We connect curious travelers with Japan's living craft traditions — in rural towns, with real artisans, far from the tourist trail.
ta-ke-tom-bo
We named our program after a traditional propeller toy hand-made in wood or bamboo, dated as far back as the Nara or Heian period (8th century).
Our goal is to empower traditional crafts and let them take flight in the 21st century.
伝統工芸を発展させていくための新しい枠組みを提供し、
それを羽ばたかせていきたい「タケトンボ」には、そんな思いが込められています。
Japan's rural craft towns are home to traditions that took centuries to develop. Post-pandemic, while Tokyo and Kyoto overflow with visitors, these towns — and the artisans who carry their legacy — remain largely unseen.
Taketombo exists to change that. We create small-group, high-quality experiences that bring revenue, recognition, and genuine dialogue to the communities that need it most.
Read our full mission →Move travelers away from Tokyo and Kyoto toward smaller regional craft towns.
Bring new traffic, income, and visibility to aging communities through quality experiential travel.
Create genuine dialogue between global designers, creators, and Japanese craftsmen.
Sustain craft legacies by building "craft destination" identities that outlast any single visit.
You invest in meaningful experience, not possessions. You stay longer, go to fewer places, and leave knowing something real about where you've been.
Passionate about art, craft, and culture. You travel to gain new insight about humanity. Curiosity and adventure are in your DNA.
You've done Tokyo and Kyoto. You're looking for the Japan that isn't on any travel influencer's map — and you suspect it's the better one.
You're aware of the social and economic impact of tourism. Being able to give back to the community makes every trip more fulfilling.
A week in Daigo following a sixth-generation urushi forester — and what it revealed about the supply chain behind every piece of Japanese lacquerware.
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ShibataToku is six generations deep in Hakata magemono. Three days in her workshop changes how you think about every object you own.
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How a wax candle revival in Noto connected Daigo urushi foresters with Takazawa — and why it matters for both communities.
Read moreTaketombo is a social enterprise based in Fukuoka, Japan. We don't sell itineraries — we build long-term relationships with artisan communities and create the conditions for genuine exchange. Every program funds real craft preservation work.
About Taketombo
iF Design Award 2020
Good Design Award 2019