Osaka: Chopstick Making Workshop & Matcha with Local Hosts

4.96

(469 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

“You’ll want to sand that edge a bit more—see?” That’s what our host, Yuki, said as I clumsily tried shaping my first pair of chopsticks in Osaka. The workshop was tucked just off a busy street near Dotonbori, but inside it felt quiet, almost like time slowed down. There was this faint scent of cedar shavings mixed with something sweet—maybe the matcha they’d started preparing in the back. I kept glancing at the others in our group, all hunched over their wooden sticks, some laughing when their chopsticks ended up looking more like drumsticks. Honestly, I thought mine were hopeless for a minute.

Yuki showed us how to decorate them with these tiny brushes and lacquer—I definitely got more paint on my fingers than on the wood. She told us about her grandmother’s favorite patterns and why certain colors mean luck here. I liked that she didn’t rush anyone; she even let me redo one side after I smudged it (twice). At some point, someone asked about where to eat nearby and suddenly we were all swapping food tips and talking about Osaka’s street food scene. It felt less like a class and more like hanging out in someone’s living room.

Afterwards, we sat together on low stools while Yuki whisked up bowls of matcha. The green tea smelled grassy and warm—honestly, stronger than anything I’d had before—and came with these little sweets shaped like flowers. There was this moment where nobody talked; we just sipped quietly, maybe thinking about our lopsided chopsticks or maybe just enjoying the calm after all that sanding. The whole thing lasted about two hours but it felt longer—in a good way. I still think about that soft scraping sound of wood under my hands whenever I use those chopsticks at home.