Factory / Workshop Spots in Okinawa Area

Area

Okinawa
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  Okinawa

Category

Travel / Tourism

Factory / Workshop

Azamiya Minsah Craft Center

4.0

90 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Okinawa Pref. Ishigakishi Tonoshiro 909

The Azamiya Minsah Craft Center is located about 10 minutes' drive from the Ishigaki Port Outer Island Ferry Terminal. Besides manufacturing Yaeyama Minsah textiles, the Center also has a display room and shop, and visitors can watch the fabric being made. The workshop and display room are on the ground floor; visitors can view part of the manufacturing process. The display room showcases historic and modern examples of Minsah textiles, and also has a display on the dyeing techniques that are used. Visitors who book their visit in advance may be able to try their hand at making Minsah fabric in the annex building; the price depends on the program chosen and the length of the experiential activity.

We went to the Minsah Kogei museum on a cold and rainy afternoon. Make sure you call to make an appointment though. Young children can also take part but they need to be tall enough to reach the...
Glass House in Forest

3.5

71 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Okinawa Pref. Nagoshi Bimata 478

This facility is where you can experience making Ryukyu glass. There are approximately 300 kinds of glass inside the store, and you can experience various kinds of workshops in the experience area such as making glass, accessories, photo frames, gel candles and kaleidoscopes. Do not forget to make the required reservation if you would like to take part in this experience. In addition, although you cannot take it back home with you on the same day, it can be delivered to you later.

体験工房があり、実際に自分でコップなどを作る事ができます。製作所前で職人さんが目の前で、ガラスの馬を作ってるのを見せて貰う事ができました。目の前で見れて迫力がありました。ショップでは、グラス、お皿、花瓶などとても商品の種類が豊富で見てるだけでも楽しめました。店内はとても広く、迷ってしまうほどでした。沖縄の素敵なお土産が購入する事ができました。
Awamori Masahiro Gallery

4.0

33 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Okinawa Pref. Itomanshi Nishizakichou 5-8-7

This sake brewery was established in 1883 in Shuri, the castle town of the Ryukyu Kingdom. At the time when only those approved to brew by the royal government could receive a license, a tradename and brewing license were given by the king, down to the present day. It sells vintage sake that has received many Monde Selection Gold awards, awamori made of pure rice , and moromi-su (vinegar from rice mash).

工場見学ができるというので行ってみると、瓶詰め工程だけでした。工場ショップで、自社製造のいろいろな泡盛やアルコール商品が置いてあり、試飲もできますが、わざわざ車でここまで来なくとも、他のお土産店でよいと思います。
Ryukyu Glass Kirameki Kobo

4.5

16 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Okinawa Kunigami-gun Onnason Yamada 3111

This Ryukyu glass studio is located in Onna Village, Okinawa Prefecture. Visitors can watch the work of a group of craftsmen lead by Ikemiyagi Yoshio, a certified Traditional Craftsman of Okinawa Prefecture. Ikemiyagi was selected as a Contemporary Master Craftsman in 2014 by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. The workshop also offers Ryukyu glasswork experiences in which participants can make a variety of items from such as taru glasses, saucers, and flower vases from Ryukyu glass. Visitors can also view and purchase more than 500 pieces of Ryukyu glasswork, which makes a great souvenir.

ルネッサンスに宿泊中、雨だったので急遽連絡したところ飛び込みで受け入れて貰えました。 5歳の息子で不安もありましたが、親切な職人さんに優しく教えて頂き、写真をとるためのポージングやシャッターチャンスを作って下さいました。本人もとても喜んで大事に使っています。きらめき工房さんのガラスは気泡・波風のラインがとても美しいグラスで、空港でお土産のグラスが沢山並んでいるのを見ていた時も、主人が「やっぱり...
Yonaguni Town Traditional Craft Hall

3.5

18 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Okinawa Yaeyama-gun Yonaguni Cho Yonaguni 175-2

"This facility for creating and displaying traditional arts and crafts in Yonaguni, Yonaguni Town, Yaeyama County. You can observe the procedure for making ""Yonaguni ori"" weaving which boasts a tradition of about 500 years, and check out related materials. They also sell products such as small items made with Yonaguni ori."

