Professional Kintsugi Repair Requests
Do you have vessels in your home that you cherished but have broken, chipped, or cracked?
Tsugu Tsugu Ebisu and Asakusa studios in Tokyo accept kintsugi repairs in person.
1. Can I request kintsugi repair from overseas?
Because of damage during shipment from overseas, which may result in higher gold-joint repair costs and cancellations, we don't accept the repair request by the international shipping. Please bring your vessel directly to one of our two studios in Tokyo, the Ebisu and Asakusa studios.
Please read the following procedures and terms and conditions, and make sure you understand and agree to all of them before you request.
2. How long does it take until the kintsugi repair is completed?
Tsugu Tsugu's kintsugi repairs have been very well received, and the waiting time for completion is getting longer and longer (currently, 7 months wait). Tsugu Tsugu is doing our best to complete the repairs, but since each piece is repaired by hand, it is difficult to speed up the process.
If we give priority to your item, the other items that are waiting for us to finish will be finished even later. Therefore, if you really want us to finish your item quickly, we will charge you an express fee.
Express Fee
Normally, repairs will be started in order of the earliest request, but only if you pay twice the amount of the quoted fee, the priority order will be turned to the top and repairs will be started.
However, please note that it may not be possible to expedite the process beyond a certain period of time because of the use of natural urushi lacquer, which takes time to dry. The minimum time required is one month, and how many months depends on the degree of damage to the vessel.
Basically, we would like you to wait patiently without requesting an express finish, but we understand that there are various circumstances. We hope you will understand that this policy is the result of our consideration of the many customers who are waiting.
3. How do I deliver a broken or chipped vessel?
Please bring your vessel directly to one of our two studios in Tokyo, the Ebisu and Asakusa studios. However, the kintsugi artist giving the estimate may not speak English, so please come with someone who speaks Japanese. We will give you an estimate on the spot, and once you agree with the price and completion date and have made payment, we will begin the repair. An appointment for the estimate is required in advance. Please make a 30 min appointment from the calendar below.
Schedule at Ebisu studio
Reservations begin one month in advance.
Schedule at Asakusa studio
Reservations begin one month in advance.
4. Estimation for kintsugi repair
It is difficult to imagine how much the price would be. It is more accurate to have a professional kintsugi artist give you an estimate in person. You can also send some photos of the broken vessel via Email to Tsugu Tsugu before you come to our studios. We will reply with a rough estimate. We recommend that you bring the item only after you agree with the estimated cost, as it will reduce the trouble to cancel the request after visiting us.
Tips to take photos of your broken vessels;
- Take several photos from various angles to show the damaged condition more accurately
- Take photos together with a ruler that shows the size of the damage
However, the rough estimate based on photos is just an estimate, and the final price will be determined after the item actually arrives at Tsugu Tsugu and a professional kintsugi artist inspects the actual item. Please understand in advance that further damage may be discovered that was not shown in the photos and the price may increase.
Often, cracks are hard to see. People tend to focus on the badly broken areas and chips, and often do not notice the cracks.
Estimates and quotations are valid for one week. If we do not hear from you within one week, the price may be changed.
If you agree with the rough estimate, bring the items to us, and then decide that you want to let us repair or cancel the order.
When you do not wish to let us repair your item after the estimate, you can choose from the following options;
(1) Repair the item on your own with a kintsugi kit (Tsugu kit)
(2) Donate the item to Tsugu Tsugu. Your item will be reused by students to practice kintsugi at our kintsugi lessons and workshops.
(3) Take it home and discard by yourself
5. How to pick up the kintsugi item after the repair is completed
When the kintsugi repair is completed, we will contact you by email. Please be sure to check your email inbox so that you can receive Emails from us. (Kintsugi repair takes a long time, so it will be ready to return to you when you forget about it.)
The following two ways;
1) The most recommended method for you is to come directly to the store to pick up your item. Please come to the same studio where you left your item within 3 months after we notify you of the completion. You cannot switch the location (Ebisu and Asakusa studio) to pick up.
