Workshop Overview
Discover the versatile art of paracord weaving in this hands-on workshop series. Originally designed for parachute suspension lines, paracord has become a favorite material for crafters due to its incredible strength and vibrant color variety. In these sessions, participants learn the fundamentals of decorative knotting and structural weaving to create everything from stylish everyday accessories to durable outdoor gear. Whether you are looking to craft a unique gift or master a new lifelong skill, this workshop offers a perfect blend of tactical craft and creative expression within the welcoming atmosphere of 7artscafe.

This class is held in Japanese.
Cost: 3,500 yen per class (includes class and signature smoothie).
Held on the first Saturday of every month starting February 2025, 10:30–12:00.

Dates and Class Content
February 7: Intro to Paracord
Step into the world of paracord and learn fundamental knots while creating essential everyday items.
Key items: Key charms, glass-bead holders, basic bracelets.

March 7: Peach Blossom Festival (Hina Matsuri)
Celebrate spring using pink paracord and applied techniques.
Key items: “Peach Blossom” bracelets.

April 4: Cherry Blossoms in Full Bloom
Inspired by Sakura season, master intricate floral weaving.
Key items: Smartphone shoulder straps with floral accents.

May 2: Boy’s Day (Tango no Sekku)
Focus on robust, practical weaving for daily use.
Key items: Durable unisex woven belts.

June 6: Rainy Season (Tsuyu)
Prepare for summer travel with sturdy utility straps.
Key items: Shoulder straps for small travel bags.

July 4: Early Summer Vibrance
Create functional accessories in vibrant summer colors.
Key items: Eyewear and glasses straps.

August 1: Mid-Summer Travels
Craft practical hydration accessories for summer adventures.
Key items: Handwoven bottle holders.

September 5: First Day of Autumn
Express autumn tones through wearable art.
Key items: Autumn-themed accessories and jewelry.

October 3: Halloween Spirit
Create festive seasonal charms using traditional weaving.
Key items: Halloween-themed accessories.

November 7: Year-End Preparations
Hand-craft durable holiday decorations.
Key items: Paracord Christmas ornaments.

December 5: New Year Creations
Choose a final project applying all learned skills.
Key items: Necklace, bracelet, belt, or key charm.

To reserve your space, please register here.
Registration deadline: one week before each class.

About the Instructor
原田奈緒美 - (Ms. Harada)is a Certified Creator with the Japan Paracord Creator Association (JPCA) and recipient of the Special Award (Free Category) at the 1st Paracord Craft Championship. She specializes in custom pet gear and teaches workshops for adults and children, bringing a professional educator’s clarity and warmth to every class.

Workshop Overview
Experience the beauty of Japanese calligraphy with master artist Kumiko Hamilton. Learn brush techniques and kanji principles in a hands-on setting while creating elegant characters and exploring calligraphy as a free and expressive art form.

This class is held in English and Japanese.
Cost: 3,500 yen per class (includes class and signature smoothie).
Held on the second Saturday of every month starting February 2025, 10:30–12:00. 

Dates and Class Content
February 14: Early Spring in February
Amid the lingering cold of winter, explore symbols of resilience and rebirth in Japanese culture.
Kanji to study: 梅 (Plum blossom), 桃 (Peach blossom), 花 (Flower), 冬 (Winter), 雪 (Snow)

March 14: March, the Month of Girls' Day
Celebrate the approach of spring during the Hina Matsuri season.
Kanji to study: 桜 (Cherry blossom), 桃 (Peach), 花 (Flower), 幸 (Happiness)

April 11: Spring in Full Bloom
Express the delicate transience of life through cherry blossoms and flowing brushwork.
Kanji to study: 桜 (Cherry blossom), 春 (Spring), 花 (Flower), 風 (Wind)

May 9: Celebration of Children and Mothers
A tribute to strength, care, and family traditions.
Kanji to study: 子 (Child), 母 (Mother), 愛 (Love), 鯉 (Carp)

June 13: The Rainy Season (Tsuyu)
Capture the soothing rhythm of rain and seasonal blooms.
Kanji to study: 梅雨 (Rainy season), 雨 (Rain), 雨音 (Sound of rain), 紫陽花 (Hydrangea)

July 11: The Peak of Summer
Use bold, refreshing brushstrokes inspired by summer energy.
Kanji to study: 夏 (Summer), 日 (Sun), 涼 (Coolness), 海 (Sea)

Please note: There is no class in August.