祖納の集落から徒歩10分ほどにある建物で伝統の織物についての工芸品を展示しているらしいですが都合によりしばらく休館らしいです。蛍光灯はこうこうとついていて窓から織り機が見えますが、無人なのか閉まっていました。田舎のありがちな気分次第で締めているのか行く前に事前に確認を
Orion Happy Park

Travel / Tourism

Okinawa Pref. Nagoshi Agarie 2-2-1

Orion Happy Park is the facility where Orion Beer (Okinawa's most famous beer) is brewed; visitors can enjoy a guided tour of the brewery, and then enjoy tasting Orion Beer after the tour (soft drinks are available for children and designated drivers). Orion Happy Park has its own restaurant-Yanbaru no Mori-where visitors can enjoy beer that has been made on the premises and delicious food made with local ingredients (it is possible to visit the Park just to use the restaurant). The brewery tour takes around 60 minutes. Visitors can book the tour in advance by telephone or through the Park's website.
Mineya Kobo

4.0

13 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Okinawa Ishigaki-shi Arakawa 1129-2

This handweaving studio, which is the founding manufacturer of Yaeyama Jofu, Yaeyama Minsa and Hanaori Minsa, carries a full selection of fabrics, half and double-width obi sashes, and other items.made from traditional textiles of Ishigaki Island. The studio makes a variety of products suited to today's modern lifestyle that take advantage of the light weight and high durability of sashes made from minsa textiles, including handbags, table centerpieces, shop curtains, and business card cases. The workshop is especially proud of their fukei-ori, which depict the color of the ocean around Ishigaki Island in textiles made using traditional techniques to the fullest. The studio also offers loom weaving and vegetable dyeing experiences. Visitors can also watch the professional weavers at work.

ツアーの人で賑わっています。みんさー織の商品を始め、色々なお土産を買う事の出来る場所になっています。夕食の順番待ちの時間に売店でお土産を購入しました。
Yachimun no Sato

Travel / Tourism

Okinawa Nakagami-gun Yomitanson Zakimi 2653

An arts and crafts village located a 60-minute drive from the Okinawa-Minami Interchange. The village origins date back to when Ryukyu dynasty King Sho Tei gathered various pottery studios here to promote the development of the ceramics industry. There are 19 independent pottery studios in the village, and visitors can experience the traditions, culture, and history of Okinawan ceramics. The village's thick pottery, decorated with placid designs, are sold in two communal shops, and visitors can purchase Yomitanzan ware and Okinawan lion dog statues, each different in appearance and feel from the next depending on the studio and potter which made it. Some of the studios also have their own distinctive galleries and offer pottery making classes.
Kabirayaki Rinka

4.5

3 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Okinawa Ishigaki-shi Kabira 1216-60

This pottery in Kabira, Ishigaki City makes tableware, shisa figurines, and other works of pottery with clay from Ishigaki Island. They also offer pottery classes in which participants can hand-built or wheel thrown vessel, their own shisa figure, or a Ryukyu glass accessory.

シーサー特大サイズを家族で作りました。ボディはあらかじめ先生が作ってくれて、顔の作り方を簡単にレクチャーしてもらった後に自由に作れるスタイルでした。細かいことは言われず、ポイントだけ教えてくれる感じだったので、のんびり楽しめて良かったです。また、粘土なので小学校2年生でも問題なく楽しめました。体の部分を作ってもらっているおかけで、上手・下手にかかわらず、出来映えは結構良くなります。ちなみに、顔...
Nutima-su Sightseeing and Salt Manufacturing Factory

