Make Your Own Japanese Wooden Tray

Make Your Own Japanese Wooden Tray
Join WANOWA for a hands-on Japanese-inspired woodworking experience in Berlin.

In this workshop, we will make a wooden tray with Japanese traditional pattern Asanoha麻の葉 and Kikko亀甲. They are one of the 1000 Monyo patterns from Japan. Learn about Japanese traditional colors and its meaning.
You can simulate the pattern using our interactive pattern & color simulator:
https://gleeful-kulfi-5369ac.netlify.app/

In this 2-hour workshop, you’ll:

✦ Explore Japanese patterns and traditional colors
✦ Work with wood and personalize your tray with your favorite colors
✦ Experience the joy of Monozukuri — the Japanese philosophy of making with care and attention
✦ Take home your own handmade tray, complete with a Japanese washi paper bag

No woodworking experience needed! Come on your own, bring a friend, or enjoy a creative afternoon together.
All materials and tools included.

Schedule
14:30 Welcoming, receiving the material

1. Theory of Monyo 10 mins
2. Sanding and staining 30 mins
3. Picking color pieces\, placing pieces and glueing 50 mins
4. Assembly of Tray frame 30 mins
Cleaning
16:30-17:00 End of the Workshop

Instructor: Maya Utsunomiya
Material specifiation: Birch plywood, stained with natural oil
Language
English/ German
Product size: 300mm(W) x 300mm(D) x 25mm(H)

About the Instructor
Maya Utsunomiya is a Japanese architect based in Berlin and founder of WANOWA. With over 15 years of international experience, she has worked with Commune Design in Los Angeles, Shigeru Ban Architects in Paris, and VUILD in Tokyo.
Specializing in wood construction and digital fabrication, Maya combines traditional Japanese making culture with contemporary design.
Through WANOWA, she explores Monozukuri — the Japanese philosophy of making with care and intention — to connect people across languages, cultures, and generations through the shared joy of making.