September 12: The Mid-Autumn Moon
Enjoy the tradition of Tsukimi and the beauty of the night sky.
Kanji to study: 月 (Moon), 秋 (Autumn), 美 (Beauty), 心 (Heart)

October 10: Vivid Autumn Leaves
Capture the calm and color of autumn foliage.
Kanji to study: 秋 (Autumn), 紅葉 (Autumn leaves), 葉 (Leaf), 静 (Stillness)

November 14: Shichi-Go-San and Gratitude
Celebrate milestones and blessings through calligraphy.
Kanji to study: 銀杏 (Ginkgo), 飴 (Candy), 祝 (Celebration), 感謝 (Gratitude)

December 12: Sparkling Winter Lights
Reflect on joy and light as the year comes to a close.
Kanji to study: 冬 (Winter), 光 (Light), 喜 (Joy), 楽 (Fun)

To reserve your space, please register here.
Registration deadline: one week before each class.

About the Instructor
Kumiko Hamilton is an instructor with the Sogen Calligraphy Association and a former advertising designer and art director. Her work explores modern Japanese calligraphy as an “art of the moment,” merging impermanence, movement, and personal expression. She also integrates her lifelong practice of the koto into her artistic approach, creating contemporary calligraphy that bridges sound and form.
www.kumikohamilton.com

Workshop Overview
Join us for an empowering journey into the science of superfoods and hormonal health. This class is designed for those passionate about health, beauty, and the profound connection between nutrition and well-being. Our hormones govern everything from our energy levels and mood to our skin health and metabolism. This series blends scientific insights with practical application, teaching you how to use specific superfoods to support your body's natural rhythms throughout the changing seasons.

Session Structure (90 Minutes)
1. Interactive Lecture (40 mins): Dive into the "Hormone of the Month." We explore its function, how seasonal changes affect it, and the specific nutrients—backed by scientific evidence—required to keep it in balance. You’ll see the raw superfood ingredients up close as we discuss their nutritional profiles.
2. Smoothie Tasting & Analysis (20 mins): Savor a freshly prepared smoothie specifically formulated for the monthly theme. We’ll break down the recipe and explain why these ingredients are chosen for your hormonal health.
3. Q&A & Reflective Closing (30 mins): A dedicated space for your questions, sharing insights with fellow participants, and preparing for the month ahead.

Why Join This Program?

• Evidence-Based: Move beyond trends and learn the real science behind superfoods.

• Seasonal Alignment: Understand how climate and environment impact your internal chemistry.

• Holistic Wellness: Build a toolkit of knowledge that allows you to "become friends with your body" over the course of a year.

Enrich your mind, nourish your hormones, and discover the vibrant potential of functional nutrition.

This class is held in Japanese.
Cost: 3,500 yen per class (includes class and signature smoothie).
Held on the third Saturday of every month starting February 2025, 10:30–12:00. 

Dates and Class Content

February 21: Metabolism Boost & Winter Cold Defense (Thyroid Hormones)
Hormone Focus: Thyroid hormones (T3/T4) which regulate basal metabolism, body temperature, and emotional stability.
Essential Nutrients: Iodine (seaweed/spirulina), Selenium (Brazil nuts), Zinc (hemp/pumpkin seeds), and Iron (cacao/spinach).
Smoothie Spotlight: A warming, mineral-rich blend designed to activate your "internal furnace" during the peak of winter containing milk, bananas, pumpkin seeds with superfoods spirulina and cacao nibs.

March 21: Emotional Care & Mood Stability (Serotonin)
Hormone Focus: Serotonin, the foundation of happiness, security, and concentration. Spring brings significant stress and sunlight changes that can destabilize mood.
Essential Nutrients: Tryptophan (amino acid precursor), Vitamin B6 (essential for synthesis), and Magnesium (supports nerve function).
Smoothie Spotlight: A calming "Happy Mood" blend to naturally boost serotonin levels containing oats milk, bananas, almond butter, coconut milk with superfoods with nutmeg and maca powder.

April 18: Focus, Motivation & Creativity (Dopamine)
Hormone Focus: Dopamine, the key to motivation, reward, and executive function. Perfect for those starting new projects or lifestyles in the new fiscal year.
Essential Nutrients: Tyrosine (amino acid precursor), Phenylalanine, Vitamin D, and antioxidants to protect dopamine-producing neurons.
Smoothie Spotlight: An "Energy & Drive" blend to ignite mental clarity and passion containing soy milk, strawberries, blueberries and spinach with superfoods with flaxseed and bluepea powder.

