First 50 students online • November 2025
Kintsugi: How A Third-Generation Kyoto Master Repairs Broken Ceramics With Gold—And Why She's Teaching This 500-Year Old Technique Online For The First Time (Learn In 3 Hours)
When Something Breaks
Your grandmother's teapot slips from your hands.
It shatters.
In the West, you'd throw it away. Broken = worthless. Another thing lost. Another memory gone.
What If That's Wrong?
What if that break wasn't the end - but the beginning of something more beautiful than the original ever was?
We've Lost Something
We're taught that broken things lose their value.
A cracked mug? Trash.
A chipped bowl? Donate pile.
Your favorite ceramic piece that fell? Gone.
And it's not just about the object.
It's the memory. Your grandmother's hands wrapping around that teacup every morning. The bowl you made in that pottery class. The vase from your first apartment.
When they break, we lose the story.
But Here's What Really Keeps You Up At Night
You scroll. You consume. You watch. You buy things made by machines in factories.
When was the last time you CREATED something?
When was the last time you made art with your hands that made someone say "Wait... YOU made this?"
When was the last time you felt completely present - not thinking about work, not checking your phone, just... creating?
You want a hobby that's actually meaningful. Something meditative. Something therapeutic.
Not another thing to consume. Something to CREATE.
A 30-Year Practice In Kyoto
My name is Emiko Tanaka (田中恵美子).
My mother is Master Yuki Tanaka (田中由紀), a third-generation kintsugi artist in Kyoto.
For 30 years, she's practiced kintsugi in our family's small ceramic repair studio tucked away in Kyoto's Higashiyama district.
She learned from her grandmother, who learned from HER grandmother. Three generations of women repairing broken things with gold.
Growing Up In The Studio
A woman would bring in her mother's rice bowl, cracked down the middle. "Can you save it?"
My mother would hold it gently. "It's not about saving it. It's about showing what it survived."
Weeks later, the woman would return. The crack was still there - but now it glowed with gold.
She cried. Every time they cried.
Why We're Teaching Online For The First Time
One man brought his late wife's teacup. "She used this every morning. I dropped it."
My mother repaired it with gold so delicate it looked like morning light caught in the crack.
He came back six months later with his daughter. "Can you teach her? My granddaughter wants to learn."
Before COVID
My mother only taught tourists who found our studio by accident. A few students at a time, sitting at the long wooden table, learning in broken Japanese and hand gestures.
Then COVID closed international travel.
For the first time in 30 years, the studio was quiet.
The Question That Changed Everything
"Okaasan, you've taught hundreds of people in person. Why not teach online? Why not share this with people who'll never make it to Kyoto?"
She was hesitant. "Can you really teach wabi-sabi through a screen?"
But we tried.
The Philosophy Behind The Gold
Wabi-Sabi (侘寂)
Most hobbies punish mistakes. Mess up a painting? Start over. Ruin the recipe? Throw it out.
Kintsugi is the opposite.
Wabi-sabi is the Japanese philosophy of finding beauty in imperfection and impermanence. Embracing asymmetry, roughness, and the marks of weathering as elements that deepen character rather than diminish it.
The cracks become rivers of light. The chips become character. The break becomes the story.
Mottainai (もったいない)
In a world of fast fashion and planned obsolescence, the Japanese concept of mottainai - regret for waste - offers a different path.
Kintsugi treats broken objects as worthy of care and investment rather than replacement. Your grandmother's teacup doesn't end up in a landfill. It becomes an heirloom.
Mono no Aware (物の哀れ)
The pathos of things. The poignant beauty that comes from impermanence.
A pristine bowl is beautiful. But a bowl that's been loved, broken, and repaired with gold? That bowl has lived. That bowl has a story. That bowl understands what it means to survive.
More Than Pottery
Here's what students don't expect:
Kintsugi becomes a metaphor. Your breaks, your scars, your healing - they don't make you damaged. They make you more valuable. More beautiful. More yourself.
Contemporary psychology calls this post-traumatic growth. The Japanese have known it for 500 years: what breaks you can make you whole in ways you never were before.
You came to repair a bowl. You might leave understanding how to repair yourself.
My mother always teaches: "The bowl is more beautiful for having been broken."
