UNIQUE EXPERIENCE in KYOTO: Making a Notebook from Scratch! | Traditional Japanese Bookbinding

Hello from Kyoto, Japan! As we were planning our trip to Japan, we were looking at unique experiences and came across one that's perfect for book lovers: a workshop to learn how to make a notebook in the traditional Japanese way. That means glue made of rice, washi paper and everything handmade! Tsutomu-san has been a master bookbinder for decades and we couldn't have found someone more experienced than him. He taught us how to press, stitch, cut, glue and bind a notebook. And the best part? The cover is made of kimono fabric!
Join us as we make a journal from scratch from a cosy crafts studio in Kyoto, Japan. If you've always wanted to try your hand at DIY, you could even try to make your own notebook at home following this very special handmade process!
Hope you enjoy this video and do let us know what you'd like us to do in Japan next time we visit!
See you soon :)
🌟 BOOK THIS EXPERIENCE WITH YOKO: 🌟
➡️Traditional Kyoto-style Bookmaking
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🌟 ALSO AVAILABLE:
➡️ For Book Lovers! Kyoto Craft Workshop
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➡️Kyoto SDGs Sketchbook Making w/Kimono Craftsmen
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_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
🔖 CHAPTERS
0:00 - Intro
0:21 - Tsutomu
0:49 - Choosing Materials
1:41 - How It All Started
2:30 - Cutting & Stitching
3:28 - Glueing Endpapers
3:54 - Tsutomu & His Friend
5:00 - Reinforcing the Spine & Adding Ribbons
5:47 - Preparing The Cover
7:46 - Drying & Binding
9:13 - Tea Time & Finishing Touches
10:08 - Final Thoughts
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
✨ WATCH MORE ✨
📺 Watch our full JAPAN series in chronological order:
• Japan
📺 Watch EVERY SINGLE ONE OF OUR VIDEOS in chronological order (THANK YOU!): • Hello, World
✨ OTHER VIDEOS YOU MIGHT LIKE ✨
First Time in Kyoto, Japan: Exploring Gion, Trying Japanese Sweets & Staying in an Art Gallery
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In this video:
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All footage recorded and edited by us.
#kyoto #bookbinding #japan #japanexperience #japantravel

Пікірлер: 94

  • @travelmurmur
    @travelmurmur Жыл бұрын

    How talented is Tsutomu-san? 🤩 What an amazing experience. Hope you enjoyed watching the whole process of making a notebook the Japanese way! What other unique experiences would you like us to do in Japan? 🇯🇵

  • @travelmurmur

    @travelmurmur

    Жыл бұрын

    Hi! Yoko-san is on Instagram: instagram.com/yokomazda?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y= Not sure if Tsutomu-san is!

  • @henrykg

    @henrykg

    Жыл бұрын

    Japanese way? It is normal bookbinding done in similar way on whole world.

  • @travelmurmur

    @travelmurmur

    Жыл бұрын

    @@henrykg it's made with Kimono fabric so it is the Japanese way! ☺️

  • @henrykg

    @henrykg

    Жыл бұрын

    @@travelmurmur We also cover books using silk. I would say that using rice glue is more Japanese way...

  • @travelmurmur

    @travelmurmur

    Жыл бұрын

    @@henrykg yep, that too! And kimono is traditionally Japanese too!

  • @LoveNotWar
    @LoveNotWar Жыл бұрын

    Great video and I love your choice of kimono for your notebook! My daughter and I took two different classes (temple stamp book making and the same notebook book making as shown in your video) with Tsutomo and Yoko in late December 2022 and thoroughly enjoyed both sessions. We are planning to go back to learn more from them in May 2023 ❤❤

  • @travelmurmur

    @travelmurmur

    Жыл бұрын

    Thank you! I fell in love with that kimono fabric as soon as I saw it ☺️ Ah, so jealous! The temple stamp book making sounds amazing! Please say hi to Tsutomu and Yoko for us ❤️

  • @elisadelalas4243
    @elisadelalas424324 күн бұрын

    This is so nice. I would definitely go there!❤

  • @travelmurmur

    @travelmurmur

    22 күн бұрын

    Hope you get to one day!

  • @robinlathim8221
    @robinlathim82217 ай бұрын

    What a beautiful experience with such lovely and talented people...just awesome! ❤

  • @travelmurmur

    @travelmurmur

    7 ай бұрын

    Thank you! It was a wonderful experience. We could do it again tomorrow! ♥️

  • @koalafan1576
    @koalafan15767 ай бұрын

    Those are definitely much nicer then the case binding books I’ve made.

  • @travelmurmur

    @travelmurmur

    7 ай бұрын

    I'm sure yours are just as nice!

