About Tsugu Tsugu
Tsugu Tsugu Inc. was created by Yuki Matano in order to share her passion for traditional kintsugi and showcase Japanese craft in Japan and abroad. Our team is made of experienced kintsugists (=kintsugi artists) and kintsugi lovers eager to share the transformative power of kintsugi with the world.
One day, Yuki accidentally broke a cherished plate and wanted to have it repaired somehow, so she searched for a repairing service on the Internet and came across kintsugi. She was surprised that she had never heard of kintsugi, a traditional Japanese culture, even though she is Japanese. Since then, she became completely fascinated with it. She immediately began learning kintsugi under Master Shibata, who has been involved in the lacquer art for over 30 years.
Remembering how she felt when she was a beginner, she wanted to create the most easy-to-understand kintsugi kit for all beginners so that those who broke their precious vessels could repair them by themselves. She started by developing the "TSUGUKIT" and selling it not only in Japan but also overseas.
Then, she received more and more requests from customers who want to learn kintsugi directly from teachers using the kit. Therefore, in February 2021, she opened the first kintsugi studio "Tsugu Tsugu" in Ebisu, Tokyo, and started offering kintsugi lessons, and in May 2022, she opened a second studio in Asakusa, Tokyo, offering more people the opportunity to meet, touch, and experience kintsugi firsthand.
"Tsugu" means "connect" in Japanese. It not only represent to connect the pieces of a broken pottery, but also to connect people.
Opening the studios led to more and more customers bring their broken vessels for her to repair, so she also started professional repair services with kintsugi. To meet the increasing demand for repairing, the number of her staff has grown to nine and seven of them are kintsugi artists in 2022. Now, the professional kintsugi artists in Tsugu Tsugu repair more than 100 broken vessels per month.
Every year, tons of pieces of ceramic are thrown away due to breakage and then replaced by brand new ones. But it does not have to be that way. With kintsugi, it is possible to repair and even enhance the value of old ceramic pieces. At Tsugu Tsugu, we are on a mission to repair broken ceramics and reveal their forgotten beauty through kintsugi.
Tsugu Tsugu also provides kintsugi-related products and services. Tsugu Tsugu is specialized in traditional kintsugi. The main ingredients used in traditional kintsugi is urushi, which is the tree sap of the lacquer tree. All other ingredients used in traditional kintsugi are also completely natural.
Our company has decided to exclusively use and teach traditional kintsugi because this is the authentic method of doing kintsugi and its quality remains unmatched by modern techniques, which resort to fast-drying chemical resins. In addition, traditional kintsugi is the only kintsugi technique that is completely food safe, which means that restored items can still be used in your daily life.
Since Tsugu Tsugu has started selling its own kintsugi kit TSUGUKIT in 2020, more than 10,000 people in the world ordered it to give a new life to broken objects dear to them.
Our services:
- Regular kintsugi classes - 90 minutes (Ebisu or Asakusa)
- Kintsugi discovery workshop - 1 hour (Ebisu or Asakusa)
Our products:
- The kintsugi kits "TSUGUKITs"
- Pieces of Tableware we have restored with kintsugi
Our studios in Tokyo
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)
Max. 2 bicycles can be parked on our premises, but please come by public transportation if possible.
Check the Opening Hours in Google Map
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)
Check the Opening Hours in Google Map