Samurai Aesthetics: Customize Your Own Handguard for a Katana (Higo Tsuba)

【STORY】

Higo Zogan inlay is one of Kumamoto's most important traditional crafts. It originally gained popularity as a sophisticated fashion statement for high-ranking samurai, who decorated their swords, gun barrels, and other accessories. In this activity, participants will learn the techniques of Higo Zogan and create their own unique Higo Tsuba (sword guard) using a design kit crafted by an artist. Participants can learn about this Kumamoto samurai art that combines the aesthetics of wabi-sabi with originality. Participants will also learn how the spirit of the Kumamoto samurai is passed down to this day.

【HIGHLIGHTS】

• Experience the craft and traditional techniques of Higo Zogan. In this workshop, you will have the opportunity to witness this craftsmanship up close and personal, and participants will also have the chance to try their hand at "nunomegiri," one of the unique steps involved in making Higo Zogan.
• Participants can use a set of designs created by an artist well-versed in samurai aesthetics to create their own unique Higo Zogan layout for a Higo Tsuba.
• Artisans will then inlay your design over the course of 2 to 3 months, and the resulting piece will be sent to you by mail.
  

【SCHEDULE】

Choose from two start times, 10:00 or 13:00.

[10:00/13:00]　Explanation of Higo Zogan by 4th-generation craftsman Mr. Osumi
[10:30/13:30]　Try your hand at nunomegiri, a traditional step in making Higo Zogan
[10:50/13:50]　Create one-of-a-kind art by designing your own Higo Tsuba
[11:30/14:30]　Workshop tour, Q&A session
[12:00/15:00]　End

【EXPERIENCE SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION】

◆ Detailed schedule
First, Mr. Osumi (a 4th-generation Higo Zogan artisan who runs the Mitsusuke workshop) will provide you with an overview of Higo Zogan and the history of his family. Then, participants can try nunomegiri, one of the steps involved in making Higo Zogan, allowing them to use real tools and techniques to enjoy Higo Zogan's artistic beauty. Next, participants will watch Mr. Osumi demonstrate some of the techniques that have been passed down for 400 years. The main event is where guests design their very own Higo Tsuba sword guard. Participants will learn about Higo Tsuba and use an art kit designed by Mitsumasa Ota, an expert in samurai art, that features a number of traditional Higo Tsuba patterns. Participants will use this kit to design their own Higo Tsuba, which will then later be inlaid by craftsmen and the finished works will be carefully packaged and delivered to your home for you to enjoy.

◆About Higo Zogan
Higo Zogan is a type of metal inlay that has been produced in Kumamoto City, Kumamoto Prefecture for approximately 400 years. It has been designated as a traditional craft of Japan.

Higo Zogan involves hammering pure gold or pure silver into iron. It originated as a style of decoration used on the gun barrels and sword guards of samurai. As such, Higo Zogan demonstrates the sense of weight and elegant beauty present in samurai culture.

As it was used to embellish sword guards, Higo Zogan was considered the cutting-edge of samurai fashion at the time. The Higo Zogan-adorned sword guards, also known as Higo Tsuba, were so highly regarded that they became a brand of their own during the Edo period (1603-1868). Having a Higo Tsuba or something accented with Higo Zogan was the height of fashion among samurai at that time. Under the patronage of the Hosokawa family, Higo Zogan developed as a refined style of art alongside the flourishing of the samurai society.

◆ About Higo Zogan Mitsusuke
For generations, Mitsusuke was a blacksmith that specialized in making sword guards and other iron items for the Nishigaki and Kamiyoshi families. During the late Shogunate era, the Osumi family, which was headed by Naotaro Osumi in Shin-saikumachi, was renowned for their metalwork. The name Mitsusuke was first used in 1874 when Ikichi Osumi founded this Higo Zogan workshop in Shinmachi 3-chome, Kumamoto City. Currently, the tradition is continued by the fourth-generation craftsman Yuji Osumi, who continues to make Higo Zogan pieces in line with modern trends.

◆Shipping
Your Higo Tsuba will be inlaid by craftsmen and the whole process will take 2 to 3 months until completion. The finished piece will be made ready to display, carefully packaged, and shipped to participants' homes via international mail.

【THINGS TO NOTE】

• Duration：2 hours
• Meeting point：Mitsusuke Higo Zogan workshop
  3-2-1 Shinmachi, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto City, Kumamoto Prefecture [MAP]
  
• Access：
  From JR Kumamoto Station, take Kumamoto City Tram A Line for Kengun and get off at the Karashimacho stop. Then, transfer to Kumamoto City Tram B Line for Kamikumamoto Station and get off at the Urusanmachi stop. It is a 2-minute walk from there.
  
• Language support：Japanese, English
• Included：
  ・Activity
  ・English guide
  ・Shipping cost to your home (international mail)
  
• Excluded：
  ・Transportation expenses to the workshop
  
• Participation requirements：This activity is for ages 7 and up.
  
• Special support：Luggage storage is available.
  
• Free WI-FI：No
• Toilet：Yes (Western-style)
• Other things to note：
  ・After the activity, it will take approximately 2-3 months to complete your Higo Tsuba. The finished product will be shipped to your home.
  ・The item created during the experience will be a basic Higo Tsuba. If you wish for a more detailed design or larger tsuba, you may add this on as an option to your activity with additional fee. 
  ・If the tour is cancelled due to weather or other circumstances, we will notify you by phone by 4:00 p.m. the day before the tour.

【CANCELLATION POLICY】

7 to 4 days before the tour date: 40% of the tour price
3 to 2 days before the tour date: 60% of the tour price
The day before the tour date, on the day of the tour: 100% of the tour price