  • @shellyp8731
    @shellyp87312 ай бұрын

    Thank you for sharing this! What a special day you had learning from a master book binder! 🥰

  • @travelmurmur

    @travelmurmur

    2 ай бұрын

    It was a very special day! Thank you for watching!

  • @hor6teen
    @hor6teen Жыл бұрын

    This was so cute. Very special experience. And... Isn't this notebook like the best souvenir EVER?

  • @travelmurmur

    @travelmurmur

    Жыл бұрын

    Right?! The best souvenir we could ever ask for!

  • @daniellehaggard7401
    @daniellehaggard74018 ай бұрын

    That was an awesome summary. Thank you for sharing!

  • @travelmurmur

    @travelmurmur

    8 ай бұрын

    Thank you for watching! Glad you enjoyed it 😊

  • @Lovely_lulu_
    @Lovely_lulu_11 ай бұрын

    Oh my heart..I love this ❤

  • @travelmurmur

    @travelmurmur

    11 ай бұрын

    🥰

  • @gingersneed2555
    @gingersneed2555Ай бұрын

    Exquisite!❤

  • @travelmurmur

    @travelmurmur

    Ай бұрын

    Thank you! :)

  • @IronEarthDesigns
    @IronEarthDesigns7 ай бұрын

    Beautiful work!

  • @travelmurmur

    @travelmurmur

    7 ай бұрын

    ♥️

  • @aff8976
    @aff8976 Жыл бұрын

    What a special experience and such stunning books!! 😊

  • @travelmurmur

    @travelmurmur

    Жыл бұрын

    The best experience for a booknerd 🤓🇯🇵

  • @lobsterboy64
    @lobsterboy643 ай бұрын

    this was amazing to watch :)

  • @travelmurmur

    @travelmurmur

    3 ай бұрын

    Glad you enjoyed it! ☺️

  • @cindyhoneyman8259
    @cindyhoneyman825911 ай бұрын

    I would love to do this. Awesome!

  • @travelmurmur

    @travelmurmur

    11 ай бұрын

    Hope one day you get to do it too! 😊

  • @LaurenJason
    @LaurenJason Жыл бұрын

    This was such a cool video! We loved how detailed they are with how they make their notebooks. This seems like a really fantastic experience 😀

  • @travelmurmur

    @travelmurmur

    Жыл бұрын

    Thanks, it was truly fascinating! ❤️

  • @glendapaul8040
    @glendapaul804011 ай бұрын

    That was very interesting thanks

  • @travelmurmur

    @travelmurmur

    11 ай бұрын

    Glad you enjoyed it 😊

  • @samcollage7682
    @samcollage76822 ай бұрын

    What a wonderful experience. Thank you.

  • @travelmurmur

    @travelmurmur

    2 ай бұрын

    Thank you for watching!

  • @boris8857
    @boris88579 ай бұрын

    Your books look beautiful. I am so excited as I have actually got this activity booked next month. Excited!

  • @travelmurmur

    @travelmurmur

    9 ай бұрын

    Ah, so excited for you! I'm sure yours will look beautiful too! Do send us a photo on Instagram, we'd love to see it. And say hi to Yoko and Mr. Tsutomu for us!

  • @einstein76
    @einstein7610 ай бұрын

    Thanks!

  • @travelmurmur

    @travelmurmur

    10 ай бұрын

    Thank you so much, Judith, this is very generous of you! We truly appreciate your support!

  • @joaodias8933
    @joaodias8933 Жыл бұрын

    What an amazing experience. They were so nice and cute!!!! 🥰 I was so glad watching it, they look so happy! 📙 Another great video ☺️☺️

  • @travelmurmur

    @travelmurmur

    Жыл бұрын

    Yoko and Tsutomu are amazing! 😊 So glad you enjoyed it! ❤️

  • @MeditationParadiseLand
    @MeditationParadiseLand Жыл бұрын

    Awesome my friend 🦋🌼🥰❤️

  • @travelmurmur

    @travelmurmur

    Жыл бұрын

    Thank you 💐

  • @andreatthatsme
    @andreatthatsme11 ай бұрын

    😢😢😢thank you. I miss Japan so much. I miss the humble people that share their hearts. 😢😢 I lived in Kyushu for 4 years. I did pass through Kyoto at some point. I often wish I never left Japan. I miss the food too...😢 I have a lot of questions but for now I want to know: - Do many people speak English? - Did you stay in hotel, air b&b, or hostel? And how much? - If I go, how much money should I bring for 10 day stay? - Was it easy to get around - bus, train, taxi, rental car? - Did you pay for a class from sensai Tsutomu-san? If so, how much. I would love to go to Kyoto. I will send email later if I have more questions. Thank you so very much. I'm glad I found this video.😊

