Thank you so much for coming to read Part 2 as well.
Alright—let’s get started~^^
Recommended Things to Do in Mino City | A Warm & Worry-Free Mino Washi Craft Experience Even on Snowy Days! | Tokai Region (Near Nagoya: Gifu / Aichi / Mie / Shizuoka) | January 26, 2026
Read Part 1 here♪
◆ This Issue’s Topics ◆
[Part 1]
1. This Week’s Workshop News | Cozy indoor crafting on snowy days. Our “World & Japan Conquest Project” continues♪
2. In-Store Highlights | A once-in-a-while encounter. Disney items are while supplies last! Hina dolls are arriving one after another!
3. 11 Reasons It’s Easy to Add to Group Tours | What makes Ishikawa Mino Washi Paper Goods Workshop (Ishikawa Paper Goods Ltd.) special
4. Recommended Hands-On Stop for Group Travel | Create a one-of-a-kind piece at Ishikawa Mino Washi Paper Goods Workshop
5. Spring Outing in Our Hometown Mino City | Find spring on foot! Historic town walk × cherry blossoms × riverside stroll♪
[Part 2]
6. Group Workshop Guide | First time is totally OK. Here’s how the day flows♪
7. Access Guide | 5 minutes from Mino IC. A convenient stop for group tour itineraries!
8. World & Japan Conquest Project | Is it your turn next? “You, come make Washi!”—visit Ishikawa Paper Goods Ltd.♪
9 . For a Safe & Comfortable Experience | Services for guests with disabilities
10. OEM at Ishikawa Paper Goods Ltd. | Turn that character into Washi? Cute Washi Korokoro production examples♪
11. Guest Gallery | Even with the same kit, every piece is different!! See real creations♪
12. Mayumi “Mino” Diary | What burned curry taught me: a stove, curry, and a timer
━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…
6.Group Workshop Guide | First time is totally OK. Here’s how the day flows♪
━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…
Thankfully, we’ve been welcoming more and more group bookings^^
“We’re coming by coach bus—will we get lost locally?” “Can we do the workshop smoothly even if it’s our first time?”
To ease those concerns, here’s a clear, step-by-step overview of how your visit typically proceeds!
1. Arrive at the municipal parking lot (coach buses welcome)
As we do not have a dedicated private parking lot, we kindly ask guests to use the municipal parking lot.
For groups, if you call us 15 minutes before arrival, our staff can greet you smoothly and guide you in♪
(If any guests feel uneasy about walking, we may be able to provide a short shuttle depending on the situation—please consult us.)
2. A “quick town-walk” intro through the Udatsu-no-Agaru Historic Townscape
Even the walk from the parking area to the workshop becomes part of your Japan travel memory^^
We’ll highlight a few key points about the Edo-era streetscape and the famous “udatsu” features.
3. Arrive at the workshop → guided to your seats
In an Edo-period building built in 1760, your Mino Washi hands-on craft experience begins!
First, take your seat and relax for a moment.
4. A fun picture-story briefing to explain the workshop (easy for first-timers)
We introduce Ishikawa Paper Goods Ltd. and Mino Washi, the highlights of the shop, plus simple tips for making your piece.
You’ll also have an instruction sheet, so you won’t get stuck^^ (And our staff will support you closely!)
5. Start crafting (about 30–45 minutes)
Because you can complete it simply by pasting with glue, it’s enjoyable for a wide range—from age 4 to adults.
You can follow the sample diagram in the kit, or customize it into your own original design!
Feel free to use our in-store [Mino Washi Yuzen paper (our original design)] and create a truly one-of-a-kind souvenir♪
6. Finished! Take it home right away
No long waiting time for drying.
Your completed piece can be taken home immediately as a memorable Japan travel souvenir.
7. After the workshop, enjoy shopping in-store too♪
With shelves full of Japanese paper goods and traditional Japanese souvenirs, please enjoy browsing for gifts♪
As a group benefit, you can also enjoy **10% OFF when your in-store total purchase is 1,000 yen or more**.
Along with your workshop memories, please take your time choosing souvenirs for your trip^^
*If some items are excluded, our staff will 안내/let you know on the day.
Craft together, show each other, and laugh together—we’re here to help you create those joyful group travel memories.
All of us look forward to welcoming your group^^
▼ Group booking inquiries (we can also accommodate outside open days)
https://www.ishikawa-shigyo.com/contact/shop.html
▼ Workshop website
https://www.ishikawa-shigyo.com/shop.html
▼ Group booking guide (50 guests × 6 sessions = 300 guests/day)
For reservations of 10 or more guests, we can accommodate even outside business hours. Please consult us!
Contact us for details♪
https://www.ishikawa-shigyo.com/contact/shop.html
Now accepting group reservations♪
For group reservations of 10 guests or more,
all participants who join the workshop
receive 10% OFF in-store items.
We’ve packed the workshop menu, pricing, and group capacity into one easy guide!
1,000+ Google Reviews! ★4.9!
Laugh, create, and it’s complete! Check the workshop by video!
━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…
7.Access Guide | 5 minutes from Mino IC. A convenient stop for group tour itineraries!
━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…
To travel agencies and group tour planners:
“We want to add an easy stop for a hands-on cultural experience during a long travel day.”
For that, we recommend Ishikawa Mino Washi Paper Goods Workshop (Ishikawa Paper Goods Ltd.).
【Why it fits smoothly into itineraries】
・Close to the expressway interchange (Mino IC → about 5 minutes)**, so coach travel is easy and low-stress
・In the center of the historic town area, making it easy to combine sightseeing walks and shopping before/after
・A “just-right” stop on popular touring routes (between Nagoya ↔ Takayama / Shirakawa-go)
As a satisfying activity you can add without strain between transfers, we hope you’ll consider us for your Japan group tour itinerary.
We can also consult with you on time allocation to match your tour schedule.
Our team is preparing to welcome your group with a smooth, pleasant experience^^
▼ Mino City access information
https://minokanko.com/access/
We are about a 5-minute drive from “Mino IC” on the Tokai-Hokuriku Expressway.
It’s easy to add us to touring routes heading toward Takayama and Shirakawa-go from Nagoya, and our location makes it possible to combine a rest stop + hands-on experience + historic town walking in one convenient visit.
Estimated access times by departure point (via expressways):
From Nagoya: Nagoya Ring Road IC (Nagoya Expressway) → Ichinomiya JCT → Tokai-Hokuriku Expressway → Mino IC | approx. 67 km / approx. 1 hour
From Takayama: Takayama Nishi IC (Chubu Jukan Expressway) → Hida-Kiyomi IC → Tokai-Hokuriku Expressway → Mino IC | approx. 100 km / approx. 1 hour 15 min
From Shirakawa-go: Shirakawa-go IC (Tokai-Hokuriku Expressway) → Mino IC | approx. 110 km / approx. 1 hour 15 min
From Gujo-Hachiman: Gujo-Hachiman IC (Tokai-Hokuriku Expressway) → Mino IC | approx. 28 km / approx. 17 min
From Chubu Centrair International Airport: Centrair Higashi IC (Chita Odan Road) → Nagoya Expressway / Nagoya Daini Kanjo → Ichinomiya JCT → Tokai-Hokuriku Expressway → Mino IC | approx. 95 km / approx. 1 hour 20 min
From Toki Premium Outlets: Toki IC (Chuo Expressway) → Toki JCT → Tokai-Kanjo Expressway → Minoseki JCT → Tokai-Hokuriku Expressway → Mino IC | approx. 39 km / around 30 min
Parking information (coach buses OK)
*We do not have a dedicated parking lot. Please use the municipal parking lot.
For groups, if you call us 15 minutes before arrival, our staff will greet you smoothly.
(If any guests feel uneasy about walking, we may be able to provide a short shuttle depending on the situation—please consult us.)
▼ Mino City Parking Map
Front: https://minokanko.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/30ddbcbb17e8592a50b2d0c9fcab3229.pdf
Back: https://minokanko.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/90c3049d7dadf0b1aa05f315a3aacf68.pdf