Travel / Tourism

Okinawa Pref. Urumashi Yonashiromiyagi 2768 Co., Ltd. Inu Mase

This salt factory is on Miyagi Island, the second island accessible from Urama City’s marine road. It created a salt production process called the “room temperature instant airborne crystallization production method,” which has garnered patents in 13 countries as well as a Guinness Record for its mineral-rich characteristics. Take a tour of the factory and see how the salt’s appealing snowy color is made. There’s also an official shop and cafe, and all of the salt used at the cafe is produced at the factory. The shop offers food items, cosmetics, and samples of “silk salt,” which is said to enhance beauty.
Aikaze

1.0

1 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Okinawa Kunigami-gun Motobucho Izumi 3417-6

This Ryukyu ingido dyeing workshop is located in Motobu Town, Okinawa Prefecture. It sells clothing, shop curtains, tapestries, and other items made with cloth that has been carefully resist-dyed using mud and indigo dye made from dyer's knotweed leaves. Visitors can also casually try ingido dyeing a hand towel or handkerchief. It is even possible to bring and dye your own cotton or hemp T-shirts, blouse, or other items. The workshop's attached cafe serves organic coffee, black tea, and homemade juices, as well as cheesecakes made with seasonal fruit and open sandwiches.

Went there in a rainy morning. We drove all the way up the windy steep hill only to find the restuarant already close down, like a deserted haunted house! Yet the information is not on their official...
Taketomi Folk Craft Museum

Travel / Tourism

Okinawa Pref. Yaeyamaguntaketomichou Taketomi 381-4

The Taketomi Folk Craft Museum was founded in 1972 with the aim of training craftspeople to carry on Taketomi Island’s traditional crafts, including the making of Yaeyama Minsah Cloth, Yaeyama Jofu Cloth (high-quality plain-woven hemp cloth), and Abaca Cloth, etc. The process for making Abaca Cloth is shown using explanatory display panels, and visitors can also watch displays of actual weaving loom use. Entrance to the museum is free.
Pottery Gallery Shimairo

Travel / Tourism

Okinawa Pref. Urumashi Yonashirotoubaru 428-6

Pottery Gallery Shimairo standing in a peaceful village surrounded by sugar cane fields on Miyagi Island is a pottery studio and gallery shop owned by Katsushi Shimabukuro, a pottery artist. In the studio on the first floor, the pottery’s manufacturing process can be observed up close. In a gallery on the second floor, a range of pottery from vessels and flower vases with monotone colors to plates and cups with light and gentle earthy colors are displayed and sold. A shaved ice shop next to the studio uses crockery made at Pottery Gallery Shimairo.
Kusu no Mori ChukoGura

Travel / Tourism

Okinawa Pref. Tomigusukushi Iraha 556-2

This brewery tour facility is where you can enjoy learning about the history and culture of awamori such as an old-fashioned awamori factory, an old-style storehouse with a lot of aged sake, and earthenware pots. Convenient located approximately 10 minutes by car from Naha Airport, this brewery that has received some of the most awards and is very popular. If you make a reservation in advance, you can also experience making awamori through an experience that reproduces traditional awamori-making.
Helios Distillery Co., Ltd.

Travel / Tourism

Okinawa Pref. Nagoshi Kyoda 405

An awamori brewery represented by the aged awamori “Kura,” it brews general alcoholic beverages. You can go on a recommended factory tour that lasts for approximately 40 to 60 minutes for a fulfilling time where you can learn the traditions and secrets of awamori and what makes it special. Do not forget to make the required reservation in advance.
Ryukyu Glass Takumi Kobo Ishikawa Main Store

Travel / Tourism

Okinawa Uruma Ishikawa Iha 1553-279

A 90-minute drive from Naha Airport. To reach the glass studio head west just a short distance down Prefectural Route 73 from the Ishikawa Multipurpose Dome stadium. Here local Okinawan born craftsmen seek to produce creative, original Ryukyu glass creations and throughout the shop you'll find a selection of translucent, colorful, glass works. They also hold Ryukyu Glass Blowing Experiences where you can make your own blown glass work bringing together your favorite colors and designs. The time required is just 10 to 15 minutes and is safe for even children to participate. The glass blowing opportunity is available even for single parties.
Tokuyama Shuzo

