Continuously loved by the Hanamachi district
【KYOMARU UCHIWA】
Time to visit "KOMARUYA SUMII" and experience the traditional crafts passed down from generation to generation.Includes an original personalised fan.

■ Reservation period

Except for Sundays (according to Komaruya Sumii's business hours)

■ Price

Please contact us.

■ What is included in the price

Personalised fan and admission to the Traditional Crafts Museum

(If assistance in a language other than Japanese is required, a staff arrangement fee will be charged.)

■ Course Contents

・Explanation of Uchiwa Fans at Komaruya Sumii

・Workshop tour

・Personalized fan provided

・Traditional Crafts Museum

End of the tour: Traditional Crafts Museum

■ Meeting place

Komaruya Sumii

〒606-8344 91-54 Okazaki Enshoji, Sakyo Ward, Kyoto City

Google Maps

Please contact us regarding special requests such as start times and group reservations.

■ Time Required

Duration 1.5 hours

■ Minimum number of receptionists

1 person

■ Minimum number of participants

4 people

■ Maximum number of applicants

12 people

■ Application Deadline

1 week ago at 6pm

(Reservation completed after confirmation)

■ Language support

Japanese

Interpretation available with advance reservation (please check schedule)

English, Korean, Chinese

■ Reservation requirements

(1) Implementation date

(2) Preferred time

(3) Name of participant

(4) Contact details

■ Cancellation policy

In addition, if you cancel your reservation after it has been confirmed, the following cancellation fees will be charged:

Up to 21 days prior (inclusive): 30%

20-8 days ago. 50%

7 to 3 days ago. 70%

2 days before - on the day (before the start time): 100%

No notice cancellation / 100% after start

*A reservation is considered confirmed when we contact you (in writing or by email, etc.) to confirm your reservation after you have made a formal application.
*Cancellations will only be handled on the same day if received during business hours .
* The customer will be responsible for any bank transfer fees incurred during refunds.

For tour applications or questions, please contact us using the inquiry form .

Photo Gallery

#1 The connection between Komaruya and the entertainment district

On the front of the white washi fan, written in deep vermilion are the family crests of each of the five tea houses in Kyoto's five geisha districts. On the back, the name of the geisha district and the stage names of the geisha and maiko who belong to it are printed.

Since 1872, it has become customary in the entertainment districts of Kyoto to hand out fans bearing the names of geisha and maiko to those who have helped them. These fans were named "Kyomaru Uchiwa" (Kyoto) and "Maru" (Maru) from Komaruya, and are still called such today.

Nearly 250 geisha and maiko order more than 100 fans each, and sometimes as many as 200. When Komaruya receives an order, they write the characters, make a mold, and print the name and crest on the base paper. Geisha and maiko use these fans to promote their own names, and restaurants can display gorgeous Kyomaru fans to show that geisha and maiko are frequent customers of their establishments.

Both the giver and the receiver are mutually beneficial. The culture of Kyoto's geisha district is embodied in Kyomaru Uchiwa fans, which vividly permeate the streets of Kyoto while conveying a sense of the seasons.

#2 The techniques used in Kyomaru Uchiwa fans

Kyomaru Uchiwa fans are made with the handle and frame made from a single piece of bamboo. The beauty of the whole fan is supported by the artisan's technique, which allows each piece to be made one by one without any waste of material. Harvested bamboo that has grown to a diameter of about 10cm in the 3rd or 4th year is cut into a tube.

The total length of the tube is about 40 cm. It is cut so that there are nodes about 25 cm from the top and 15 cm from the bottom. By splitting the tube vertically, about seven ribs for the fan can be taken out. The remaining part will be used later for the jaw section, called the "kama" (the rounded lower half of the fan).

The bamboo is softened by soaking it in water, and the long part above the node (the part that will become the bones) is split into two, 25 cm in length, and the inside of each part is shaved so that the thickness of each part is uniform. This ensures that the thickness of the more than 40 bones is uniform. Komaruya still strictly adheres to this process, and not skipping these small steps makes a big difference in the impression of the finished product.

# 3About Komaruya Sumii

Founded in 1924

The history of Komaruyaju is estimated to be over a thousand years old and has been passed down orally from generation to generation.

At the time, the Sumii family, who were nobles, received an order from the emperor to "manage the production of fans using Fukakusa's madake bamboo," and thus established the "Fukakusa Uchiwa" fan.

Komaruya Sumii treasures the traditions passed down from their ancestors and makes fans by hand, putting their heart and soul into each and every one.

We are particular about the materials we use, and for the bamboo that forms the frame of the fan, we use domestically grown madake bamboo that is 3 years old. One-year-old bamboo is too soft, and 5-year-old bamboo will wither, so 3-year-old bamboo is the perfect age for a fan. The base paper for the fan is made of washi paper made from straw from Lake Biwa. Straw has the power to absorb evil spirits, and is a material that is also used in religious ceremonies.

*Kyomaru Uchiwa is a registered trademark of Komaruya Sumii.