━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…
8.World & Japan Conquest Project | Is it your turn next? “You, come make Washi!”—visit Ishikawa Paper Goods Ltd.♪
━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…
At Ishikawa Mino Washi Paper Goods Workshop (Ishikawa Paper Goods Ltd.),
we’ve set up a “World Map” and a “Map of Japan” in the shop, and we run an interactive activity where visitors place a sticker on their hometown—an engaging, participatory experience!

As the number of stickers grows,
you can instantly see how far the Mino Washi experience has spread—making both our staff and guests excited.
Which country next? Which prefecture next? Every time you look at the map, the fun keeps growing^^
◆ World Conquest Project (current: 44 countries) ◆
So far, guests from an incredible 44 countries (individual travelers and groups) have visited us!
Thinking that people from around the world are discovering Mino Washi here in Mino… it truly makes us happy!!
[North & South America: 5 countries]
United States, Brazil, Canada, Venezuela, Honduras
[Asia: 22 countries]
Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, Vietnam, Indonesia, Myanmar, China, Timor-Leste, Nepal, India, Israel, Cambodia, Laos, Uzbekistan, Mongolia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Pakistan, Malaysia
[Europe: 14 countries]
United Kingdom, France, Germany, Poland, Scotland, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, Sweden, Austria, Italy, Russia, Netherlands, Czech Republic
[Oceania: 2 countries]
Australia, New Zealand
[Africa: 1 country]
South Africa
Total: 44 countries!

