What is Kurama Kobo?

Kurama Kobo is a workshop that makes everyday tools from the plants and materials of Kurama, Kyoto. In the spring of 2027 we will open a traditional house across from Kurama Onsen, with a shop and cafe on the ground floor and a making space upstairs.

As the forty-fourth generation

My family has lived in Ninose for forty-four generations. In the Heian period our ancestors escorted Prince Koretaka when he was driven from the capital, and settled with him in Ninose. In the Edo period this land became the domain of the Hayashi family, and my family made its living from what this ground produced. I am continuing that line, and I am opening a workshop here that makes things from the materials of Kurama. (Written by Yasuhiro Imae)

The village of Ninose →

Helping create work in Kurama

As a child I played in the forest and the river until dusk, with daily life close at hand.

I want to help create work so that younger people can keep living and working in Kurama.

My hope is to do that through the making and the hands-on experiences at Kurama Kobo, using the plants and materials of this place.

What we make

Prince Koretaka is known as the founder of the woodturners' craft. We make everyday tools from pruned Kurama cedar and cypress timber connected to him.

We will gradually add products using local materials such as Kurama stone and Kyoto madder.

Experiences

Chopsticks made from pruned Kurama cedar, and dyeing with Kyoto madder. For the chopsticks you choose the wood, shape it, and polish it until it sits comfortably in your hand. For dyeing, the roots of Kyoto madder are simmered to make the dye bath. We will announce the starting date and the fees on the Experiences page once they are decided.

About the founder

Yasuhiro Imae
President, Kino Co., Ltd.

I did not want the records of the Hayashi family and Hosendo that had been handed down in my house to be scattered; I wanted to pass them on in a form useful to scholarship. With that in mind I donated the materials to the City of Kyoto. What matters to me is passing on not only the documents but the story of where they came from.

My involvement with this community goes back to my high school years. I lost my father when I was nine, and the land that was then in my name was donated to the City of Kyoto for the 100th anniversary of Kurama Elementary School. That land makes up about a third of the school grounds. The school I remember closed after 149 years.

1960 — Born in Kurama Ninose-cho.
2024 — Donated the Imae family documents to the Kyoto City Archives.
2025 — Awarded the Medal with Dark Blue Ribbon.
2026 — Acquired the traditional house across from Kurama Onsen and began renovation.
Spring 2027 — Kurama Kobo is scheduled to open.