A new craft festival, MOSS KOGEI Kyoto, will be held for the first time on Saturday, October 17 and Sunday, October 18, 2026, at Shozan Resort Kyoto (しょうざんリゾート京都) in Takagamine, Kyoto.
MOSS KOGEI Kyoto is a new cultural event that brings together about 30 craft artists working in a wide range of fields that represent Japanese craft, including ceramics, woodworking, lacquer, metalwork, glass, washi paper, and textiles. Centered on exhibitions and sales of their work, the program also includes a tea ceremony, a special dinner, workshops, lectures, and demonstrations. It offers visitors a chance to experience craft not only by looking at and using it, but also through the techniques, thinking, and culture behind it.
The theme of the event is "The Philosophy of Living Craft" (これからの用の美). Rather than treating craft as merely a traditional technique or handwork, the event looks at it as a philosophy for thinking about the relationship between people and nature, daily life, aesthetics, and the society of the future. Crossing fields such as architecture, design, the environment, food, tea, history, and philosophy, it shares the possibilities of contemporary craft, and the new value beyond them, from Kyoto with audiences in Japan and abroad.
A Place Shaped by the Spirit of Hon'ami Koetsu
Takagamine, where Shozan Resort is located, holds a special place in Japanese cultural history. In the early Edo period, Hon'ami Koetsu founded an artists' village here. Craftspeople and artists in calligraphy, ceramics, lacquer, maki-e, and the tea ceremony gathered and nurtured their creativity while sharing a single sense of beauty. That spirit went beyond the boundaries of craft, became a foundation of Japanese culture, and lives on today in the area known as the birthplace of the Rinpa school.
From this historic place, MOSS KOGEI Kyoto aims to create a new "artists' village" for the present day. The organizers hope it will become a place where craft artists, people involved in design, architecture, cooking, and photography, researchers, collectors, and craft lovers gather, talk across fields, and give rise to new culture.
Historic Buildings and Gardens as the Stage
Shozan Resort Kyoto is a cultural space with a vast site of approximately 35,000 tsubo, set amid the rich nature of Takagamine. It features a moss-covered Japanese garden that shows a different face in each season, the clear Kamiya River (紙屋川), sukiya-style architecture, and tea houses. Historic buildings are scattered across the grounds, including the tea house Chosho-an (聴松庵), which the 11th Urasenke grand master Gengensai built at Daitoku-ji in the Meiji era, Shiho-tei (紫峰邸), the residence of the Nihonga painter Sakakibara Shiho, and the lavish guest house Hogyoku-tei (峰玉亭), which has sliding-door paintings by Maruyama Okyo and others. Together they convey the scenery and culture unique to Kyoto.
For this event, each building becomes a "stage." Tea ceremonies are held in the tea houses, contemporary craft is exhibited in the historic buildings, and food is served on the riverside terraces (kawadoko), turning the whole site into one cultural space to stroll through.
Visitors walk through the garden, listen to the murmur of the stream, and move from building to building, experiencing a layered combination of craft, architecture, food, tea, and nature. MOSS KOGEI Kyoto lets visitors take in the history, nature, culture, and time that this land has nurtured.
Craft Artists Gathering From Across Japan
About 30 contemporary craft artists selected from across Japan will exhibit and sell their work. Pieces made with a wide variety of materials and techniques, including ceramics, woodworking, lacquer, metalwork, glass, bamboo, washi paper, and textiles, are shown together, and visitors can pick them up and buy them.
Alongside the work of contemporary artists, masterpieces of modern craft by Kuroda Tatsuaki (黒田辰秋), Kawai Kanjiro (河井寬次郎), Bernard Leach, and others, as well as works by artists connected with Takagamine, are scheduled to be displayed.
Building on inherited techniques and aesthetics, the artists create new expressions that respond to contemporary life and values. By presenting their work together with masterpieces of modern craft, the event shows the path Japanese craft has taken, its present, and its future possibilities.
Tea, Food, Flowers, and Gardens
In addition to viewing works, MOSS KOGEI Kyoto offers a range of programs that let visitors experience craft by using, tasting, and learning.
A special tea ceremony created in collaboration with Tankosha (淡交社) pays homage to Hon'ami Koetsu and reads the creative thinking handed down through Japanese culture for the present day.
A special dinner for only 8 guests per day, "Ceramic Artists' Dinner" (陶芸家の晩餐), will also be held. It uses vessels made for the occasion with clay from Takagamine by 古谷宣幸 and 古谷朱里, under the supervision of Nakazato Takashi (中里隆), a leading Karatsu ware potter. The food is prepared by the Kyoto tea kaiseki restaurant Godan Miyazawa (ごだん宮ざわ). Vessels, food, sake, tea, flowers, and space come together in a one-time dining experience.