(2) We can ship your item to addresses only in Japan. When you request repair (at the very beginning), please inform us that you want us to ship it to a domestic address, and pay the shipping fee together when you pay for the repair cost. If you want to change to domestic delivery after the repair is completed, we will send you the payment URL. Once your online payment has been completed, we will ship the package to the address in Japan that you specify. Since the vessels have been repaired with much time and care, we wrap them very carefully with cushioning material. However, no matter how carefully we pack them, we cannot guarantee that they will be damaged during the delivery by the shipping company.
6. Price of kintsugi repair
Tsugu Tsugu's kintsugi repair is a traditional kintsugi process that uses only real urushi lacquer and natural materials so that you can serve the food with the repaired tableware.
There are mainly three types of breakage.
A. Price for chipping
Chip of less than φ0.5 cm: 3,300 yen ~
Chip of less than φ1.0 cm: 4,400 yen ~
Chip of less than φ2.0 cm: 5,500 yen ~
Prices vary depending on the number and size of chips.
Chip, diameter 1.5 cm, 5,500 yen
B. Price for broken pieces
(1) Broken into 2 pieces, 18cm: 20,900 yen
(2) Broken into 3 sections, 13cm in total: 16,500 yen
(3) Broken into 4 pieces, 25cm in total: 30,800 yen
Prices vary depending on the number of divisions and the length of the broken seams.
For the breakage in long and narrow areas such as spoons and sticks, we may suggest reinforcing with "cloth wrapping" to increase durability. (additional fee 3,300 yen per part)
Total length of outer crack: 9 cm + inner crack: 6 cm = total length of 15 cm
Crack with a total length of 15 cm (outside and inside): 8,800 yen
Cracks less than 4 cm: 2,200 yen
(However, the minimum charge for a repair request is 3,300 yen, even if only one crack is up to 4 cm)
Cracks less than 6 cm: 3,300 yen
Cracks less than 8 cm: 4,400 yen
Prices vary depending on the length of the crack to be repaired.
7. Additional information about kintsugi repair
The basic charges are listed above, but there are a few things to note about kintsugi repair requests.
- The minimum charge is 3,300 yen, even for very minor damage.
- If a piece is chipped, please bring all the pieces with you. However, if the kintsugi artist determines that the piece is too small to use, we will discard it.
- If there are too many large pieces missing, the repair may take a very long time and cost more, or we may not be able to accept the repair.
- For very large defects, we may offer to make a piece of wood for an additional fee to repair the defect. (minimum 5500 yen〜)
- If your item is previously repaired with a synthetic glue, a fee will be charged for the removal of the glue, depending on the length and area of the glue.
- We cannot accept the items with the longest part longer than 30 cm due to the limited size of our urushi drying chamber.
8. Choosing the finish color of the kintsugi
You can choose from 23KT gold-finish, silver-finish, platinum-finish, black urushi, bengal-red urushi, etc. (Most people choose gold-finish, but you can also choose a different color according to the color of your plate and your preference. You can enjoy a variety of colors except for pure white which kintsugi cannot create.
The price of maru-powder finish is higher than that of keshi-powder finish. The price of gold maru-powder finish is increased by 50%, and that of silver maru-powder finish is increased by 20% than keshi-powder finish.
Platinum looks similar to silver, but a little more subdued in color and less prone to rust than silver.
Bengal-red powder is reddish color like vermilion.
9. Timing and method of payment
Repairs will begin only after the payment is confirmed as complete.
When you visit us in person, please pay on the spot. You can choose to pay in cash or by credit card.
10. Frequently asked questions about kintsugi repair
(1) Items that can and cannot be repaired with kintsugi
A. Items that can be repaired with kintsugi:
Pottery, ceramics, porcelain vessels and ornament.
B. Items that can be repaired by kintsugi but have major restrictions on use after repair:
Earthenware pots and their lids (土鍋 = donabe, hot pot) which are used over an open fire (kintsugi items cannot be used over an open flame after kintsugi), broken bottoms of vases (the repaired part cannot be immersed in water for a long time). However, those can be used to hold dried flowers for ornamental purposes.
Items with small bonding surfaces such as bracelets and rings: Those items will not be durable after restoration so can only be used for ornamental purposes.
