Morikami hosts 1 and 2-day workshops on diverse cultural arts and languages taught by local and guest instructors. Regular workshops run at least an hour and a half and include museum admission in the price. Mini workshops are one hour and do not include museum admission at a reduced price. Registration for classes or workshops closes by 4:00 pm the day before the 1st class. For those happening on the weekend, they close the Friday prior by 2:00 pm.
AGE REQUIREMENTS: Please know that unless otherwise stated as “Youth” all classes and workshops are for adults and teenagers 15 years and older. We will allow some younger youth on a case-by-case basis. Please contact the Education Program Coordinator at (561) 233-1367 if you would like to enroll a younger youth in a program.
REGISTRATION: All programs are open for registration on August 1st of each year for the upcoming season. Each season runs from October through the summer of the next year.
Explore each workshop page or browse the full list.
Block Printing Calligraphy (Adult) Calligraphy (Youth) Furoshiki Fabric Wrapping Gift Presentation Japanese Traditional Music Kintsugi (Mending broken pottery) Kokedama Moss Ball Kurinuki (Hand built ceramics) Origami (Adult) Origami (Youth) Poetry Ramen Spoon Carving Sado Tea Shibori Indigo Indigo Katazome Sumi-e Brush Making Sushi Taiko (Drumming) (Adult) Taiko (Drumming) (Youth) Youth Music Camp
Adult Workshop
The Art of Kokedama
Japanese art of growing plants in a moss-covered ball of soil.
Kokedama is the Japanese art of growing plants in a moss-covered ball of soil. It is wrapped with string and contains an ornamental plant growing inside. These beautiful and decorative plants bring an organic and natural touch to planting orchids, succulents, and other ornamental plants. Learn the mechanics of how to make kokedama, creating two regular size and one small one to decorate your home or to give away to a special person.
The Art of Japanese Gift Presentation Workshop
Adult Workshop
Learn the customs and art of Japanese gift presentation in this hands-on workshop. Combining traditional with contemporary aesthetics, participants are introduced to the beauty of Japanese packaging and design, often times incorporating natural and unconventional materials. Learn to wrap with washi (Japanese traditional handmade paper), create uniquely designed boxes, and other techniques to give your gift an Asian-inspired elegance. Workshop tools and materials will be provided for the participants to use.
Workshop for Adults
Shibori Indigo Workshop
The use of indigo dye, or aizome, has a long and cherished history in Japan. The deep blue colors for which Japanese textiles are celebrated come from the leaves of the tade ai, a plant introduced to Japan from China in the sixth century. Shibori is a Japanese technique of manual resist dyeing used to make patterns on fabrics. Learn various shibori techniques and get a chance to make your own shibori creation.
Adult Workshop
Japanese Calligraphy (Shodo) Workshop for Beginners
Learn brush strokes using sumi (charcoal) ink and a brush to write Japanese characters. After practicing on paper you will create a final calligraphy piece on shikishi board to take home. Just bring your curiosity!
Sado: Tea Ceremony Workshop
Omotesenke School
This workshop teaches the basics of sadō – The Way of Tea – necessary to understand the aesthetics of sadō and to fully enjoy the tea ceremony itself. Participants become familiar with how to participate as a guest, how to make a bowl of tea, and serve it.
Adult Workshop
The Way Of Taiko: The Heartbeat Of Japan
Traditional Drum Workshop
The workshop includes an introduction to the history of taiko. Participants are taught how to understand sounds and movements, i.e., how to connect nature and the meaning of body movement. They become familiar with the way of taiko and drumming techniques. Instruments are provided for you.
The Art Of Japanese Fabric Wrapping
Furoshiki Workshop
People have used furoshiki, a square reusable wrapping cloth, since the 16th century in a variety of ways to wrap differently sized and shaped objects. Learn how to wrap a wine bottle, a watermelon, books, and how to make a tote bag from a furoshiki.