May 16: Vitality & Strength Building (Testosterone)
Hormone Focus: Testosterone, the driver of physical vitality, muscle synthesis, and youthful energy. Essential for both men and women to maintain bone density and mental assertiveness.
Essential Nutrients: Zinc (critical for production), Vitamin D, Magnesium, and healthy fats (cholesterol is the building block of steroid hormones).
Smoothie Spotlight: A "Strength & Recovery" blend to naturally support endocrine vigor containing orange juice, edamame, avocado with superfoods hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds and chia seeds.

June 20: Stress Care & Fatigue Management (Cortisol)
Hormone Focus: Cortisol, the primary stress hormone responsible for our fight-or-flight response and inflammatory control. Crucial for managing the sluggishness and irritability often felt during the rainy season (Tsuyu).
Essential Nutrients: Vitamin C (depleted rapidly during stress), Magnesium (to relax the nervous system), B-complex vitamins, and Omega-3 fatty acids.
Smoothie Spotlight: A "Resilience & Calm" blend to stabilize stress responses containing pomegranate juice, pears and blueberries with superfoods kale powder and flaxseeds.

July 18: Beat Summer Fatigue & Manage Sugar Cravings (Insulin)
Hormonal Focus: Insulin is the primary hormone responsible for regulating blood glucose levels and providing energy to your cells.
Essential Nutrients: β-Glucan (Soluble Fiber)Forms a gel-like substance in the digestive tract to slow down the absorption of carbohydrates. Polyphenols are powerful antioxidants found in berries and colorful vegetables.
Smoothie Spotlight: A fiber-rich blend containing oats milk, strawberries and spinach with superfoods cacao powder, cinnamon and peanut butter.

September 19: Enhancing Sleep Quality & Circadian Rhythm (Melatonin)
Hormonal Focus: Melatonin is the "Sleep Hormone" that signals to your body that it is time to rest and recover.
Essential Nutrients:  Tryptophan is an essential amino acid found in seeds, nuts, and soy. Vitamin B6 is key cofactor in the synthesis of neurotransmitters and is necessary for the conversion of Tryptophan into Serotonin and Melatonin.
Smoothie Spotlight:  A calming blend to support a peaceful transition into the evening containing almond milk, bananas, pineapples with superfoods nutmeg and cinnamon.

October 31: Women’s Health & Internal Balance (Estrogen)
Hormonal Focus: Estrogen is a key steroid hormone that influences various systems beyond reproduction, including the brain and cardiovascular system.
Essential Nutrients: Phytoestrogens are plant-based compounds that mimic or modulate estrogen in the body. Boron is a trace mineral found in nuts, legumes, and certain fruits.
Smoothie Spotlight:  A nourishing "Glow & Balance" blend to support long-term hormonal harmony containing soy milk, pears, apples with superfoods maca powder and cinnamon.

November 21: Positivity & Natural Pain Relief (Endorphins)
Hormonal Focus: Endorphins act as both a natural painkiller and a reward system within the brain.
Essential Nutrients: Capsaicin from spices is a compound that gives chili peppers their heat that causes the brain to release a rush of endorphins to compensate, lifting the mood. Flavonoids from dark cacao stimulates the release of endorphins and phenylethylamine.
Smoothie Spotlight:  An "Endorphin Uplift" blend to spark energy and joy containing apple juice, pumpkin seeds, apples with superfoods goji berries and acai berries.

December 19: Connection, Empathy & Inner Peace (Oxytocin)
Hormonal Focus: Oxytocin is released in response to physical touch, social bonding, and shared experiences.
Essential Nutrients:  Magnesium helps regulate the nervous system and relaxes muscles. Complex Carbohydrates e.g., oats, whole grains,  support steady serotonin production.
Smoothie Spotlight:  A "Community Comfort" blend to support emotional balance containing milk, bananas, strawberries with superfoods kale powder and cacao nibs.

To reserve your space, please register here.
Registration deadline: one week before each class.

About the Instructor
Taihei Suzuki | CEO, Fungii Co., Ltd.
Taihei Suzuki is the CEO of Fungii Co., Ltd. He studied life science before working in organizational development consulting, where he designed leadership training and culture transformation programs for major corporations. He is the author of 30 Scientifically Correct Team Methods (2021) and applies insights from life science, ecology, and data science to create vitality-focused organizational development. Suzuki also hosts the life science learning program BIORADIO, developed the hormone-based diagnostic tool Well-Hor, and leads workshops exploring the connection between food, work, and human relationships.

Workshop Overview

This Yokohama History series explores the city’s transformation into an international port and cultural crossroads from the late nineteenth century onward. Through monthly talks, discussions, and selected walking tours, participants examine key moments, figures, and institutions that shaped Yokohama’s social, political, and cultural identity, connecting local history to global movements and exchange.

