Level: Beginners with no prior experience, as well as those with some bookbinding background who wish to explore Japanese traditions in depth; artists, designers, and craftspeople with an interest in book arts; and Conservators, bookbinders, and students looking to expand their practical understanding of East Asian structures.
Tutor: Amanda Lancaster
Dates: 6 – 10 July 2026
Time: 10:00 – 17:00
Cost: £614
- Earlybird: 10% discount if booked by 28 February
- 10% discount available for City & Guilds of London Art School undergraduate, postgraduate, and foundation students, alumni, and staff. Contact summerschool@cityandguildsartschool.ac.uk to receive the discount code.
COURSE OVERVIEW
Explore the art and craft of Japanese bookmaking through suminagashi marbling, traditional fukuro-toji (pouch-bound) structures and the construction of a chitsu wraparound case. Working with Japanese papers and time-honoured techniques, you will create a full suite of handmade books and an elegant protective enclosure, gaining the skills and confidence to continue the practice beyond the course.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Japanese bookbinding brings together refined materials, thoughtful design and centuries of craft tradition. This five-day intensive course offers an immersive introduction to three interconnected practices: suminagashi marbling, fukuro-toji binding and the making of a chitsu enclosure. Together they form a complete journey through the aesthetics and structure of Japanese book arts.
The week begins with suminagashi, the oldest form of marbling, where subtle ripples of ink drift across water to create delicate, organic patterns. Participants will explore the history and character of the technique before producing their own marbled sheets to use throughout the course.
Building on these decorated papers, we then turn to fukuro-toji, a family of stitched bindings known for their simplicity, clarity and rhythmic sewing patterns. You will learn the classic four-hole structure before experimenting with a selection of stitch variations used in historic and regional styles. Each book will be covered in your hand-marbled papers, allowing you to trace the relationship between surface and structure as you work.
The final stage of the course centres on the chitsu, a traditional wraparound case designed to protect and store sets of books. Participants will prepare boards, linings and coverings, then assemble the case step by step. Your marbled papers may be used again here if you wish to create a fully unified set.
Across the five days, each new process will be introduced and demonstrated, with time to practise, refine and understand how these methods have evolved within Japanese book history. By the end of the course, you will depart with three finished pouch-bound books, a completed chitsu case and a deeper appreciation of the cultural and material traditions behind them.
What’s included: All teaching, most tools and materials, including marbling inks, Japanese papers, binding threads and board for the chitsu.
What’s not included: Participants are welcome to bring their own personal tools and sundries if they wish, such as aprons, rulers, bone folders and needles, as well as any silk threads or decorative papers they would like to use for sewing, covers or linings. These are optional and not required, but can be incorporated into the work during the course.
If you’d like to keep up to date with news about our Summer School courses, please add your details to our Summer School mailing list. If you have any queries, please email us at summerschool@cityandguildsartschool.ac.uk
Any queries? Take a look at our FAQs page and for further help, please contact us at summerschool@cityandguildsartschool.ac.uk