Where to Buy Kintsugi Kits in Japan: We Visited Nitori and 100-Yen Sho

Where can you buy a "kintsugi kit" that includes all the materials and tools needed for kintsugi?

After visiting various stores in Japan, we found that kintsugi kits are available at Hands. However, they were not sold at 100-yen shops or Nitori (as of 2025).

Kintsugi Kits Were Available at Hands

After visiting various home centers and specialty stores, we found that kintsugi kits are sold at Hands (formerly Tokyu Hands) for ¥8,360.

The location within the store varies, but at the Shinjuku store we visited, they were in the "Wood Carving & Kintsugi" section within the "Hobby Craft" area.

The contents of the Hands kintsugi kit are as follows. This kit allows you to experience "traditional kintsugi" using urushi lacquer for bonding.

・Clear urushi (ready-to-use) ×1
・Bengara urushi (ready-to-use) ×1
・Mixing plate ×1
・Plastic spatula ×1
・Bamboo spatula ×1
・Pure gold powder ×1
・Silk floss ×1
・Wood powder ×1
・Kokuso cotton ×1
・Wheat flour ×1
・Tonoko powder ×1
・Whetstone ×1
・Test paper ×1
・Cotton swabs ×several
・Gloves ×1 pair
・Cleaning oil
・Instruction manual ×1, English manual ×1, Chinese manual ×1

The kit does not include "ethanol" for cleaning tools, a "cutter" for scraping excess lacquer, or "masking tape" for holding broken pieces in place, so you will need to purchase these separately if you don't have them at home.

Note that we visited a large store, but according to the official website, kits appear to be sold at stores other than the Shinjuku location.

For the latest information, you should inquire directly, but you can check the stock status at nearby stores on the Hands official website.

Kintsugi Kits Are Currently Not Sold at Yuzawaya

We had seen information on social media that "kintsugi kits were sold at Yuzawaya," so we went to check in person.

For those unfamiliar, Yuzawaya is a specialty store for handicraft and hobby materials with over 70 locations nationwide in Japan.

After searching the store for a while without finding one, we asked a staff member and were told that kintsugi kits are currently not available.

The Yuzawaya official website shows a product called "Kintsugi Set Bi," but upon closer inspection, it is listed as discontinued.

As of 2025, kintsugi kits cannot be purchased at Yuzawaya.

Retail Stores Where Kintsugi Kits Were Not Available

In addition to Hands and Yuzawaya, we surveyed several other retail stores including 100-yen shops and home centers, but ultimately we could not confirm kintsugi kit sales anywhere other than Hands.

Below are the retail stores where kintsugi kits were not available in our survey:

▼100-Yen Shops
Daiso	Not available
Seria	Not available
Can Do	Not available
▼Home Centers
Komeri	Not available
Kohnan	Not available
Cainz	Not available
▼Others
Loft	Not available
MUJI	Not available

Although kintsugi is growing in popularity, it seems that kintsugi kits are not yet readily available at general retail stores.

We Recommend Buying Kintsugi Kits Online

While kintsugi kits are hard to find in physical stores, you can easily purchase them through online shopping.

After comparing with kits available in stores, I would like to recommend purchasing kintsugi kits online! There are two reasons:

Reason 1: "Simplified Kintsugi" Kits Are Available for Faster, More Affordable Repairs

There are two types of kintsugi: "traditional kintsugi" which repairs with natural urushi, and "simplified kintsugi" which repairs with synthetic resin or putty.

The kits sold in stores (at Hands) allow you to experience traditional kintsugi. Traditional kintsugi is known for its durability and safety after repair, but it has the disadvantage of taking about one month to complete.

	Traditional Kintsugi	Simplified Kintsugi
Process Difference	Bonded with natural urushi	Bonded with synthetic resin
Kit Price Range	Around ¥10,000	Around ¥5,000
Time to Completion	About 1 month	2–3 days
Durability	High	Moderate
Finish Quality	More beautiful	Beautiful
Food Safety	Food-safe	Depending on materials used, may not be suitable for contact with mouth

Traditional kintsugi is recommended for those who want to enjoy kintsugi as a hobby, but for those who simply want to repair a broken vessel, simplified kintsugi is sufficient.

However, note that simplified kintsugi is less food-safe than traditional kintsugi. For tableware that frequently comes into contact with your mouth, we recommend traditional kintsugi for repairs.