Adult Workshop
Sumi-e Brush Making
The tradition of handmade soft brushes has been a unique tool used for calligraphy and sumi-e painting through many dynasties unit the present day. The origins of brush making can be traced back to five thousand years ago in China. The brush is one of the most inspiring tools and still has the power to peak our imaginations. Using any type of hair, palm tree fibers, bamboo, and driftwood, you can make your own brushes by learning simple construction techniques in this workshop. Students will make a basic size brush with bristles approximately 1”in length.
1:30PM, Thursday, February 22, 2024
Oki Education Center
Adult Workshop
The Joy of Carving - Chirirenge Ramen Spoon Edition
Chirirenge in Japanese is the name of the soup spoons from Asia and used as ramen spoons in Japan. Unlike the western spoon, it has a flat bottom and is deep to hold more soup. The handle is curved upwards and the shape mimics a fallen petal of the lotus flower called renge in Japanese. The word chiri means “to fall off.”
10:00AM, Saturday, March 9, 2024
Oki Education Center
Adult Workshop
Basics Of Sushi Workshop
Sushi has entered the American palate as a cultural influence from Japan. But do you know what sushi is? Few know that sushi is not actually raw fish, but rice made with a bit of vinegar and sugar. Served with a variety of accompaniments, cooked or raw fish and vegetables, it can take many forms.
Participants in this hands-on workshop, led by Mitsutoshi Sekita, sushi chef and owner from a Japanese restaurant in Plantation, Florida will learn cultural information about sushi, how to make sushi, and, of course, enjoy eating the sushi. Both classes teach you how to create the same sushi.
1:00PM, Sunday, March 24, 2024
Oki Education Center
Block Printing Workshop
Adult Workshops
Japan has a long, rich history of woodblock printing, called mokuhanga, dating back to the 11th century. The ukiyo-e genre of block prints flourished in Japan from the 17th through 19th centuries. Morikami is offering a workshop with a modern twist on this ancient art form, where participants can carve and print with linoleum blocks to create unique and exciting imagery. Instructor Brian Reedy has been teaching this method for over 20 years, and offers an approach that is easily accessible for beginners, yet challenging for seasoned artists. Printing inks can stain clothes, so dress appropriately. Please wear old clothes or bring an apron.
Poetry Workshop: The Haibun Journey: A Narrative of Insight and Discovery
In this workshop, participants will learn about the traditional and contemporary use of the form, through reading of various examples, and learn various techniques for writing successful haibun.
11:00AM, Saturday, April 27, 2024
Kamiya Room (Classroom A)
Adult 2-Day Workshop
Indigo Katazome Workshop
Katazome is a Japanese resist process used for hundreds of years in Japanese textiles. Traditional artisans created a resist paste made from a rice flour mixture and applied it to cloth through the use of elaborately hand-carved stencils. Where ever this paste is applied will resist the dye, creating a pattern. Traditionally katazome is dyed with indigo to create the traditional white and blue of many Japanese textiles.
Youth Origami Workshop
Grades 3rd – 12th
Make unique pieces of art with paper! Learn how to make origami by using various techniques and simple folds.
Guest Artist Workshops
Youth Summer Music & Culture Camp
(Grade 3rd – 12th)
Campers will be immersed in Japanese culture participating in fun craft activities, Japanese cultural arts, and exciting music classes which include the 13-string koto (zither) and taiko drums, taught by professional musicians, Shirley Kazuyo Muramoto, Koto instructor and members from the Fushu Daiko Taiko group. All materials and Instruments that campers need are provided for their use at camp.
9:00AM, Monday, June 24, 2024
Morikami Museum & Japanese Gardens
Grade 3rd – 12th
Calligraphy Youth Workshop
Learn how to write your name and some Japanese words with ink and brush, two traditional calligraphy writing implements in this hands-on workshop.
Educational Programming
Registration Opens for the NEW Season Today
All programs open for Registration and Ticket purchase(s).
The season runs from October of the present year through the summer of the following year. The season is available for registration and ticket purchases on August 1st every year.
10:00AM, Thursday, August 1, 2024
Morikami Museum & Japanese Gardens
10:00AM, Friday, August 1, 2025
Morikami Museum & Japanese Gardens