Traditional crafts with 400 years of history and Japanese tea town “Yame”

Last Updated on 2021/11/04

Yame city is located in southwestern Fukuoka Prefecture and is famous for various traditional craft, handmade paper with 400 years of history, stone lanterns, Buddhist altars, and paper lanterns.

It seems to be quite unique that many craftsmen who firmly seek traditional culture live in this town. The beautiful Yabe River produces well-known brands of tea and sake.

You can definitely enjoy traditional culture in Yame. This town is worth your visit with rich cultural heritage.

Yame as a quality tea grower

This is Yame Central Tea Garden. The scenery is spectacular, with green tea fields spreading out endlessly.

This is the view looking down on the Yame Central Tea Garden from the hill. The scenery is spectacular, with green tea fields spreading out endlessly.

In front of a seemingly endless Japanese tea garden, I was just staggering. I’d like to forget the passage of time while watching this beautiful view.

If you visit it from April to June, the good smell of tea leaves and the greenery of the tea garden will entertain you. The Yame area is well known as the top tea grower in Japan. The amount of bearing of the high quality tea “Gyokuro” is No1 in Japan.

Yabeya Konomi Honke/Konomien – Yame Green Tea shop

This is Yabeya Konomi Honke, a Yame tea store in Yame City. The building is a historic townhouse that has been around since the Edo period and is designated as a tangible cultural property of Yame City.

Konomi Honke was established in 1704 is the oldest one in this area. The Japanese style shop is very cozy. Please try signature rich taste green tea.

There is the tea history museum next to the shop. You can enjoy looking the history of Yame tea.

The wooden building of Yabeya Konomi Honke is a historic townhouse. It has been around since the Edo period and is designated as a tangible cultural property of Yame City in Fukuoka.

Yabeya Konomi Honke

Address: Motomachi 126, Yame City, Fukuoka 834-0031
TEL: +81 943 24 2020
URL: http://www.konomien.jp/

By the way, the birth place of the green tea in Japan is the Shofukuji temple that is located in Fukuoka city.
The first Zen temple “Shofukuji” in Fukuoka

Seisuian teahouse – Yame green tea shop and cafe

Seisui-an, the teahouse of Kiyahoyuen in Yame. It is a flat-roofed Japanese house, and the autumn leaves are turning red in the foreground.

The Yame area is well known as the top grower of the high quality tea “Gyokuro”. Please relish Gyokuro here. The brand of Seisuian was produced by the shop owner who is also a tea appraiser.

The fancy and cozy Seisuian will entertain you not only with rich taste tea but also wtih various sweets. By knowing how to prepare Gyokuro in the right way, you can enjoy its real taste.

This is gyokuro, a high-grade green tea at Seisui-an. On the right is a teapot filled with gyokuro, and on the left is a teacup. White Japanese sweets are placed behind the tea bowl.

Seisui-an has a cafe where you can enjoy Japanese tea. This is a set menu of gyokuro and Japanese sweets. On the right is a teapot filled with gyokuro, and on the left is a teacup.

Seisuian teahouse

Address: 4529−1, Hoshino-mura, Yame City, Fukuoka 834-0201
TEL: +81 943 52 2124
URL: https://www.horyouen.co.jp/seisuian/

Washi – Japanese handmade paper

Purple, peach, and other colors of Japanese paper Washi made at the Matsuo Washi Workshop in Yame.

Japanese paper “Washi” was designated by UNESCO as world intangible cultural heritage. In the Yame area this craft has been inherited by the craftsmen living along the beautiful Yabe River for more than 400 years.

The Matsuo Japanese Paper Workshop has represented Yame handmade paper history for more than 100 years. The paper was originally made by the craftsman Matsuo and his family. You can feel their warm heart beats through the paper.

This is the Matsuo Washi Workshop in Yame. Artisans make paper from water containing plant fibers and other materials, using filters made of wood.

Artisans make paper from water containing plant fibers and other materials, using filters made of wood.

This is the Matsuo Washi Workshop in Yame. Two women are drying freshly made, damp washi on a heated table.

Place the moist washi on the hot iron board to dry it out.