Workshops on themes of Japanese materials, culture, and craft, such as ikebana, wagashi (Japanese confectionery), Japanese candles, bamboo craft, and neri-koh incense, are also planned, along with demonstrations by craft artists.
Talk Sessions on "The Philosophy of Craft"
As society changes greatly with advances in AI, environmental issues, and diversifying values, craft is no longer just traditional culture. It has become an important perspective for reconsidering human richness and the way we live.
MOSS KOGEI Kyoto is planning talk sessions on themes such as "Craft and the Environment," "Craft and History," "Craft and Brands," and "Craft and Society." Through dialogue with various fields, they look at craft not only as culture inherited from the past but as knowledge for thinking about and creating the future, expanding its role and possibilities in contemporary society.
Visitors can walk through the lush garden, drink tea, touch the works, talk with the artists, and taste local food. Set in Takagamine, Kyoto, the two days of MOSS KOGEI Kyoto are meant to be an experience of craft through the five senses that goes beyond simply looking, and the event aims to share the richness and new possibilities of craft with the world.
Event Details
- Name: MOSS KOGEI Kyoto 2026 (モス・コウゲイ・キョウト 2026)
- Dates: Saturday, October 17 and Sunday, October 18, 2026
- Venue: Shozan Resort Kyoto (47 Kinugasa Kagamiishi-cho, Kita Ward, Kyoto)
- Hours: 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM (last admission until 4:00 PM)
- Admission: 5,500 yen (tax included), which covers viewing of the gardens, buildings, and exhibitions. Participation fees for individual events are charged separately.
- Organizer: MOSS KOGEI Kyoto 2026 Executive Committee
- Partners: LOEWE (ロエベ), 東急不動産株式会社, 彌榮自動車株式会社, 日本サイン株式会社, 株式会社フロンティアインターナショナル, 村上重本店, やまつ辻田, FLATLABO, IDEA, Zyoo
- Cooperation: 水戸忠交易, 中長小西
- Partner hotels: ROKU KYOTO, LXR Hotels & Resorts
- Tickets: https://artsticker.app/events/161208
- Official website: https://mosskogei.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mosskogei/
Admission tickets and tickets for each program can be purchased through the official website. Programs will be added as they are confirmed.
Special Exhibition
Masterpieces of modern craft are displayed, including works by Kuroda Tatsuaki (黒田辰秋), Kawai Kanjiro (河井寬次郎), Bernard Leach, and 西村圭功. By contrasting these works that mark the history of Japanese craft with contemporary craft, the exhibition introduces the lineage of Japanese craft.
Craft Exhibition and Sales
About 30 contemporary craft artists selected from across Japan show work in ceramics, woodworking, lacquer, metalwork, glass, washi paper, bamboo, textiles, and more. The works are displayed as installations in Shozan's historic buildings and can be purchased.
Participating artists (planned, in Japanese alphabetical order of names)
- 厚川文子 (ceramics)
- 安藤由香 (ceramics)
- 五十嵐裕貴 (woodworking)
- 市川陽子 (lacquer)
- 内田悠 (woodworking)
- 浦辻靖弘 (wood and iron)
- 奥島圭二 (glass)
- 千田長右衛門 (karakami, decorative paper)
- 川地あや香 (metalwork)
- 小菅コレクション (bamboo)
- 小栁泰貴 (ceramics)
- 紺野乃芙子 (ceramics)
- 坂本ちのこ (ceramics)
- 島田篤 (ceramics)
- 杉田明彦 (lacquer)
- 染谷聡 (lacquer)
- 田中信彦 (ceramics)
- 谷口弦 (washi paper)
- 辻野剛 (glass)
- 渡慶次愛・弘幸 (lacquer)
- 富井貴志 (woodworking)
- 中里隆 (ceramics)
- 中根楽 (ceramics)
- 西石垣友里子 (woodworking)
- 西村圭功 (lacquer)
- 仁城逸景 (lacquer)
- 古谷宣幸 (ceramics)
- 古谷朱里 (ceramics)
- 森本仁 (ceramics)
Other artists are also expected to participate.
Artists of Takagamine
In and around Takagamine, which carries on the culture nurtured in the "artists' village," various forms of making still thrive today. Through the work of makers connected to Takagamine, the exhibition looks at the lineage of creativity that leads back to Hon'ami Koetsu.
Participating artists (planned): 織楽浅野, 井田照一, 伊東久重, 田中千世子, しょうざん
Special Tea Ceremony
A special tea ceremony held as an homage to Hon'ami Koetsu, on the theme "Yearning for Koetsu" (光悦憧憬). Using the tea houses scattered across Shozan as the stage, guests experience "the philosophy of craft" through the tea ceremony, with both koicha (thick tea) and usucha (thin tea) sessions. The kaiseki meal is prepared by Tankuma Kitamise (たん熊北店).
