Marugame Uchiwa Fan Craft Workshop

Marugame has been the center of uchiwa round fan production for over 400 years, accounting for 90% of Japan's traditional fan manufacturing and maintaining craft techniques passed down through generations of artisan families. These distinctive round fans serve both practical cooling functions and artistic purposes, with the finest examples featuring delicate hand-painted designs, calligraphy, or applique decorations on handmade washi paper stretched over bamboo frames. The traditional manufacturing process involves 47 separate steps from splitting bamboo into fine strips, arranging them in the distinctive radiating pattern, gluing them to paper, and finishing with lacquered handles and decorative elements. Workshops in Marugame allow visitors to experience abbreviated versions of this complex process, creating their own uchiwa fans under guidance from skilled craftspeople. You'll learn to arrange bamboo ribs in the traditional pattern, apply paste to affix paper, and add decorative elements, gaining appreciation for the precision and patience required in traditional craft production. The finished fan serves as both functional souvenir and tangible connection to Marugame's craft heritage. Many workshops include museum displays showing historical fans, antique production tools, and examples of premium artistic fans valued at hundreds of thousands of yen.