For first-time-visitor countries, we sometimes ask guests to place a small flag as a commemorative marker^^
It’s fun to look and see, “Does my country already have a flag?”♪
◆ Japan Conquest Project ◆
Little by little, the Japan map is filling up with stickers too!
Every time we add a new hometown, we feel our connection with you—and with more travelers—growing wider and wider.
When you join the workshop, please be sure to place a sticker on your hometown as well^^
And then…
That single sticker you place becomes the first step of a brand-new story.
No matter where in the world you come from, and even if it’s your first time, you’ll be just fine.
Create together, laugh together, and take home unforgettable Japan travel memories!
All of our staff look forward to welcoming you^^
▼ Visit the Ishikawa Paper Goods Ltd. workshop website here♪
https://www.ishikawa-shigyo.com/shop.html
━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━
9.For a Safe & Comfortable Experience | Support Services for Guests with Disabilities
━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━
At our workshop, we welcome special needs schools,
and group visits from disability support facilities, and we provide the following support services♪
Group-only offer for “special needs school groups” and “groups with disability ID holders”
・One free try of our 300-yen capsule toy (gacha)
・Shopping practice program: 40% OFF purchases (hands-on workshops are excluded)
Our hands-on making menu has no difficult steps, so anyone can easily create a beautiful piece. (Washi Korokoro, uchiwa fans, bookmarks, Washi plates, pen stands) are all designed to be approachable,
and when you simply paste the pre-cut paper pieces along the template shape…
you can create your very own original item^^
You can craft in detail to match your own sensibility—or finish it neatly just like the sample!
Choose paper, apply glue, and paste!
Why not repeat these simple steps and make something wonderful?
For special needs schools, after-school day service programs,
and coordinators planning facility trips—please feel free to use our workshop!
▼ Contact Ishikawa Paper Goods Ltd. workshop here♪
https://www.ishikawa-shigyo.com/contact/shop.html
━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…
10.OEM at Ishikawa Paper Goods Ltd. | Turn that Character into Washi? Cute Washi Korokoro OEM Examples♪
━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…
Ishikawa Paper Goods Ltd. was founded in 1902.
While honoring the tradition of Mino Washi, we also develop Japanese paper goods and original products for brands, destinations, and organizations.
One of our most popular items is the auspicious roly-poly charm that pops back up with a cute “koron♪” — the Washi Korokoro.
In fact, Washi Korokoro is not only a best-loved activity at Ishikawa Mino Washi Paper Goods Workshop—it has also been created as many OEM originals at the request of companies and groups.
Here are some adorable Washi Korokoro creations born from our OEM collaborations♪
◆ [OEM Example 1] Perfect as a shrine charm or gift♪ The guiding deity “Washi Korokoro Yatagarasu”
The auspicious “guiding bird” Yatagarasu becomes an adorable roly-poly Washi Korokoro♪
It even includes a playful feature—a space to place your omikuji fortune slip◎
https://www.ishikawa-shigyo.com/news/detail_1753.html

◆ [OEM Example 2] A university mascot is born as a “koron” roly-poly! Tokyo University of Foreign Studies “Tobita-kun”
The image character of Tokyo University of Foreign Studies has become a Washi Korokoro^^ *Available as both a kit and a finished product
Ideal for commemorative items and event merchandise—perfect for creating products that express the uniqueness of your place or brand.
https://www.ishikawa-shigyo.com/news/detail_1752.html

◆ [OEM Example 3] A local “face” becomes a Washi Korokoro♪ Noboribetsu City official character “Toumu-kun”
We adapted Noboribetsu City’s official character “Toumu-kun” into a cute, auspicious roly-poly style!
Perfect for destination souvenirs and PR—so cute you’ll want to pick it up right away♪
https://www.ishikawa-shigyo.com/news/detail_1784.html