What You'll Learn
Foundations of Kintsugi
Everything you need to start your first repair
- • Complete materials list with exact product links ($30-50 total, not $200+)
- • Food-safe epoxy alternatives instead of traditional urushi lacquer
- • The 3 types of breaks and which technique to use for each
- • Setting up your meditative workspace
- • The wabi-sabi mindset: seeing cracks as potential
Your First Simple Repair
Master the fundamental technique on a clean break
- • The 3-step process for clean breaks
- • How to align pieces perfectly
- • Mixing ratios that actually work
- • Brush techniques for smooth, luminous gold lines
- • Timing and patience: when to wait, when to work
Complex Breaks & Shattered Pieces
Repair pieces with multiple cracks and missing chips
- • Strategy for pieces with 5+ breaks
- • Creating structural integrity when pieces are missing
- • The "invisible gold" gap-filling technique
- • Turning a spiderweb of cracks into unified design
- • Advanced brush control for detail work
Artistic Choices & Personal Style
Develop your unique kintsugi aesthetic
- • Gold intensity: subtle glow vs. bold statement
- • How to choose which pieces to repair
- • Creating sets that work together
- • The philosophy behind your choices
- • Developing your signature style over time
Finishing, Sealing & Longevity
Make your repairs last decades
- • Food-safe sealing techniques
- • Making repairs dishwasher-safe
- • Polishing for maximum shine and depth
- • Long-term care instructions
- • The 50-year test: heirloom-quality repairs
Plus Three Bonuses
Christmas Gift Creation Guide
Turn your new skill into unforgettable presents
- • 10 best thrift store finds under $5
- • Gift presentation ideas
- • Repair timeline for December gifting
Value: $27
Sharing Your Work
Build confidence and share your craft
- • Photography tips for showing the gold
- • How to talk about your work
- • Teaching kintsugi to friends
Value: $47
Meditation & Mindfulness
Deepen the therapeutic practice
- • Breathwork while repairing
- • Entering flow state
- • Journaling prompts on beauty & brokenness
Value: $37
"First time trying anything like this. Repaired my mom's ceramic bird and it turned out way better than I expected. She's so happy"
— Rachel T.
"Broke my favorite espresso mug. Kintsugi saved it, and now it's one of a kind. I love it even more now!"
— Marcus L.
"I love this. We may break, but become stronger than before. Those scars are beautiful, they all tell our stories."
— Amy K.
Founding Student Pricing
Complete Class Value:
5 Core Modules - 3 hours ($297)
3 Bonus Trainings ($111)
Lifetime Access (Priceless)
Total Value: $408
Regular Price: $97
$47
Founding student pricing • First 50 students
🛡️ 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee
Try the entire class. Do your first repair. If you don't love it, email us within 30 days for a full refund. No questions asked.
💳 Secure Payment via Stripe
You're among the first 50 students my mother is teaching online. After this founding group, the class returns to $97 and we'll be adding live Q&A sessions (which we can't offer yet at this price).
"I've never been crafty, but this made me feel like an artist. I repaired my mom's broken bowl from her wedding set - she cried when I gave it to her. Best gift I've ever given."
— Sarah M., Chicago
"I was so stressed at work I could barely sleep. Kintsugi became my evening meditation. Now I have 6 repaired pieces on my shelf and friends asking me to teach them. This changed how I spend my evenings."
— David K., Portland
"Someone offered me $180 for a piece I repaired from a $3 thrift store find. But honestly? I kept it. The money isn't why I do this. It's the only hobby I've stuck with because it actually feels meaningful."
— Jennifer L., Austin
Frequently Asked Questions
I'm not artistic or good with my hands - can I still do this?
Yes. Most students who come to our Kyoto studio say the same thing. This isn't about natural talent. It's about following a technique that's been refined over generations. If you can hold a brush and follow instructions, you can do this. My mother always says: "Kintsugi requires patience, not perfection."
How much do the materials cost?
Expect to spend $30-50 for your complete starter kit. This includes everything: epoxy resin, gold powder, brushes, mixing tools, sealant. These materials will last for 10+ repairs. We provide exact shopping links so you don't waste money on the wrong supplies.
Are we using traditional urushi lacquer?
No. Traditional urushi lacquer costs $200+, can cause severe allergic reactions, and requires extensive safety equipment. We use modern, food-safe epoxy alternatives that cost $30-50 and work beautifully. You get the same golden result without the expense or health risks. The technique and wabi-sabi philosophy remain authentic. If you are not allergic, the same technique applies and you can use it.
Is this culturally appropriate for me to learn?
Yes. My mother believes strongly that kintsugi should be shared, not gatekept. This is a craft meant to repair and create beauty - it doesn't belong only to Japan. She's been teaching international students for 30 years. The only requirement is that you approach it with respect for the philosophy behind it. If you're worried about this, that respect is already there.
Will the repair actually be strong enough to use the piece again?
Yes, absolutely. The epoxy adhesives we use are incredibly strong - stronger than the original ceramic in many cases. Your repaired pieces will be fully functional and dishwasher-safe (after proper sealing, which we teach in Module 5). My mother has repaired teacups that have been used daily for 20+ years.
How long does a repair take?
A simple crack: 30-45 minutes of active work (plus drying time overnight). Complex pieces with multiple breaks: 2-3 hours of work spread over a few days. But this isn't rushed. It's meditative. You work in the evening, let it dry overnight, continue the next day. The pace is part of the practice.
What's your refund policy?
We offer a simple 30-day money-back guarantee. Try the entire class. Do your first repair. Share it with friends. If you don't absolutely love it, just email us within 30 days and we'll refund you in full. No questions asked. No hoops to jump through. We only want students who love learning this craft.
"The bowl is more beautiful for having been broken."
— Master Yuki Tanaka (田中由紀)
My mother has been teaching this in Kyoto for 30 years.
Now she wants to teach you.
🛡️ 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee • 💳 Secure Checkout • Instant Access