Art workshops
At Sekisho Art Museum they hold regular art workshops. You can learn how to paint, sketch, and make things. Of course, it helps if you can speak a little Japanese, but if you can just copy what everyone else is doing, you should be OK.
I joined a workshop recently to make a lampshade decorated with animals. It cost only 700 yen. It was easy to make the lampshade. And it’s fun to attend with your family or friends, or even by yourself.
At first, we learned some interesting information about the artist Shou Ishimoto, who passed away in 2015, from the curator of the museum.
Next, we moved to Sekisyu-Washi Kaikan, a nearby building devoted to traditional paper making, to make a lamp shade. (It’s very close to the museum.)
First, you learn about the ingredients of Sekisyu-Washi (Sekisyu-Japanese Paper), and then how to make a lampshade in easy stages.
After you’ve made your lampshade, you move to the other room and watch DVD. It was about history of Japanese traditional paper and process to make it. They have an English version of the DVD if you request it.
They also sell some nice souvenirs there.
I found this activity on this web site. (http://www.oideyo-shimane.jp/)
Sekisyou Art Museum is a little far from Mihomisumi station. It take about 10 minutes by a car. If you want to use public transport, you can go there by bus (it’s the Hyakkoru bus). And it costs 200 yen one-way, but it is only runs from Monday to Saturday. So, if you go there on the weekends or if you are in a hurry, it would be better to take a taxi.