Reason 2: Many Products Are Sold by Kintsugi Workshops and Kintsugi Artists

If you want to start kintsugi as a hobby, traditional kintsugi is recommended for its beautiful finish, so purchasing an in-store kit should be fine.

However, online shopping offers a wider selection of products, with many items sold by kintsugi workshops and kintsugi artists.

If you plan to continue enjoying kintsugi as a long-term hobby, we recommend considering online products that emphasize "ease of use" and "clarity of instructions."

Recommended "Simplified" Kintsugi Kits Available Online

First, we introduce "simplified" kintsugi kits available online.

① KIJIMATSU
② Kintsugi Lounge
③ Kintsugi Kurashi

Since they do not use real urushi or gold, prices are lower than traditional kintsugi kits. If you are not particularly interested in kintsugi and just want to repair a broken vessel, choose simplified kintsugi.

① KIJIMATSU

Source: Amazon

¥5,980
Finish: Brass powder
Bonding: Synthetic resin

The KIJIMATSU simplified kintsugi kit is a bestseller on Amazon and Rakuten. Being a simplified kit, the finish uses brass powder rather than gold powder, and includes a beginner's kintsugi manual.

>> View on Amazon

>> View on Rakuten

② Kintsugi Lounge

Source: Amazon

¥4,650
Finish: Brass powder
Bonding: Synthetic resin

This simplified kintsugi kit is supervised by an instructor from "Kintsugi Lounge," a kintsugi workshop in Osaka. It also uses brass powder instead of gold powder for the finish. In addition to a manual, you can also follow the process through YouTube videos.

>> View on Amazon

>> View on Rakuten

③ Kintsugi Kurashi

Kintsugi Kurashi Simplified Kintsugi Kit

Source: Kintsugi Kurashi

¥8,800
Finish: Brass powder
Bonding: Kintsugi resin

This simplified kintsugi kit is sold by "Kintsugi Kurashi," a kintsugi workshop. All tools comply with food safety standards, so you can safely use your repaired vessel as tableware after repair.

The price is a bit higher, but there is peace of mind with a manual, YouTube videos, and a support helpdesk.

>> View on Official Website

Recommended "Traditional" Kintsugi Kits Available Online

Next, we introduce "traditional" kintsugi kits available online.

① Tsugu Kit
② Chimahaga
③ KIJIMATSU

These kits allow you to experience traditional kintsugi using natural urushi and real gold for the finish. If you are interested in kintsugi as a hobby, we recommend traditional kintsugi kits.

① Tsugu Kit

Source: Amazon

¥9,980
Finish: Gold powder
Bonding: Natural urushi

This kintsugi kit is from "Tsugu Tsugu," a kintsugi workshop in Tokyo. It does not use turpentine, which poses risks for home use, so you can work with peace of mind even in households with children or indoors.

In addition to a paper manual, there are YouTube instruction videos, making the work process easy to follow.

>> View on Amazon

>> View on Rakuten

② Chimahaga

Source: chimahaga.com

¥12,900
Finish: Gold powder
Bonding: Natural urushi

This kintsugi kit is sold by "Chimahaga," a kintsugi artist based in Kobe. Purchasers can ask the kintsugi artist questions if they encounter any difficulties.

>> View on Official Website

③ KIJIMATSU

Source: Amazon

¥9,980
Finish: Gold powder, silver powder
Bonding: Natural urushi

KIJIMATSU is a bestselling kintsugi kit on online shopping sites like Amazon and Rakuten. It includes not only gold powder but also silver powder, allowing you to enjoy two types of finishes.

Note that while a paper manual is included, there are no video instructions.

>> View on Amazon

>> View on Rakuten

Simplified Kintsugi Materials Can Be Found at 100-Yen Shops and Home Centers

If you don't need to purchase a complete kit, gathering the necessary tools and materials individually is also an option. For simplified kintsugi, you can purchase materials at 100-yen shops and home centers in Japan.

Here, we summarize the minimum materials needed for "simplified kintsugi" and where to purchase them.

① Synthetic Urushi

Use: Gold-colored paint
Where to buy: Hands, fishing tackle shops, etc.

*As of June 2025, using synthetic urushi on tableware has been prohibited under Japan's Food Sanitation Act. If using synthetic urushi, we recommend not using it on areas that come into contact with food or the mouth.