Karen Gardiner

Craft-focused hotels have emerged as tools to support artisans’ livelihoods while providing travelers with one-of-a-kind experiences.

In a town hewn from wood, immerse yourself in traditional arts and get hands-on in a craft studio.

Nasu, in the Tochigi prefecture, has long been a weekend escape for royals and residents of Japan’s capital. Visitors are finally catching on to its rural charm.

Take yourself on a journey through Izumo, Japan’s sacred “Land of the Gods."

A year after a natural disaster, the resilient artisans of Japan’s Noto Peninsula are forging ahead with support from the city of Kanazawa.

The American vacation was born here, and now the Adirondacks are experiencing a revival.

On the New York/Ontario/Quebec border, an Indigenous community is sharing centuries of tradition

A new model of tourism takes shape in Nunavik, led by Inuit guides.

If you pray for love in Izumo, there's a good chance you'll be heard. Every year, eight million gods gather in this seaside city to decide the fate of humans' relationships.

If you really want to learn about sake, immerse in its birthplace.

I chose Kanazawa for its commitment to craft preservation and support for displaced Noto artisans.

My handcrafted picks: a knitting workshop in Shetland and beading session in New York.

Artisans in Kanazawa, Japan's epicenter of crafts, are preserving traditional ways by reinventing them for modern life — and visitors have a role to play.

There's no better place to see hoop dancers at the top of their game than at the World Championship Hoop Dance Contest in in Phoenix, Arizona.

There’s a contemporary flavor to the ideas and critiques surrounding this century-old Japanese crafts movement.