Factory Tour & Market

Sabae City in Fukui Prefecture is known for its rich tradition and craftsmanship, which has been passed down through generations. The city hosts an annual two-day event called RENEW, which brings together craftsmen and exhibitors from the area to display, demonstrate and sell their handiwork to visitors from all over the world. This event aims to draw tourism to Sabae City and promote the high quality of Japanese traditional crafts.

Visitors can easily access by starting at the Urushi Community Center, which provides written materials such as walking maps and has a convenient location where each vendor’s crafts are on display in an outdoor demonstration area. Within the center is a cafe/restaurant and a traditional crafts store with a wide variety of selections from local vendors. There are also multiple traditional craft workshops connected to the building where visitors can view live demonstrations of specialists at work on their crafts, including wood carving, lacquering, painting, and more. Bicycles are available for rental near the main entrance for only 500 JPY, which is an excellent way to get around the area if you plan on visiting several locations throughout the day.

RENEW encourages visitors to set out on Sabae City with their walking map and visit each of the participating member stores, which are clearly marked on the map and have large signs with RENEW branding in front of their locations. Each store is designed specifically for the event, and there are often special promotions, demonstrations, and craft activities available in many of the locations.

Some of the locations worth visiting during RENEW include Shitsurindo, which is famous for its high-quality lacquerware in both modern and traditional styles. Hacoa specializes in wood crafts, and Nakano Tomoaki offers a wide variety of lacquerware, spoons, and chopsticks with high-end designs. Rokurosha specializes in wood turning, with its main product being the Timber Pot made from local Fukui cedar trees. Tsuchinao is one of the larger factories in the area, offering everything from lacquerware to chopsticks and novelty souvenirs such as smartphone covers. Tsugi specializes in jewelry selections, while Korindo has an interesting mix of products, including finely painted pin badges and Japanese wine and sake glasses made from high-quality lacquer and glass.

its an excellent opportunity to discover the rich tradition and craftsmanship of Sabae City, and visitors can find a large variety of traditional crafts in one place at competitive prices.