Make it stand out
WORKSHOPS
Make it your own
MONO JAPAN 2026 will feature workshops led by MONO JAPAN-certified masters from Japan and the Netherlands, who will share their knowledge and insights with attendees.
To attend the workshops, please purchase your tickets from the [Buy Ticket] buttons below. Workshop tickets are not available for purchase at the door. Additionally, a separate entrance ticket is required.
All workshops have limited availability, so secure your booking early!
Location: Nieuwe Instituut
There are other in-room workshops held - you can check these out from the exhibitor's pages! (ticket sales are directly with the exhibitors) List of workshops
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Mochi Workshop
Date September 24th (Sat)
Time 12:00-13:00 / 14:30-15:30
Location Nieuwe Instituut - Room 1
Fee €68About this Workshop
The workshop includes a tea and mochi tasting while learning about Japanese mochi, with a step-by-step demonstration of mochi dough preparation. Participants then make four types of mochi—two basic flavours and two seasonal varieties—and learn techniques for wrapping them beautifully.
At the end of the workshop, the handmade mochi can be taken home in a small box, with tea and dessert served during the session.
About Mochi AN.
Mochi AN is a Netherlands-based brand specialising in mochi workshops, while also offering authentic Japanese sweets and premium matcha.
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Glowing Washi — Crafting Lamps from Japanese Paper
Date September 24th (Sat)
Time 16:30-18:30
Location Nieuwe Instituut - Room 1About this Workshop
Discover the beauty of handmade washi—traditional Japanese paper—whose delicate textures reveal their full depth when illuminated.
In this hands-on workshop, the designers of Cream on Chrome guide participants in crafting their own lampshades using original washi sheets. Thanks to its special fibre structure, washi offers ways of modelling that are impossible with regular paper. Using a lamp design template, participants can get creative by matching different washi types and learn how to apply new and traditional methods of refinement. Under professional guidance, every participant will finish a custom-made, functional lamp to brighten up their home.
Along the way, the designers share insights from their collaboration with papermakers in Japan’s Iwami region, reflecting on how this centuries-old craft embodies perspectives for a sustainable, resource-conscious future.
Open to designers, creatives, and anyone curious alike, this workshop invites participants to explore washi’s sensual tactility and timeless design potential.About Cream on Chrome
Cream on Chrome is a Rotterdam-based design studio, specialising in multi-sensory experiences and storytelling. During a 2019 artist-in-residence, they formed a lasting collaboration with Japanese washi artisans, exploring how the materiality of traditional crafts can inspire new technological aesthetics and interactions.
The ongoing exchange led to the publication of “Washi Futurism”, together with design duo Craft Portrait. This hybrid sample book dives into the craft’s history, ethics, current developments and potential for the future.
Cream on Chrome was awarded the Dutch Design Award and the STRP Award for Creative Technology in 2022. -
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Japanspenseelschilderen en filosofie
Date September 14th, 2024 (Sat)
Time 14:00-16:00
Location Nieuwe Instituut - Room 1
Duration 120 min.
Fee €67,50
Included Ink and rice paper and loaner brushpensels - You will take home your own painted Zen circle afterwards
Max. participants 20 participants
Ticket sales Ends on September 13th (Friday) at 23:59About this workshop
Sumi-e, the Japanese art of brush painting with black ink on rice paper, originates from Zen Buddhism and calligraphy. The meditative nature of this practice encourages a focus on the journey or the process rather than the final result.
No prior experience is needed, as Sumi-e is accessible to everyone. As Mieke Bouwens says, if you know how to breathe, you can practice the spirited art of Sumi-e. In this workshop, Mieke will guide participants through the basics and techniques, assisting them in creating their own unique artwork. Participants will soon discover the surprising insights Sumi-e offers. Circles, bamboo, reeds, birds, or clouds will slowly appear on paper, revealing themselves as drying self-portraits, showcasing the power of Sumi-e in quietly revealing what is mostly hidden.
About Opleidingsbureau Mieke Bouwens
Mieke Bouwens runs a school that trains actors and artists in Friesland. Her passion for Japanese brush painting has stayed with her throughout her journey, spanning one year at the design academy, four years of model painting classes, four years of Asian ink painting classes, and a master class at the Art Academy Friesland. After living in Asia for a year and immersing herself in oriental art and philosophy, Mieke became a dedicated practitioner of Sumi-e.