This class is held in English.
Cost: 3,500 yen per class (includes class and signature smoothie).
Held on the fourth Saturday of every month starting February 2025, 10:30–12:00. Note that the meeting time will be at 9:30 on 23 May, 26 September, and 24 October, and that we will meet at different locations on these three dates. Each discussion will end with a smoothie at 7artscafe. 

Dates and Class Content

February 28: Equality, Human Rights, and Abolition of the Slave Trade 
In 1872, a young Yokohama judge delivered a verdict that stunned Japan, outlawing human trafficking and the contracts that bound geisha and indentured apprentices, while also liberating Japan’s burakumin outcastes. 

March 28:  Diplomatic Outposts, Consular Courts, and Extraterritoriality
Countries great and small from around the world established consulates in Yamashita-chō and Yamate-chō from 1859 onwards. Many of these remained active for a century, and some remain prominent today. For forty years, foreign citizens lived in the treaty ports under the laws and jurisdiction of their own countries, not subject to Japanese justice. The Edith Carew homicide case provides an example of how the consular courts operated.

April 25: Sun Yat-sen and Yokohama
Chinese revolutionary Sun Yat-sen visited Yokohama frequently before the Xinhai Revolt that overthrew the Qing Dynasty in 1911, establishing deep connections with Chinese families. He lived in the city for several years in the 1910s with his wife, Song Qingling.

May 23: The Development of Chinatown
This discussion will include a walking tour of Chinatown. The meeting place will be outside the north wicket of Motomachi-Chūkagai Station (leading to Exits 1–4), at 9:30 am. We will go to 7artscafe after walking through Chinatown.

June 27: Hara Tomitarō, Okakura Tenshin, Sankeien Garden, and Japonaiserie
At the same time that Meiji Japan was rapidly modernizing and discarding its Tokugawa heritage, Western artists discovered Japanese art and inspired a boom in all things Japanese. At the same time, there were Japanese intellectuals who strove to maintain a balance between Eastern and Western culture. Silk exporter Hara Tomitarō devoted his enormous wealth to promoting traditional art and architecture, still preserved in Sankeien Garden today.Capture the soothing rhythm of rain and seasonal blooms.

July 25: Sister Marguerite Yamagami (1863–1939)
She was known as the “Mother of the Poor” for decades, devoting her life to the destitute victims of Japan’s modernization. Based at a church in Wakaba-chō, near 7artscafé, she tended to orphans, the poor, and those suffering from Hansen’s disease (also known as leprosy).

Please note: There is no class in August.

September 26: Dolls in Yokohama
This discussion will take place at the Yokohama Doll Museum (Yokohama Ningyō no Ie), across from Yamashita Park. The meeting place will be at the entrance to the museum at 9:30 am. We will go to 7artscafe after touring the museum. What were the “blue-eyed dolls” (aome ningyō), and what role did they play in Japanese-American relations between the world wars? Who was Kanetaka Kaoru, and how did she come to establish the Yokohama Doll Museum?

October 24 : Yokohama’s Literary Heritage
This discussion will take place at the Kanagawa Museum of Modern Literature (Kanagawa Kindai Bungaku-kan). The meeting place will be outside the south wicket of Motomachi-Chūkagai Station (leading to Exits 5–6), at 9:30 am. We will go to 7artscafe after touring the museum. We’ll take a look at well-known 20th century authors who lived in Yokohama (such as Ōsaragi Jirō and Yoshikawa Eiji) and others associated with the city through their novels (such as Tanizaki Jun’ichirō and Mishima Yukio).

November 28: The Influence of Foreign Trade on Yokohama’s Culture
Since the opening of the port in 1859, Yokohama’s international trade has influenced every aspect of life, from fashion to cuisine. This discussion explores Yokohama’s “firsts” and the cultural exchange that shaped the city’s development.

Please note: There is no class in December.

To reserve your space, please register here.
Registration deadline: one week before each class.

About the Instructor
Glenn Scoggins is an American historian who has called Yokohama home since 1977. Deeply fascinated by the city’s rich history, he first studied it at university and has continued researching it extensively over the years. Specializing in Japanese history, particularly the 19th and 20th centuries, Glenn has taught and written about Yokohama's historical development, sharing his expertise with both students and adult learners. His passion for the city’s past culminated in the publication of a non-fiction book that explores various facets of Yokohama’s history, providing readers with a detailed and engaging look into the city's cultural evolution.