  • @travelmurmur

    @travelmurmur

    11 ай бұрын

    We miss Japan so much, too! 😭 To answer your questions: - Most people are too shy to speak English so don't expect them to! We talk about this in our Japan Travel Tips video! - We mention all the hotels and other accommodations we stayed at in our videos. If you watch the series, we show you every single place we stayed at! It was a mix of hotels, accommodations and houses. - Money: it depends on what you want to do, where you want to go and where you want to stay. Japan is expensive in terms of stays so expect to spend at least $1.5k. - It was very easy to get around and we travelled by train and bus as well as ferry and obviously on foot! - We did, yes, check the link in the description :) We spent around £30, I think. Hope you get to visit Kyoto soon! Thanks for watching and commenting!

  • @ClimbingCaed
    @ClimbingCaed Жыл бұрын

    Really good story telling!! I also really like your thumbnails

  • @travelmurmur

    @travelmurmur

    Жыл бұрын

    Thank you so much! ☺️

  • @explorinwithlaurin
    @explorinwithlaurin Жыл бұрын

    This is such an awesome experience!! Such beautiful fabrics and satisfying process! We are traveling to the area in April and would love to do this as well! We will be sure to let them know you sent us if we make it! Really great video-thanks so much for sharing!

  • @travelmurmur

    @travelmurmur

    Жыл бұрын

    Amazing! April will be a beautiful time to visit Japan, I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time ❤️🇯🇵 And really hope you have time to do this, it's so satisfying and you get to make your own souvenir 😉 Do let us know if you do it! xx

  • @kimnkal
    @kimnkal Жыл бұрын

    That was wonderful! I am not sure I can get to Kyoto soon but would dearly love to experience this myself when I do! Thank you for the lovely video.

  • @travelmurmur

    @travelmurmur

    Жыл бұрын

    Thanks so much! We hope you get to have this experience one day, too! ☺️

  • @marcisaacs9407
    @marcisaacs940710 ай бұрын

    Thank you so much

  • @travelmurmur

    @travelmurmur

    10 ай бұрын

    You're very welcome!

  • @georgiyanev7000
    @georgiyanev7000 Жыл бұрын

    OMG! Imagine having a self-crafted journal. This makes journaling even better! 😍😍 The whole process is by far more interesting (and hard) as one would assume^^

  • @travelmurmur

    @travelmurmur

    Жыл бұрын

    Absolutely! It's great to know the hard work that goes on behind the scenes. And this is definitely the most special souvenir ever! And the most precious 🤩

  • @KeiPalace
    @KeiPalace9 ай бұрын

    something I would love to do when visiting Kyoto

  • @travelmurmur

    @travelmurmur

    9 ай бұрын

    You should definitely do it!

  • @jariseri5583
    @jariseri55834 ай бұрын

    Love the video, learnt song with the master and your guys. Any more trips for art and craft in Japan? I’m really into it and want o make a trip just for that.

  • @travelmurmur

    @travelmurmur

    4 ай бұрын

    Thank you 😊 there are so many other classes you can take, from origami to making a kimono 👘 ceramics to calligraphy and making your own maneki neko! 🐱 It sounds amazing, booking a trip to Japan just to do some arts & crafts!

  • @phyllisjeanfulton
    @phyllisjeanfulton Жыл бұрын

    I’m an American learning BookMaking. I’ve enjoyed your demonstration. I wish I could be in the man’s class. !!! ❤

  • @travelmurmur

    @travelmurmur

    Жыл бұрын

    Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it ☺️ Hopefully one day you can also do this class! Good luck with your bookmaking journey 🤗

  • @memejs87
    @memejs8710 ай бұрын

    This is amazing! I hope they’re still offering this experience in 2024, when I’m planning to go to Japan.

  • @travelmurmur

    @travelmurmur

    10 ай бұрын

    I'm sure they will! 🥰

  • @cameronbourke456
    @cameronbourke456 Жыл бұрын

    We did this in 2020. It’s an amazing experience

  • @travelmurmur

    @travelmurmur

    Жыл бұрын

    It is ☺️

  • @travelmurmur
    @travelmurmur8 ай бұрын

    🌐 JAPAN WIRELESS POCKET WIFI: This is the pocket wi-fi we use on our trips to Japan! We get a small commission if you use our link ♥️ www.japan-wireless.com/?via=travel-murmur

  • @mr.nobody6059
    @mr.nobody60597 ай бұрын

    it's nice to see someone have passion in their life like this. i made my own thread binding notebook also and sell it. problem is, it's so hard to get a nice creamy paper color here, so i just use HVS instead with different thickness from 70 to 100 gsm. still using box cutter to trim the edge, not as neat as machine cut but i think that's the plus point. it's more like a handmade, a piece of art with that bit rough edge.