▼ For inquiries about custom OEM / original product development, please contact us here♪
https://www.ishikawa-shigyo.com/contact/index.html
“Can you create our character too?” “We want this kind of vibe!”
That’s exactly how Washi Korokoro is born^^
Why not turn your company’s character into
a one-of-a-kind, adorable roly-poly Washi Korokoro that pops back up with a cute “koron”?
We look forward to hearing from you^^
▼ We create custom OEM / original products! Using our know-how since 1902, we produce special originals made only for your organization!
No.1 in Japan for registered Mino Washi brand items!
Doll production, papier-mâché, Japanese paper goods, Japanese stationery, DIY craft kits, name printing, and more—leave your custom production to us! We can propose a wide range of materials such as washi, chirimen fabric, wood, ceramics, and more.
Please leave custom production to us! We can propose a variety of materials such as washi, chirimen fabric, wood, ceramics, and more.
▼ Contact Ishikawa Paper Goods Ltd. (Head Office) here♪
https://www.ishikawa-shigyo.com/contact/index.html
━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…
7. Guest Gallery | Even with the Same Kit, Everything Turns Out Different!! Real Creations♪
━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…
Beyond the commercialized “Washi Korokoro” lineup, original pieces are also quietly being born right here at our Ishikawa Mino Washi Paper Goods Workshop^^
We’re always amazed by the unique creations that come from children’s free imagination.
Instead of following the sample, they shape their favorite characters and motifs into form—that freedom is the charm.
With ideas from each creator, the expressions are limitless—this is what makes Ishikawa Paper Goods Ltd.’s popular “Washi Korokoro” so special.
It’s an experience that not only children, but also adults can enjoy wholeheartedly—bringing out everyone’s inner child.
Would you like to create your own original piece together at Ishikawa Mino Washi Paper Goods Workshop?
Here is this week’s featured creation♪
They’re different colors^^

Everyone—please enjoy making your own personal variations too♪
[See the photos!] We introduce this newsletter on the blog below with images included! [Updated every Monday]
Newsletter Blog (with photos)
━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━
12. Mayumi “Mino” Diary | What burned curry taught me: a stove, curry, and a timer
━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━
Recently, the most hardworking item in my kitchen has been a kerosene stove.
While keeping warm, I place a pot on top and simmer dishes.
Even without turning the heat up high, it finishes slowly with a gentle “bubble-bubble” over time—and I’ve become completely hooked on it.
Pork cartilage stew, whole simmered sardines, creamy stew, oden, and beef tendon doteni… before I knew it, my “let the stove do the work” menu kept growing.
But one day, I took that “let it do the work” a little too far.
I was focused on work while simmering curry—and completely forgot the pot existed.
When I suddenly realized and went into the kitchen, the smell was different than usual.
I panicked, lifted the lid… and the bottom of the pot was thoroughly burned.
“I did it…” Needless to say, I stood there frozen for a while.
Since then, I always ask Alexa to set a timer.
Stove cooking can be left alone—but you can’t leave it completely unattended.
Even five minutes or ten minutes—just hearing a sound is enough to remind me about the pot.
A burned curry taught me an important lesson.
When the timer rings and I peek into the pot, it’s simmering perfectly again today.
Making mistakes and adding my own little methods over time—that’s part of the joy of everyday life.
Together with the stove flame, I’m savoring those moments slowly and deeply.
For inquiries about newsletter information, please contact us here ▼
━…━…━…━…━…━…━…━ …━…━…━…
○●○●○●○●○●○●○●
In an Edo-era townscape full of atmosphere,
you can enjoy a hands-on Mino Washi Japanese paper goods craft experience
Ishikawa Mino Washi Paper Goods Workshop (Ishikawa Paper Goods Ltd.)
〒501-3728
1909-3 Honjumi-cho, Mino City, Gifu, 501-3728 Japan
Workshop Contact: Mayumi Sato
Tel: 0575-29-3680
Fax: 0575-35-1363
Contact us here: https://www.ishikawa-shigyo.com/contact/shop.html
Website: http://www.ishikawa-shigyo.com/
Please feel free to contact us♪
○●○●○●○●○●○●○●
You can unsubscribe from this newsletter here.
*We apologize, but due to system processing time, you may still receive emails for a short period after unsubscribing.
++
━…━…━…━…━…━……━…━…━…━…━…
Our media features!
They’ve been very well received by many guests!
Please come visit us at least once♪
▼ “Degawa Tetsuro’s Can I Charge Your Battery?” TV broadcast
Mino City, Gifu: Washi doll hands-on craft experience at Ishikawa Mino Washi Paper Goods Workshop (Ishikawa Paper Goods Ltd.) | Video | Featuring Yoko Kumada
▼ NHK broadcast: “Marutto! Gifu” — Mino Washi uchiwa fan hands-on experience
Ishikawa Mino Washi Paper Goods Workshop (Ishikawa Paper Goods Ltd.), Mino City, Gifu | Tourism | Udatsu-no-Agaru Historic Townscape | Video
Gifu-chan “Meccha Gifu Wakarute TV” ▼
▼ “Mino Washi Village: What Gifu’s Mino City Is Like” — Mino City Tourism Association website
The Tourism Association’s site introduces our website under “Experiences” → “Mino Washi”!
▼ Our products were featured in the “Clear Streams Country Gifu” News Letter♪
(Press release from Gifu Prefecture Tourism Resource Utilization Division)
A Washi kabuto decoration is introduced as “A New Shape of Mino Washi”
▼ Website ▼
▼ Rakuten EC Store ▼