C. Items not accepted for repair with kintsugi:
Wooden products, metal products
(2) How to care for a kintsugi repaired vessels? Is it safe to use as tableware?
Repaired items can be used as tableware, but will not return to their original strength. Therefore, please treat the repaired items gently. After kintsugi, the item should be treated with the same care as lacquerware.
Please follow the precautions below.
- Repaired parts with urushi become stronger as time passes. It is reccomended you start using the item one month after we have contacted you to tell that the repair is done.
- Wash the repaired part gently and avoid scrubbing. (You can use regular dish soap to wash items repaired with kintsugi.)
- Do not place the item in a microwave, in dishwasher, in an oven, or over an open fire.
- Do not place the item in a steamer for a long time nor in high-pressure steam.
- Do not touch the repaired part with sharp cutlery such as forks and knives.
- Keep the repaired part away from other plates when you stack the repaired item.
- Make sure to avoid exposing the restored items to sudden temperature changes, such as pouring boiling water into a cold cup. Also, do not pour boiling water that exceeds the lacquer's heat-resistant temperature of 95°C. The difference in the speed with which the repaired sections and the other sections dry may lead to cracks.
- Do not soak the repaired part in water for long.
- Store it by avoiding exposure to sunlight.
- If a thin part such as a handle is repaired with kintsugi, it will not be restored to its original strength. Therefore, if you hold only the handle during use, the joint is easily overloaded, causing it to break again. Please be sure to use it with your hand on the body. If the product is damaged again by holding only the handle, it will not be covered by the warranty.
(3) Other Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can I ask for repair a wooden product?
- Repair on wooden products is regarded as "Urushi re-coating" rather than kintsugi. We do not do this work because it is difficult to provide a rough estimate by calculating how long it takes us to repair.
- Kintsugi is usually done on ceramics and porcelain. Special urushi for glass is used for the smooth surface of glass. It is also difficult to adhere the urushi lacquer to the surface of the jade. Therefore, some jades can be repaired with kintsugi and some cannot. In many cases, kintsugi cannot be done on items with small bonding surfaces such as bracelets and rings. Please ask our kintsugi artists at the time of quotation.
11. Features of repair by our professional kintsugi artists
Our kintsugi repairs have the following features
- Teamwork, glowing young professionals: We have trained a number of young professional kintsugi artists to succeed the Japanese traditional technique. While most kintsugi artisans usually work alone, we engage kintsugi as a team.
- You can meet kintsugi artists in person. We also sell kintsugi kits and offer kintsugi lessons/workshops, so professionals are always in the studio to work on kintsugi.
- Valueing customer support: Professional kintsugi artists can concentrate on repairs because there is a staff to engage the customer support (which is rare in Japanese traditional crafts)
- Trust for the quality: The needs for kintsugi repair has been increasing. We have a number of requests, so repairs should be done efficiently. We also have a person in charge of each vessel, so we are able to take responsibility for each vessel and every customer.
- Passion: We perform kintsugi with "enthusiasm," which requires a lot of time, patience, and effort.
We will do our best to support you so that your treasured/important vessels can become new favorites and continue to be used for a long through Kintsugi.
Our studios in Tokyo
If you would like to bring your vessels directly to Tsugu Tsugu, please make an appointment from the website. If you come without an appointment, we may not be able to give you an estimate if the kintsugi artist is not available or if he/she is handling another customer. We allocate 30 minutes for each appointment.
Tsugu Tsugu - Ebisu Studio
Address: 1F akikito apt, 2-21-2 Ebisu, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Japan 150-0013
Access: Ebisu station (12' on foot), Hiroo station (8' on foot)
2 bicycles can be parked on our premises, but please come by public transportation if possible.
Tsugu Tsugu - Asakusa Studio
Address: 1F, 1-1-2, Kaminarimon, Taito-ku, Tokyo Japan, 111-0034 Access: Asakusa station (3-4' on foot), Tawaramachi station (3' on foot)
Agreement when requesting repair
When requesting a repair by Kintsugi, the following terms and conditions must be agreed upon and signed. Please understand followings in advance.
