tourism

In Yame, the craft of making Buddhist altars (known as butsudan in Japanese) is divided amongst different craftspeople, each specializing in their own process. At Ogata Butsudan Honten, they perform the “finishing” part of production; after collecting all the different parts of the butsudan, the workshop performs applies lacquer and gold leaf before putting it all together. Amidst declining numbers of craftspeople who work in the butsudan production process, Ogata Butsudan Honten is a workshop filled with craftspeople both young and old who continue to pass down butsudan-making traditions.

Yame is known across Japan as the largest producer of Bon lanterns, used for guiding ancestral spirits during the summer holiday of the same name. Paper lanterns made in Yame are unique, in that they are made by spiraling a long string of bamboo to form the lantern’s main body.
Ito Gonjiro Shoten crafts a wide range of lanterns for shrines, temples, festivals, and other events. With a simple design that suits a variety of environments, their lanterns not only adorn shrines and temples, but are also used in non-traditional settings such as hotel interiors, department buildings, and movie sets.

A tea merchant in Yame City, Fukuoka Prefecture, Yabeya Konomi Honke is the oldest tea wholesaler in Kyushu. Founded between 1704 – 1710, the wholesaler took various teas of the region, all differing in name and quality, and branded them together as “Yame Tea.” Today, Yame Tea is a high-end strand known for its rich and sweet flavors. After taking a tea and snack break in the shop’s inner parlor, explore the inside architecture of an igura, a traditional late-Edo period townhouse.