  • @travelmurmur

    @travelmurmur

    7 ай бұрын

    Love rough edges! I'm sure yours looks great 😃

  • @lisal8870
    @lisal88702 ай бұрын

    I wish I had know about this class when I was in Kyoto...this would have been fantastic!!! Is there any information on how the Kimono Fabric was prepared to be used as book fabric?

  • @travelmurmur

    @travelmurmur

    2 ай бұрын

    Aw, hopefully next time! They cut up the fabric and then add a special glue (I can't be sure what glue it is and how much they use) and then a sheet of paper on top :)

  • @johnmitchelljr
    @johnmitchelljr Жыл бұрын

    Good video. Is the fabric glued to paper? Thank you.

  • @travelmurmur

    @travelmurmur

    Жыл бұрын

    It is, yes! With a very thin coat of rice glue

  • @lenanana8
    @lenanana8 Жыл бұрын

    Does anyone know what is the name of this type of binding, and whether it is unique to Kyoto? I'm seriously gobsmacked at this man's ability to make a casebound cover by eye without measuring the space between the spine piece and the cover piece and without using a ruler or drafting triangle to get them all straight. This is beautiful precision, my amateur bookbinding self is geeking out right now. Such a memorable experience to have, you are lucky!

  • @travelmurmur

    @travelmurmur

    Жыл бұрын

    Haha it sounds like you'd truly love this experience. Hope you get to do it one day! ☺️

  • @lenanana8

    @lenanana8

    Жыл бұрын

    @@travelmurmur Nah, I've never been to Japan! I'm a bookbinder and I love the art of making and repairing books. Japanese craftmanship has a delicate precision that is unmatched in this world.

  • @travelmurmur

    @travelmurmur

    Жыл бұрын

    You could always try to go! You'd love it there if you appreciate good craftsmanship. Even normal packaging is extraordinary in Japan! Fingers cross you can make it there one day ☺️

  • @tatianabogota4825
    @tatianabogota48259 ай бұрын

    Hi! This is amazing 😍. what is the name of the tool at the end?

  • @travelmurmur

    @travelmurmur

    8 ай бұрын

    It is! ❤️ not sure which one you're referring to? Is the one that binds the cover with the paper?

  • @tatianabogota4825

    @tatianabogota4825

    8 ай бұрын

    @@travelmurmur Yeah! I think it is a tool with heat, like a small arc that passes over the grooves of the finished and assembled notebook

  • @travelmurmur

    @travelmurmur

    8 ай бұрын

    @@tatianabogota4825 it's an antique cast iron. I can't find the exact name but that's what it is. It uses heat, you're right, and if you were doing it at home, you could use the edge of a normal iron to achieve a similar result 😊

  • @tatianabogota4825

    @tatianabogota4825

    8 ай бұрын

    @@travelmurmur Thank you so much! 🫶🏽🫶🏽🫶🏽Yeah! Currently I do it with an iron but I appreciate the tool and I said: I'm going to ask. Well, nothing, thanks for such a beautiful video, greetings from Colombia

  • @travelmurmur

    @travelmurmur

    8 ай бұрын

    @@tatianabogota4825 tsutomu-san has pretty cool tools! They're pretty rare nowadays! Glad you enjoyed the video and muchas, muchas gracias! ❤️

  • @koalafan1576
    @koalafan15767 ай бұрын

    @4:32 did he really just press red to start the machine? Red for stop and green for go are internationally known and used.

  • @travelmurmur

    @travelmurmur

    7 ай бұрын

    Haha, yes! Funny you'd point that out/noticed he did it! I think it makes sense. Green would mean it's done ✅

  • @koalafan1576

    @koalafan1576

    7 ай бұрын

    @@travelmurmur that’s weird. Why would green mean it’s done? All around the world green means go, start or on. It’s not just an American thing. It’s international.

  • @travelmurmur

    @travelmurmur

    7 ай бұрын

    @@koalafan1576 well, this is a very old machine, I don't know why red would be the start button but it makes sense to me 🛑

  • @inkland2003
    @inkland20032 күн бұрын

    Modern glue based binding is a disaster. We still need the traditional binding technique

  • @nope24601
    @nope246013 ай бұрын

    This is Western book binding.

  • @travelmurmur

    @travelmurmur

    3 ай бұрын

    It is traditional Japanese bookbinding as per the title of the video! Why do you think it's Western? As someone with professional experience in the field, I can guarantee you it's not western.

  • @einstein76
    @einstein7610 ай бұрын

    Thanks!

  • @travelmurmur

    @travelmurmur

    10 ай бұрын

    ❤️