Traditional Craft Meets Anime Culture! 'Cel Art Experience & Japanese Craft Fair' at Ueno Marui

Ueno Marui (Marui Co., Ltd., headquarters: Nakano-ku, Tokyo; President & CEO: Masahiro Aono) will host a pop-up event titled 'Cel Art Experience & Japanese Craft Fair – Drawing Experiences, Choosing Crafts by Sight' by Kameya Japan Tradition Co., Ltd. The event will be held from July 18 (Sat), 2026, to August 2 (Sun), 2026, at the 5F Calendarium.

The venue will showcase and sell crafts by Living National Treasures and artisans from across Japan. Visitors can experience the charm of traditional crafts up close and discover their favorite pieces.

Additionally, a workshop offering hands-on experience with 'cel art'—a technique once used in Japanese animation production—will be held concurrently. In today’s digital-dominated era, opportunities to experience cel art are rare. This event allows participants to easily enjoy its unique expression and the joy of analog creation.

Don’t miss this special event where traditional crafts and animation culture—two pillars of Japanese culture—come together.

About 'Cel Art Experience & Japanese Craft Fair – Drawing Experiences, Choosing Crafts by Sight'

Living National Treasure works on display and for sale: Bringing traditional Japanese crafts closer to everyday life.

The event will feature and sell crafts from across Japan, including works by Living National Treasures such as Goda Ito Akasui and Ryosaku Kawakita, as well as Kutani ware, Arita ware, Bizen ware, and Edo Kirikome Ningyo (dolls). These traditional crafts, passed down through generations, will be presented so visitors can appreciate the artisans’ skill and emotion up close, feel their texture and beauty, and select a piece to take home. This is a perfect opportunity to incorporate traditional crafts into daily life.

【Featured Artists】

Isezaki Jun – Bizen ware (Living National Treasure)

14th-generation Imamura Imayouemon – Iro-Nabeshima (Living National Treasure)

Koyoshi Otsuno – Metalworking (Living National Treasure)

Ryosaku Kawakita – Woodwork (Living National Treasure)

Nobuo Matsubara – Nagaban Nakagata (Living National Treasure)

Akira Murayama – Woodwork (Living National Treasure)

Hisao Arai – Kirikome Ningyo (Traditional Crafts Artist)

Satoshi Nabe – Edo Kiriko (Traditional Crafts Artist)

Akasui Kiln – Mumon-yaki

Kei Eda – Cast Metalwork

Junpei Kanesige – Bizen ware

Maeumon Kiln – Arita ware

4th-generation Tokuda Yasokichi – Kutani ware

Others

【Examples of Exhibited & Sold Items】

Kutani Ware Color-Glazed Vase 'Shinonome'

Created by the 4th-generation Tokuda Yasokichi, who inherits the ceramic lineage of the Living National Treasure, the 3rd-generation Tokuda Yasokichi. This piece harmonizes the beauty of iridescent glaze, which changes expression with light and viewing angle, with refined form.

Edo Kirikome Ningyo 'Maneki-neko'

¥13,200 (tax included)

The beloved lucky charm 'Maneki-neko' (beckoning cat), symbolizing good fortune, happy relationships, and business prosperity. Each piece is unique due to the distinctive technique of attaching fabric to the wooden base—no two patterns are alike. Supervised by Traditional Crafts Artist Hisao Arai, each step—from wood carving to kirikome—is handled by specialized artisans.

Experience the rare art of 'cel animation' with your own hands.

Cel art is a technique once used in Japanese animation production, where images are created by layering lines and colors on transparent sheets. In today’s digital age, opportunities to experience cel art are limited. At this event, participants can use pre-made cel sheets to feel the sensation of applying colors one by one and enjoy their vividness when backlit. Completed cel artworks can be taken home.

For those who want to enjoy their work under light, we offer the 'Photo Frame Course,' combining your artwork with a photo for display, and the 'Cel Experience Course,' where you can color a character. For anime and cel art enthusiasts, we also offer the 'Advanced Course,' creating two cels with multiple colors, and the 'Professional Course,' taught by experts.

▼ Reserve your workshop spot here:

https://kameya-japan-tradition.com/uenocell/

【Workshop Course Examples】

Cel Art Workshop: Photo Frame Course

¥4,400 (tax included)

Estimated duration: 30 minutes

Create a decorative photo frame by combining your favorite photo with cel art techniques. Recommended for first-timers and tourists.

Cel Art Workshop: Experience Course

¥4,400 (tax included)

Estimated duration: 30 minutes

Color a character and easily experience the vibrant colors unique to cel art.

Cel Art Workshop: Advanced Course

¥13,200 (tax included)

Estimated duration: 90 minutes

Create two cel artworks using multiple colors. Recommended for those interested in anime and cel art.

About Kameya Japan Tradition Co., Ltd.

Kameya Japan Tradition Co., Ltd. connects Japanese crafts—including those by Living National Treasures—with modern lifestyles through exhibitions, sales, and experiential events. We believe crafts should not only be admired but also seen, chosen, and welcomed into daily life.

▼ Official Website

https://kameya-japan-tradition.com/

Event Overview

Dates: July 18 (Sat) – August 2 (Sun), 2026

Hours: 11:00 – 19:00 (Note: differs from store operating hours)

Location: 5F Calendarium, Ueno Marui

▼ Ueno Marui

https://www.0101.co.jp/058/

▼ Marui Co., Ltd.

https://www.0101.co.jp