The washi made in Yame was used regularly by the famous printmaker “Shikou Munakata”.
Munakata Shiko Memorial Museum of Art

Matsuo Japanese Paper Workshop

Address: Yanase 681-2, Yame City, Fukuoka 834-0033
TEL: +81 943 24 3876

The Yame Traditional Craft Museum, located about 2.3 km away from the Matsuo Japanese Paper Workshop provides making washi experience. Why don’t you try to make your handmade washi? Please make each paper carefully.

Yame Traditional Craft Museum

Address: Motomachi 2-123-2, Yame City, Fukuoka 834-0031
TEL: +81 943 22 3131
URL: https://yamedentoukougeikan.jimdo.com/

Kitaya sake brewery

Kitaya sake brewery in Yame

Kitaya that won the championship at the International Wine Challenge (IWC) in 2013 is famous as the No.1 sake brewery in the world. They always create passion for real taste. Please relish the No.1 sake.

Kitaya won the championship at the International Wine Challenge (IWC) in 2013. A certificate and shield from the contest are displayed in the store.

A certificate and shield from the contest of the International Wine Challenge are displayed in Kitaya.

The beautiful indigo color of Kurume Kasuri

Kurume Kasuri by Takeshi Yamamura. The pattern is a circle made of white and light blue on indigo fabric.

Kurume kasuri is one of the three best-known “kasuri” brands of kimono in Japan. The other two are produced in Iyo, Ehime Prefecture, and in Bingo, Okayama Prefecture.

At the Indigo Dyeing Atelier Takeshi Yamamura, the indigo-dyed threads are being tapped into the hollows between the jars in order to better color them.

The “Aizome Kasuri Kobo” kimono workshop in Hirokawa town inherits a classic craft focused on dying weaving by hand. They make kimono with their utmost care.

Indigo Dyeing Atelier Takeshi Yamamura

Address: Naganobu241,Hirokawa-cho,Yame-gun,Fukuoka 834-0105
TEL: +81 943 32 0332
URL: http://kasuri.net/index_en.html

Unagino Nedoko Handcraft Shop

The Unagino Nedoko is a select store in Yame City that sells many traditional handicrafts.

It is handling so many traditional handcraft gifts. The shop is named after its structural design. The shop has a narrow storefront and a narrow, long room. “Unagino nedoko” literally means “ell’s bed”.

This is a Kurume Kasuri handkerchief I bought at Unagino Nedoko. On the left side, there is a small white circle on a red background. On the right is an arrow pattern in indigo and white.

I bought two beautiful handkerchiefs made of Kurume kasuri. On the left side, there is a small white circle on a red background. On the right is an arrow pattern in indigo and white. I want to carry this handkerchiefs all the time.

The Unagino Nedoko is a select store in Yame City that sells many traditional handicrafts.

Unagino Nedoko Handcraft Shop

Address: Motomachi 126, Yame City, Fukuoka 834-0031
TEL: +81 943 22 3699
URL: https://unagino-nedoko.net/

Guesthouse Kawanoji

A traditional Japanese style house was used as a guesthouse. Dormitory is available from 3000 yen. 

Wakanami Sake Brewer

It was established in Okawa City Fukuoka Prefecture in 1922. Yuka Imamura who was the first woman to work as a master brewer in Kyushu makes fruit liqueur here.

The liqueur is made from the famous strawberry called “Hakata Amaou”. Once you taste it,you will be addicted.

The Imamura Chatholic Church

Imamura Catholic Church is located in the town of Tachiarai, Fukuoka Prefecture. The building is a brick Romanesque style with two towers. The red color of the bricks makes it a beautiful church.

The brick cathedral towers up in the vast peaceful countryside. In the 17th centuries, Edo period there were so many secret Christians in this Imamura village because at that time having faith in Christianity was not allowed by the government.

Their faith in the village is said to have started from 1500. This church was built in 1913 and is the most high quality brick church in Japan.

The Imamura Chatholic Church

Address: 707 Ima, Tachiarai-machi, Mitsui County, Fukuoka 830-1223
TEL: +81 942 77 0101 (Tachiarai Town Office Industry Division)
URL: https://visit-fukuoka-japan.com/todo/other_spots/4000000000696/

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