Opleidingsbureau Mieke Bouwens
Website l Website | Instagram | Facebook -
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Sencha Tea ceremony
Date September 14th, 2024 (Sat)
Time 11:30-13:30
Location Nieuwe Instituut - Room 1
Duration 120 min.
Fee €65
Included Green Sencha tea and a Japanese delicacy
Max. participants 17 participants
Ticket Sales Ends on September 12th, 23:59About this workshop
The Hatsutemaesanpo is an o-temae where participants learn to prepare a delicious cup of tea suitable for everyday life, along with beautiful gestures and the spirit of hospitality from the Ōbaku Baisa-Ryū school of tea ceremony. The tea ceremony is conducted in the Ryurei-shiki (chair seating) style, accommodating those who prefer not to sit on the floor.
Discover how to treat your esteemed guests, hard-working family, friends, and yourself in a wonderful way. The workshop takes place in the tea room of the tea masters, where you will learn the precise measurements of tea leaves and water temperature to brew a delicious cup of tea at home.
Completion of three coursesーgyokuro-temae in spring and autumn (April, May, September, and October), Reisen-temae in summer (June-July), and Susuricha-temae in winter (November-March)ーqualifies participants for a Chashi (license for the Ōbaku Baisa-Ryū tea ceremony school). Obtaining the certificate is optional and involves an additional fee.
About Haruka Matsuo
Haruka Matsuo, known by her tea name 'Souran', is a tea master of Ōbaku Baisa-Ryū and a disciple of Souden Nakai. She will perform the Ōbaku Baisa-Ryū tea ceremony, originating from Manpukuji Temple on Mt Obaku in Uji, Kyoto. This school of sencha tea ceremony continues the legacy of tea master Baisa Ou's exquisite tea traditions.
Through the practice of traditional Japanese tea ceremony (Ōbaku Baisa-Ryū), Haruka seeks to discover and acknowledge aesthetic and sacred moments in daily life that elevate our spirits. She follows ancient techniques to craft her own tableware, using clay from the Ijssel River in the Netherlands for teapots and ash from conifer park trees for glazing. Her techniques for making teapots and wooden moulds were passed down by an esteemed Japanese ceramics master.
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Koji & Tsukemono: the Art of Fermented Pickles
Date September 15th, 2024 (Sun)
Time 15:00 - 16:00
Location Nieuwe Instituut - Studio 1
Duration 60 min.
Fee €95
Included Three types of "21st-century dashi koji"
Max. participants 15 participants
Ticket sales Ends on September 8th (Sun) 17:00About this workshop
Japan's soy sauce was exported abroad from the 17th to the 18th century. Now, 280 years after its arrival in the Netherlands, locals have begun producing their own soy sauce. Today, not only has soy sauce become a global staple, but the culture of koji, essential for making miso and sake, is also flourishing worldwide.
This workshop invites participants to explore the history of koji while sampling a variety of fermented seasonings that blend European and Japanese fermentation traditions. Following the tasting, participants will craft three types of "21st-century dashi koji" to take home, one of which will feature shoyu from TOMASU SOY SAUCE. Discover new flavours from the blend of tradition, culture, history and innovation.
Join this workshop to experience the harmonious combination of TOMASU Soy Sauce, fresh koji crafted by Malica Ferments, and special ingredients such as yuzu, sansho, ume, kombu, and dried shiitake mushrooms, along with familiar seasonal ingredients from the Netherlands and Europe.
About Marika Groen Kawaguchi
Marika is a Kojiologist, travelling brewer, photographer, writer, and the driving force behind Malica Ferments. Originally from Japan and now based in Europe, Marika focuses on research and development of fermentation. She hosts the occasional 3-4 day "Kojiology" retreat, where participants learn about koji, miso, shoyu, doburoku sake, and natto, and leads an annual fermentation tour that includes brewery visits. In 2021, she published the artistic manual Cosy Koji as a visual collaboration with her fellow fermenters.
The year 2024 holds new mysteries for Marika.