Travel / Tourism

Okinawa Miyakojima-shi Irabu Sawada 1500

This distillery is located in a residential area just east of Sawada no Hama Beach and Heiseinomori Park about a 15-minute walk from Sarahama Fishing Port. Established in 1945, the venerable distillery is best known for producing smooth tasting awamori that fills the mouth with a pronounced sweetness. Their awamori is made with groundwater with a high content of minerals derived from coral reefs. The distillery's offerings include Honen, their hallmark brand, which was given this name in the hope of a bountiful harvest, as well as their mildly-flavored Yura, which was created to suit the tastes of women and people from outside of the prefecture who haven't acquired a taste for awamori. Visitors with a reservation can tour part of the distillery.
Miyanohana Co., Ltd.

Travel / Tourism

Okinawa Miyakojima-shi Irabu Nakachi 158-1

This venerable distillery founded in 1948 is located on southwestern Irabu Island just southwest of the Kanzato Well. The distillery makes its awamori using time-honored but labor-intensive techniques, emphasizing the quality of its products. They exclusively use groundwater with a high content of minerals derived from coral reefs. The distillery's awamori offerings include Toriike, an aged awamori made from domestic rice grown using natural cultivation techniques, Shimojishima, which is sold exclusively at Miyako Shimojishima Airport Terminal, and Miyanohana, which tastes just like it did when the distillery first opened. The distillery also sells moromi vinegar made by pressing the lees created as a byproduct of the mashing process.
Taragawa Co., Ltd.

Travel / Tourism

Okinawa Miyakojima-shi Gusukube Sunagawa 85

This venerable distillery founded in 1948 is located north along the road from Uipyayama Site. The distillery is dedicated to making awamori using the same traditional methods it has used since it was founded. In order to assure the quality of its products, the distillery pays great attention to the rice and water ingredients. Their most popular product is Ryukyu Ocho. Well known in even Okinawa prefecture, this easy-to-drink awamori pairs well with any cuisine. Some of their many other products include Taragawa Brown which is also recommended to drink with flavored vinegar and soda water, and Churara, which is made with Miyako Island's great water.
Chigaya Kobo

Travel / Tourism

Okinawa Miyakojima-shi

This workshop is located inside the Miyako Taiken Craft Village just northwest of the Miyakojima City Museum. It sells hats, baskets, pots, and other handicrafts made with cogon grass, a plant that grows wild on Miyako Island. It also offers hands-on activities in which participants can make accessory cases, baskets, or marble cellphone straps from cogon grass or bracelets from shell ginger, another plants that grows on Miyako Island. Each activity takes between 60 and 120 minutes and can be enjoyed by as few as one and as many as 20 people (reservations are required for large groups).

Okinawa

Okinawa Island (Southern) Naha / Shuri Okinawa Island (Central) Resort Area (West Coast) Nago / Motobu Peninsula Yanbaru Area Miyako Island Ishigaki Island Kerama Islands Yaeyama Islands Kumejima

Travel / Tourism Factory / Workshop

Sake Brewery Winery / Brewery Workshop Pottery Other Factory Tour / Demonstration

Okinawa Areas

Let go of your image of a busy, ordered Japan and replace it with crystal-clear waters, white sand beaches, and relaxing folk music: You’ve arrived in Okinawa. A world away from the high intensity of Tokyo, Okinawans appear to live a laid-back beach life on this paradisiacal tropical island that lies in the middle of the East China Sea almost 1,000 kilometers south of mainland Japan’s most southern tip. Home to a spattering of islands, prepare yourself to discover underwater caves, star-shaped sand, and an island culture sometimes unrecognizable from mainland Japan.