Area ▶︎ GUJO
Colorful clog thongs make you dance!
Wooden clog making with Japanese cypress for Gujo Odori dance
The Gujo Odori dance is one of the distinctive seasonal events of the Jokamachi area of Gujohachiman, an area famous for its riverfront location and dancing with around 450 years of history. The “Tetsuya-odori” (all-night dance) is the climax of the festival in this area that lasts for one month amidst the townscape with its unique charm, and this climactic dance is attended by many passionate fans who dance their way through a night filled with excitement.
One of the indispensable features of this dance is the “odori-geta,” the wooden Japanese clogs used for dancing. On this experience tour, you can carve a block of Japanese cypress—a tree grown in the Gujo area that is both beautiful and strong—into the shape you like, and add a clog thong of your choice from a wide variety of designs to create your own original pair of geta clogs! Japanese wood cypress is a bit on the heavier side, so it makes a lively clomping sound when the clog strikes the ground while you’re dancing that adds to the fervor of the nighttime dance. Come to Gujohachiman to create your own original pair of geta, and show them off at the dance!
■ Duration
2H
■ Steps
1.Make a prototype by whittling（60mins）
2.Pick your clog thongs（10mins）
3.Tie the clog thongs on（40mins）
4.Final touch~Finished（10mins）
■ Price
6,500JPY（Include a pair of clog）
■ Location
Gujo Mokuri（908-1-1 Hashimoto-cho, Hachiman-cho, Gujo-city, Gifu
pre.）
5 mins walk from the bus stop “Joukamachi Plaza”
■ Pre-order
7days prior to your scheduled arrival date
■ Capacity
４travelers ( Minimum :２）
■ What to bring
None.
We recommend you come with casual clothes which you would not mind
getting dirty.
3 POINTS
1. The geta clogs use Japanese cypress wood, which is grown with
special attention to the beauty and strength of the material
that can been seen on the evening of the dance.
2. Use one of around 100 variations for the clog thong,
including stylish silk-screened prints, old-style single fabric
and traditional Japanese patterns… or make your own design using
a heat pen to show off even greater originality!
3. Hear about what life is like in the town and learn about the
appeal of the Gujo dance from craftworkers who fell in love with
Gujo and moved here!
■ NAVIGATOR
Yuto Morohashi from Gujo Mokuri
After his graduation from the Gifu academy of forest science and culture, he moved to Gujo city. He established Gujo Mokuri in 2014 since he found out that the most of the wooden clogs, Geta, used for Gujo odori dance were not made in Gujo.
Explore GUJO
Note
1. This is a tour where you can talk with actual craftworkers.
These craftworkers are taking time out of their own busy work
during the day to help, so we ask that you strictly respect their
time and schedule.
2. Experience tour times may vary per person. Please inform us of
the time you need to finish by, if you need to be on time to take
public transportation or have other plans on your agenda.
3. The tools and fittings used by the craftworkers are valuable
personal property. Do not touch any of these items inside of the
atelier without permission.
■ Cancellation
・ Experience tours may be cancelled in the event of bad weather
such as typhoons or heavy rain, in consideration of your
safety.
・ The tour may be cancelled in the event of unforeseen
circumstances on the part of the facilities accepting visitors or
the craftworkers.
・ Cancellations will be decided by 5p.m. prior to the tour day.
Be sure to provide an e-mail address where we can get a hold of
you on the day before the tour.
