Step beyond the doors of a normally private workshop for a rare encounter with one of Japan’s most fascinating mechanical traditions. Karakuri ningyo—intricate mechanical dolls developed during the Edo period—combine gears, springs, strings, and levers to create remarkably lifelike movements.
In Nagoya, this centuries-old craft lives on through ninth-generation karakuri master Tamaya Shobei. During this private experience, enter his working studio and hear directly from the master about the history, mechanisms, and craftsmanship behind karakuri dolls. Examine the traditional tools he uses and discover how ingenious mechanical systems are concealed within beautifully crafted figures.
In the gallery, view a diverse collection of karakuri and watch selected dolls come to life in a demonstration by Tamaya Shobei himself. Their sophisticated mechanisms reveal an inventive approach to engineering that emerged centuries before modern automation.
Tamaya Shobei also restores historic karakuri and creates and repairs mechanical figures for traditional festival floats. Through this personal encounter with a craftsman carrying forward a lineage dating back to the Edo period, discover a remarkable chapter in the story of Japanese craftsmanship and mechanical ingenuity.
Meet your guide at the Nagoya Station Tourist Information Center or your hotel in central Nagoya. Travel by taxi to the private workshop of ninth-generation karakuri master Tamaya Shobei.
Enter the normally private workshop of ninth-generation karakuri master Tamaya Shobei and discover a mechanical tradition passed down since the Edo period.
Inside the master’s working studio, learn directly from Tamaya Shobei about the history and construction of karakuri dolls.
See the specialized tools used in his craft and examine how ingenious mechanisms are built into each figure to produce remarkably delicate, lifelike movements.
Continue into the gallery to view a diverse collection of karakuri dolls. Watch selected dolls in motion during a demonstration and discover how gears, springs, strings, and levers work together to bring them to life.
Karakuri ningyo are mechanical dolls that flourished in Japan during the Edo period. Famous examples include the chahakobi ningyo, which carries tea to a guest, and the yumihiki doji, a figure that shoots a bow and arrow.
Combining sophisticated mechanics with meticulous craftsmanship, karakuri offer a fascinating glimpse into the ingenuity that helped shape Japan’s long tradition of mechanical engineering.
Tamaya Shobei is the ninth generation to inherit a distinguished lineage of karakuri masters rooted in Owari Nagoya. His work includes reconstructing historic Edo-period karakuri and creating and restoring the mechanical figures that animate traditional festival floats.
He also demonstrates and introduces the craft in Japan and internationally, sharing this distinctive tradition of Japanese mechanical ingenuity with new audiences.
Travel by taxi back to Nagoya Station or your hotel in central Nagoya.
Your private experience concludes at Nagoya Station or your hotel in central Nagoya.
Nagoya Station or your hotel in Nagoya City
This package tour includes statutory accident compensation in accordance with Japan’s Travel Agency Act. We also recommend that travelers purchase their own travel insurance for broader medical and travel-related coverage.
A Mandarin, French, Spanish, German, or Korean-speaking guide may be available. Please contact the supplier in advance to check availability.
Nagoya City
