Make a Traditional Craft at Gassho-Mura in Gero Onsen, Gifu
Overview
At Gassho-mura, an outdoor museum that recreates a typical folk village in Gifu's Hida region, make your own pottery or 'sarubobo' lucky doll! Then, enjoy a sweet-savory rice cake called 'gohei mochi' and stroll around Gassho-mura.
Highlights
- Get a voucher for a free piece of 'gohei mochi,' a sweet-savory rice cake that's a specialty of central Japan
- A great opportunity to immerse yourself in Gifu's unique culture and familiarize yourself with the area's specialties
- Rakuten-exclusive perk — book with Rakuten Travel Experiences, and your finished pottery (if you choose Option 1) will be shipped within Japan for free (limited to 1 item per person)
- Rakuten-exclusive perk — book with Rakuten Travel Experiences, and your finished pottery (if you choose Option 1) will be shipped within Japan for free (limited to 1 item per person)
- Make a traditional Gifu handicraft as a souvenir of your visit: pottery or a 'sarubobo' lucky doll
- Stroll around Gassho-Mura, an outdoor museum with interactive exhibits and attractions such as a footbath
Key Information
Important Information
• For Option 1, participants must be aged 2 or older • For Option 2, participants must be aged 7 or older • Children aged 2–12 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian • To redeem your 'gohei mochi' rice cake, please take your voucher to Gassho Chaya, a teahouse and noodle shop inside Gassho-Mura, near the entrance. As Gassho Chaya is closed on Wednesdays, guests who choose Wednesday as their preferred date for this activity will receive a packaged gohei mochi to be heated up at home • Admission to Gassho-Mura (800 JPY for guests aged 16 or older; 400 JPY for children aged 7–15; free for children aged 0–6) is not included in the price. Please purchase an admission ticket to Gassho-Mura at the entrance • For Option 1, you will not be able to take home your pottery on your experience date; it will be shipped at a later date, after it is glazed and fired. As a Rakuten-exclusive perk, shipping within Japan is free (but limited to 1 item per person), and it will take around 1.5 to 2 months for you to receive your pottery. While we will package it as carefully as possible, we cannot guarantee that it will arrive damage-free • For Option 1, shipping fees will apply in the following cases: 1) international shipping, and/or 2) shipping subsequent items. The rate varies depending on the weight of the package and the shipping address • Luggage storage is available at the venue for 500 JPY per item • Your instructor can only speak basic English; they will provide more detailed explanations through a translation app. Please be patient with them • COVID-19 prevention measures are in place, such as regular disinfection of facilities and equipment, temperature checks, and mask-wearing requirements for staff and guests
Description
Located in Gifu Prefecture's Gero Onsen, Gassho-Mura — also known as Gassho Village — is an outdoor museum that recreates a typical Hida folk village. (Gifu was called 'Hida' in ancient times.) Here, old thatched-roof farmhouses built in the 'gassho-zukuri' architectural style have been given new life; they now house interactive exhibits that introduce visitors to the traditional Hida lifestyle. Some of these houses are nationally recognized cultural properties of Japan. In this experience, you'll make a traditional Gifu handicraft at Gassho-Mura's workshop, Hida Kobo. Choose from pottery — Gifu has had a thriving pottery industry since ancient times — or 'sarubobo,' a lucky doll resembling a faceless child. While sarubobo dolls are traditionally red in color, they now come in a variety of colors, with each color having a different meaning: - Gold: Prosperity, luck with money, victory, success - Silver: Friendship, creativity, talent - Red: Family relations, love, safe childbirth, harmonious marriage - Blue: Luck with studies or business - Yellow: Luck with money and gambling - Pink: Love - Green: Peace and good health - Black: Warding off bad luck and evil When you're done making your ceramic or sarubobo doll, you'll then get a voucher for a piece of 'gohei mochi,' a sweet-savory rice cake in the shape of a traditional straw sandal. This delicacy is a specialty of central Japan. After enjoying your gohei mochi, take the time to look around Gassho-Mura, which has several engaging and fun attractions, including a footbath!