Order
Karacho Honten and Kira Karacho
Order Karakami Paper
The Karacho ordering salon is located in the Saga area of Kyoto, surrounded by nature and tucked away down a quiet alley.
Closed to the public with visits exclusively by appointment, the doors are open only to those who have made a reservation. Since consultations are held one at a time, the appointment will be conducted in a serenely private space without the distraction of other people.
During the consultation, we will provide you with the cultural background of the patterns and ask what story or wishes you have for the project or building. We do not sell karakami in sample books or catalogs, nor do we sell it wholesale, as we value the process of working closely with our customers to select the right karakami for them, sharing a moment in our lives to discuss the meaning and stories behind each pattern.
A Special Piece with Heart and Soul
Karakami Haute Couture
The order salon features traditional, framed works of karakami and art panels for display in stores, hotels, offices, hospitals, clinics and more. Orders can be placed according to various sizes and specifications.
In addition, a wide variety of karakami can be ordered, including art pieces for entrances to large facilities, folding screens, luxurious wallpaper, ceiling paintings, lampshades, and many other decorative elements. Visitors can enjoy colorful karakami furnishings in a special space like a private salon, and choose from a variety of karakami with patterns and colors created from woodblocks that have been handed down from generation to generation since the Edo Period (1603-1867).
Our salon offers customers the unique experience of ordering tailor-made karakami pieces suitable for modern life, like a piece of haute couture.
Karakami Artist Toto Akihiko
Order Artwork
A work of blue art consecrated as a prayer for world peace. With a history and tradition of over 1,000 years behind him, karakami artist Toto Akihiko is taking his discipline into the uncharted territory of art. In 2008, Toto Akihiko presented karakami as art for the first time in its history. Since then, he has continued walking the untrodden path. Combining pointillism from the West with tarashikomi from the East, Toto Akihiko has developed his own original technique of “shifuku printing,” which involves using his own fingers to apply color. Filled with the poetic sentiment created in concert with all the gods and spirits, the deep blue karakami works of art born of these original techniques are lovingly called “Toto Blue,” and their sacred colors create an exceptional blue world and story.
Space and Interior Coordination
We offer coordination services for all kinds of spaces and interiors for homes, hotels, stores, and various facilities. Karakami is just the beginning; there are also rugs and carpets, curtains, blinds, chairs, decorative doors for furniture, lampshades, tiles, mirrors, stained glass, and other items that showcase Karacho’s unique esthetic world of karakami and patterns set to bring the world into your space.
Karakami art pieces that harmonize well with commercial and contemporary spaces, as well as artwork by karakami artist Toto Akihiko, featuring his signature blue karakami, can also be ordered according to size and specifications. What we propose will create a one-of-a-kind space using karakami, according to the customer’s needs.
General Information on Size, Turnaround Time, Price, and How We Work
For normal finishing, delivery takes approximately 3 months or more from the time of order (except for artwork specifications). However, delivery time may be longer depending on the production status at the atelier and the finish/quantity of the request. Please be aware when making a consultation that the standard price for karakami the size of one fusuma sliding door (around 90 cm wide and 180 cm high), starts in the 60,000-yen range.
Once the pattern, the base color of the Japanese paper dyeing process, and the color to copy the pattern are all chosen, we create custom karakami for our customers. Please consult with us about your size requirements, as we are able to accommodate many sizes and applications in addition to the standard sizes for sliding doors. Karakami can be mounted on large walls and ceilings that span many meters or even dozens of meters. We will create the patterns in such a way that they are connectable, so that when they are assembled and installed on site, the space will have a seamless sense of unity and scale.
We also accept commissions for the replacement of sliding doors and the on-site installation of karakami on walls and ceilings, and we of course arrange for reliable craftsmen to carry out the mounting or framing. Furthermore, we can travel to distant areas on request; please don’t hesitate to consult us if necessary. Karacho’s karakami is shipped nationwide, and each installation is discussed with a local contractor.
Karacho Honten/Kira Karacho
Location: Saga, Kyoto (address not disclosed)
We provide the address after the order reservation is confirmed.
Tel: 075-873-2565
Mail: info@kirakaracho.jp
The salon is closed on Tuesdays, Sundays, and holidays, as well as on other, ad hoc dates. ※Consultations by appointment only
◎How to Get Here
The salon is easily accessible from JR Kyoto Station.
JR Kyoto Station – JR Saga-Arashiyama Station / JR San-In Line (Sagano Line), Rapid train: 12 minutes, Regular train: 16 minutes
JR Saga-Arashiyama Station ~ Atelier by taxi: Approximately 3 minutes
Keifuku Arashiyama Station ~ Atelier by taxi: 5 minutes
Orders, Consultations, and Inquiries
The address of the Karacho ordering salon in Saga, Kyoto is not disclosed and will only be provided to those who have confirmed reservations. We also value the excitement of our visitors as they experience our world firsthand, so we ask that you refrain from taking photographs. Thank you for your understanding on this matter. If you wish to place an order or consult with us, please fill out and submit the form for “Orders, Consultations, and Inquiries.”
◎Reservation Required
We ask that you arrange to come from 1:30 p.m. or 4:00 p.m.
The salon is closed on Tuesdays, Sundays, and holidays, as well as on other, ad hoc dates
◎Please adjust your email settings so that you can receive our reply
Please make sure you can receive emails from info@kirakaracho.jp after you make your application. Once you have filled out and submitted the contact form, we will send you an automated reply e-mail with the details of your inquiry. If you cannot receive reply emails from info@kirakaracho.jp, your inquiry will be considered invalid.
Orders by email
Acceptance of Consultations
We will do our best to accommodate those who cannot come to Kyoto due to various circumstances so please do not hesitate to make an enquiry.
*We can undertake the installation of both sliding doors and wall surfaces so please consult with us.
・Karakami and artworks installed in commercial facilities, hotels, hospitals, clinics, shrines and temples, residences, etc.
→Please provide us with any information or details you have, such as diagrams, plans, or the dimensions of the location where our work will be used.
・Karakami art panels, artwork, framing, etc.
・We also provide services such as replacing fusuma (sliding doors) and wallpaper for home remodeling, shrines and temples, and more
→Please inform us of the dimensions of the place for display and provide us with a simple image or other information.
◎Contact form for orders, consultations, and inquiries