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- I agree that Tsugu Tsugu Inc. may outsource the repair of the kintsugi to a third party.
- I agree that Tsugu Tsugu Inc. may dispose of the product if Tsugu Tsugu Inc. has not heard from me or if I have not received the repaired product within three months.
- I authorize Tsugu Tsugu Inc. to post non-personal information, such as photographs of vessels and surveys, on its SNS, etc., for the purpose of promoting Kintsugi.
- In the case of a kintsugi repair request from overseas, the customer acknowledges that the warranty for re-repair is not applicable in the event that the repaired part breaks again.
Terms and Conditions
Requests and Commissions
- Upon acceptance of these Terms and Conditions, the user shall request an estimate of the repair cost for the kintsugi repair from Tsugu Tsugu Inc. (hereinafter collectively called the "Company") or a third party outsourced by the Company, and if the user accepts the estimated repair cost and completion date provided by the Company, the user shall request the repair to the Company. completion date provided by the Company, the user shall request the repair to the Company for the kintsugi repair.
- The user shall pay for the repair in the manner specified by the Company by the due date specified by the Company.
Characteristics of Kintsugi Repair Products
Kintsugi is a traditional Japanese technique of repairing damaged or cracked tableware, containers, ornaments, etc., using urushi-lacquer-based materials and finishing with gold powder, etc. For this reason, the user understands that the repaired vessel (hereinafter referred to as the "Subject") is not a subject of the repair. For this reason, the user understands that the repaired vessel (hereinafter referred to as the "Subject For this reason, the user understands that the repaired vessel (hereinafter referred to as the "Subject Item") will have the same characteristics as the original urushi lacquerware. Therefore, the User understands that the Subject Items will have the same characteristics as the original urushi lacquerware.
Note: Synthetic resins may be used in glass repair due to the weak adhesion of lacquer to glass. It shall be understood that this product contains It shall be understood that this product contains ingredients that have not been tested under the food safety act.
Handling Precautions
The user shall accept the handling precautions described below for the Subject Items without objection in advance.
- Do not plate the Subject Items in a microwave, in a dishwasher, in an oven, or over an open fire.
- Wash the repaired part gently and avoid scrubbing.
- Do not touch the repaired part with sharp cutlery such as forks and knives.
- Keep the repaired part away from other plates when you stack the repaired item.
- The difference in the speed with which the repaired sections and the other sections may dry may lead to cracking. The difference in the speed with which the repaired sections and the other sections dry may lead to crack.
- Do not soak the repaired part in water for long.
- Store the subject item by avoiding exposure to sunlight.
- It is recommended you start using the item after a number of months after the Kintsugi process.
- Do not use hot water in glass repair items.
Disclaimer
- The Company shall not be liable for any defects in the Subject Items resulting from the User's failure to follow the handling precautions in the preceding clause. The Company shall not be liable for any defects in the Subject Items resulting from the User's failure to follow the handling precautions in the preceding clause.
- When shipping the Subject Items by courier, the Company will make every effort to pack the Subject Items with the utmost care, but shall not be liable for any When shipping the Subject Items by courier, the Company will make every effort to pack the Subject Items with the utmost care, but shall not be liable for any damage caused by the courier's handling of the Subject Items.
- The Company will make every effort to repair the kintsugi to the satisfaction of the user, but will not accept any request to re-work the design of the The Company will make every effort to repair the kintsugi to the satisfaction of the user, but will not accept any request to re-work the design of the kintsugi.
- In case the Company notifies the user that the repair has been completed, but the user has not contacted the Company within 3 months after such notification, the user may dispose of the repaired product. , or the user does not receive the repaired product, the Company may dispose of the repaired product.
- The User pledges not to fall under the category of persons stipulated in Article 2 of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's Gang Exclusion The User pledges not to fall under the category of persons stipulated in Article 2 of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's Gang Exclusion Ordinance.
In case of discrepancies between the two languages, the Japanese version shall prevail.
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Again, to make an appointment for a repair request visit our studios, please click below. Thank you!
Schedule at Ebisu studio
Schedule at Asakusa studio