your child’s “I want to make it!” sensor. ^ ^
If you have a specific idea, feel free to look up paper-craft tips on your phone and make it your way. ^ ^
Why not share and enjoy the pieces that express who you are right now?
Come visit the Ishikawa Paper Goods Mino Washi Craft Experience Shop ♪
▼ Official website of the Mino Washi Craft Experience Shop ♪
https://www.ishikawa-shigyo.com/shop.html
▼ Washi Korokoro
www.ishikawa-shigyo.com/lsc/lsc-upfile/catalog/00/82/82_1_file.pdf
https://www.ishikawa-shigyo.com/lsc/lsc-upfile/catalog/02/87/287_1_file.png
▼ Mino-washi earrings & piercings DIY kit — tool rental guidelines
www.ishikawa-shigyo.com/lsc/lsc-upfile/catalog/02/84/284_1_file.pdf
▼ Hands-on experience menu: “Washi plate,” “pen stand,” “bookmark,” “washi earrings,” “clip-on washi earrings”
www.ishikawa-shigyo.com/lsc/lsc-upfile/catalog/01/23/123_1_file.pdf
▼ Hands-on experience menu: 3 Family Sets
https://www.ishikawa-shigyo.com/lsc/lsc-upfile/catalog/02/09/209_1_file.jpg
▼ Hands-on experience menu: Washi Korokoro Warlord Series — craft experience
https://www.ishikawa-shigyo.com/lsc/lsc-upfile/catalog/02/69/269_1_file.jpg
━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━
For special-needs schools and disability support—introducing our service plans.
━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━
We’ve launched the following support services for groups from special-needs schools and facilities.
For groups from special-needs schools or those with disability certificates — group-only offers
One free try at the ¥300 capsule toy per eligible participant
Shopping practice: 40% OFF product purchases (hands-on workshop fees excluded)
Our making menu avoids difficult steps, so anyone can create a lovely piece with ease.
(Washi Korokoro, fans, bookmarks, washi plates, pen stands)
Just paste the pre-cut papers along the template shapes…
and you’ll have your very own original item. ^ ^
Dive deep with your own sensibility—or finish it just like the sample.
Choose the paper, apply glue, and stick!
Repeat these steps and create something wonderful.
To special-needs schools,
after-school day services,
and facility coordinators planning trips—
please make use of our programs!
━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━
Our big ambition!? [Aim for World & Japan Domination] When you visit, please tell us where you’re from ♪
━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━
Thank you as always!
We actually have a bold ambition that’s been quietly exciting our team.
It is—
to welcome even more guests from around the world and from all 47 prefectures of Japan!
You might think, “Isn’t that a bit grand?”—but we’re serious.
We call it the “Did YOU come for washi at Ishikawa Paper Goods?” campaign!
◆ World-Domination Project
So far, guests from 40 countries (individuals and groups) have visited us!
But there are 193 UN member states…
If you become the first visitor from a country not yet on our list,
we’ll present your group with a Japan-inspired Ishikawa Paper Goods item as a welcome gift. ^^
Our team is excited to see which country will be added next.
Please be sure to tell our staff your country of origin!
◆ Japan-Domination Project
We’re planning a fun campaign to welcome guests from all 47 prefectures.
We’ll announce details first in this newsletter—please stay tuned!
We’re also working on placing a big map in-store to fill in visitors’ hometowns.
Invite family, friends, and overseas contacts—and come have fun with us.
*Here is the current list of countries from which guests have visited our shop.
North & South America
United States, Brazil, Canada
Asia
Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao, Vietnam, Indonesia, Myanmar, China, Timor-Leste, Nepal, India, Israel, Cambodia, Laos, Uzbekistan, Mongolia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Pakistan, Malaysia
Europe
United Kingdom, France, Germany, Poland, Scotland, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, Sweden, Austria, Italy, Russia
Oceania
Australia, New Zealand
Africa
Republic of South Africa
Please feel free to reach out—tour operators and group travel planners are welcome. ^^
Our team looks forward to welcoming you! Stay tuned for more from the Mino Washi Craft Experience Shop by Ishikawa Paper Goods—ideal for Japan cultural tours and DMC itineraries.
We hope you continue to enjoy the Ishikawa Paper Goods Mino Washi Craft Experience Shop. ^^
▼ Official website of the Ishikawa Paper Goods Experience Shop ♪
https://www.ishikawa-shigyo.com/shop.html
▼ Cultural exchange for international students and site visits for overseas employees ▼
https://www.ishikawa-shigyo.com/news/detail_672_0_0.html
Right now, the Mino City Hall’s Mino Washi Promotion Division
is conducting an inbound tourism survey.
They’re receiving responses from guests around the world.
To make sightseeing in Mino even more attractive,
they’re collecting information from international visitors—please look forward to the results!
━…━…━…━…━…━…━ …━…━…━…━ …
Mayu “Mino” Diary — A perfect day for river fun ♪
━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━ …━…━…━…
I went river playing with my daughter again this year. ^^
Our favorite river is within walking distance from home.
We rode our bikes, skipped the crowded popular banks,
and headed to a quiet hidden spot—our private riverbank!
We arrived around 1:30 p.m., just as a group of high-schoolers left—river all to ourselves. ♪
Today’s play menu:
• Jumping from the rocks!
• Floating downstream!
• Catching small fish!
The water level was high and the current swift. Trying to swim upstream with a float ended up…going nowhere (lol).
Watching my daughter kick hard, I felt how much she’s grown. ^^
Feeling bold, we went for a downstream ride!
After a thrilling ~800 m course…she arrived in tears!
“I hit rocks and it hurts! It’s too fast!” she said—
but soon she was smiling again. ♪
Then it was fish-catching time!
This year she kept trying to “catch an ayu (sweetfish) by hand!”
Partway through she spotted a great place: “Look, the minnows gather here!”
The tiny creatures stirred up from the sand drew schools of small fish. ^^
In the end we switched to catching small fish.
I caught 35; she caught 12, proudly saying, “Times three is 36—I win!”
Big smiles all around. ♪
We caught familiar fish nicknamed “jako” and “donko.” Looking them up, they were Rhinogobius, Ajime loach, striped loach, and stone moroko. ^^
All are edible, but we released them this time. ♪
River fun never ends—so many adventures await. ^^
Let’s go again soon!
For newsletter inquiries, please contact us here ▼
https://www.ishikawa-shigyo.com/contact/shop.html
For newsletter inquiries, please contact us here ▼
https://www.ishikawa-shigyo.com/contact/shop.html
━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━ …━…━…━…
○●○●○●○●○●○●○●
In Edo-style historic streets,
enjoy hands-on Mino washi craft making
at Ishikawa Mino Washi Paper Goods Workshop — Ishikawa Paper Goods
501-3728
1909-3 Honjūmachi, Mino City, Gifu, Japan
Shop Manager: Mayumi Sato
Tel 0575-29-3680
Fax 0575-35-1363
Mobile 090-5851-4673
Email shigyo@jt7.so-net.ne.jp
Website: https://www.ishikawa-shigyo.com/shop.html
Please feel free to contact us—ideal for travel agencies, DMCs, and MICE planners. ♪
○●○●○●○●○●○●○●