Tokyo: Chopstick Making Workshop at Shibuya Scramble Square

Create a personal Japanese souvenir in the heart of Shibuya.

This private 60-minute workshop takes place at Hyozaemon, a long-established Japanese chopstick specialist located on the 14th floor of Shibuya Scramble Square.

Hyozaemon traces its roots to 1921 and grew from the tradition of Wakasa lacquered chopsticks in Obama, Fukui Prefecture. Today, the company continues to specialize in chopsticks while sharing the culture, history, and etiquette connected with them.

During the experience, learn how chopstick length relates to your hand, practice basic grip and movement, discover common table manners, and personalize one pair of chopsticks to take home.

With a maximum of three guests, the workshop stays compact and personal.

Meet inside Shibuya Scramble Square

Go directly to Hyozaemon on the 14th floor of Shibuya Scramble Square.

The store is officially located on 14F and is open from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. under its current schedule.

Shibuya Scramble Square is directly connected to Shibuya Station.

The SHIBUYA SKY entrance is also on the 14th floor, making this workshop easy to combine with shopping or a separate visit to the observation deck.

SHIBUYA SKY admission is not included.

Discover a chopstick maker with roots in Wakasa craftsmanship

Hyozaemon’s history goes back to 1921, when the founder’s family began working in Wakasa lacquered chopstick production.

The company later developed into a specialist manufacturer and retailer of lacquered chopsticks and related crafts.

The Shibuya Scramble Square store itself describes the brand as carrying forward the traditions and techniques of Wakasa lacquerware.

Find a comfortable chopstick length

Before decorating your pair, learn how chopstick length can affect comfort and control.

Your instructor will introduce the sizing method used in the workshop and help you think about how your chopsticks fit your hand.

If participants actually select from multiple physical lengths during every Alva session, this should be stated explicitly after confirmation.

Learn the basic grip

Practice how the upper and lower chopsticks move differently.

The goal is not to force everyone into perfect technique in a few minutes.

Instead, learn a practical starting position and movement that you can continue using during meals throughout your trip.

Hyozaemon also operates dedicated chopstick-holding lessons at its stores, including Shibuya Scramble Square, as part of its broader chopstick education activities.

Learn useful Japanese table manners

Chopsticks have their own etiquette in Japanese dining.

Your instructor will introduce a few practical examples that are useful when eating in Japan.

Keep this part concise and relevant rather than turning the workshop into a long etiquette lecture.

Depending on the confirmed lesson, examples may include how to rest chopsticks and behaviors traditionally avoided at the table.

Hyozaemon maintains its own educational material on chopstick culture, history, manners, and taboos.

Personalize your pair

Move into the hands-on part of the experience.

Use the prepared chopsticks and materials provided for the Alva workshop to personalize your pair with guidance from the store staff.

The current Alva experience includes resin-based decoration.

However, before publication, confirm exactly which steps guests perform themselves.

Do not say that guests carve raw wood, manufacture chopsticks from lumber, or completely reshape the chopstick tips unless those actions are actually part of the 60-minute Alva program.

Hyozaemon’s separately advertised public “my chopstick making” program takes around 90 minutes by itself, so it should not automatically be treated as identical to this shorter Alva workshop.

Create something you can actually use

The finished item is not simply a decorative craft.

Each paying guest leaves with one pair of personalized chopsticks created during the workshop, according to the current Alva program.

If the finished pair requires any curing time, delayed pickup, or restrictions before first use, those instructions must be added clearly before publication.

Add your name if you want

Hyozaemon’s Shibuya store currently offers optional name engraving.

Its official store information lists engraving from ¥550, with hiragana, katakana, and alphabet lettering available, and says the fastest processing can be around 10 minutes per pair depending on store conditions.

This is an optional paid service and is not included in the standard Alva price unless explicitly added.

Turn it into a gift

Guests may also be able to purchase gift packaging.

Hyozaemon offers paulownia boxes and furoshiki wrapping among its gift options.

Exact designs, prices, and stock vary, so advertise these as optional purchases rather than guaranteed inclusions.

Take home a practical memory of Japan

Finish the workshop with a pair of chopsticks that you can continue using after your trip.

The experience combines three things in one compact hour:

learn how chopsticks work → personalize your own pair → take home something useful

That makes it especially suitable for travelers who want a cultural workshop without committing half a day.