- Price: 49,000 yen (tax included), including the 5,500 yen admission fee
- Dates: October 17 and 18
- Seating: 8 guests per session, 6 sessions per day
Special Dinner (Tea Kaiseki)
A special tea kaiseki limited to 8 guests per day for two nights only. It is served on vessels made for the occasion by the potters 古谷宣幸 and 古谷朱里 under the supervision of Nakazato Takashi (中里隆), a leading Karatsu ware potter. Chefs from the Kyoto restaurant Godan Miyazawa (ごだん宮ざわ) prepare the food, offering a dining experience in which vessels, food, and space come together.
- Price: 88,000 yen (tax included), including the 5,500 yen admission fee
- Dates: October 17 and 18
- Seating: 8 guests per seating, 1 seating per day
Workshops
About 10 kinds of workshops let visitors experience Japanese craft culture, covering wagashi, washi paper, kintsugi, flowers, tea, and more. Learning directly from artists and craftspeople, participants encounter the thinking and techniques behind Japanese making. A separate admission ticket is required for the workshops.
- Flowers and Vase (花と花器): The Bizen ware potter 森本仁 teaches how to arrange flowers in a vase he made. Participants take home the vase and the flowers. 32,000 yen (tax included)
- Japanese Candle and Candle Stand (和蝋燭と燭台): A 20-minute meditation from lighting a Japanese candle from the Shiga specialty shop 大與 until it goes out, held at Shiho-tei overlooking Takagamine. Participants take home the candle and a candle stand by the Kyoto artist 浦辻靖弘. 8,000 yen (tax included)
- Bamboo Mocktail and Bamboo Craft (竹のモクテルと竹細工): A workshop on weaving a bamboo basket with the bamboo craft artist 三代目秋峰. Participants take the basket home filled with bamboo distilled water. 8,000 yen (tax included)
- Neri-koh Incense and Incense Burner (練り香と香炉): Participants make neri-koh (kneaded incense) under the guidance of the long-established Kyoto incense shop 山田松, and take home a special incense burner made for the event by the Saitama potter 田中信彦. 12,000 yen (tax included)
- Wagashi and Wooden Box (和菓子と木箱): A fresh wagashi making experience led by the long-established Kyoto confectionery shop 塩芳軒. Participants make three kinds (suhama, konashi, and kinton) and take them home in a wooden box made by the Okinawa woodworker 渡慶次弘幸. 24,000 yen (tax included)
Lectures and Talk Sessions
Craft artists and researchers from Japan and abroad give talks on a variety of themes surrounding craft, considering "The Philosophy of Living Craft" (これからの用の美) from the viewpoint of contemporary society. Each session costs 2,000 yen (tax included).
| Date | Time | Title | Speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 17 | 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM | "Forest, Water, and Craft" (森と水と工芸) | 森田真生 (independent researcher) × 谷口弦 (washi artist) |
| October 17 | 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM | "Brands in Craft" (工芸におけるブランド) | 小松隼也 (lawyer) × 富井貴志 (woodworker) |
| October 17 | 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM | "The Origins of Japanese Art: From Koetsu to the Rinpa School" (日本美術の源流――光悦から琳派まで) | Timon Screech (professor, International Research Center for Japanese Studies) × 高橋伸城 (writer and art historian) |
| October 18 | 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM | "100 Years of Mingei: Craft Becoming Social" (民藝100年ーーソーシャル化する工芸) | 若林恵 (head of 黒鳥社) |
Installation
"Yellow Scalle" is an installation by kitta, a plant dyer from Okinawa. Built around the concept of "mediating between nature and people," it displays outdoors cloth dyed with local plants, including branches, leaves, bark, and roots.
Live Demonstrations
Demonstrations (open production) are given by the eighth-generation Matsue domain wisteria craft master 川口淳平 and by craftspeople of Shozan's Icchin-zome (一珍染), who revived a traditional technique of the Momoyama period. Visitors can watch materials turn into works up close and deepen their understanding of craft through conversation with the makers.
Dining
At the Japanese restaurant Senjukaku (千寿閣) inside Shozan, a special "MOSS Course" is available for the event in addition to the regular menu. With this course, diners can take home an original MOSS KOGEI chopstick rest made by an artist.
On the riverside terrace (kawadoko), carefully made light meals and drinks are also available, including rice balls (onigiri) in the style taught directly by 佐藤初女 of 森のイスキア, tapas, coffee from 漕人 in Shiga, and a fermented ginger drink.
