Textiles of KYOTO

May 20-31, 2025

Kyoto

Escorted Group Tour

Our Japan Textiles tour is a journey into the vibrant world of Japanese textiles, planned by Conde Nast Japan Travel Expert Nancy Craft. Nancy’s love of Japanese textiles began when she lived and studied in Japan for six years. With the guidance of one of Esprit’s expert guides, you will visit her friends and colleagues, along with quiet off-the-beaten track temples, gardens and hidden corners in Japan’s traditional capital.

We invite you to join us in 2025 on an intensive immersion into the textiles and arts of Kyoto.  May is one of the best months to be in Kyoto. A variety of flowers will be blooming, the new green of spring is lovely.

May 20

Depart Home

Depart for Japan on your individually arranged flight.

Note: If you would like to attend the Toji Temple Flea Market on May 21 (Kyoto’s largest!) you should depart at least a day earlier from the US and arrive in Japan on May 20. We can book a pre-tour hotel night for you with sufficient notice.

May 21

Arrive Japan

Arrive Japan. We will give you advice on how to book your flights and transfer to the hotel in Kyoto from KIX (international flights) or ITM (domestic flights from Tokyo).

Kyoto accommodations for all nights:  Cross Hotel, located in the heart of Kyoto’s lively downtown area.

The evening is free.                 

Meals included today: None.

May 22

Kyoto

This morning, we will visit Zuiho-in, one of Daitoku-ji’s Zen Monastery’s sub-temples, a serene 20th century rock, sand, and moss garden designed by Mirei Shigemori.  We will meet the abbot, who will give us an introduction to the Way of Tea.

We will visit another sub-temple within the monastery, entering through a quiet, bamboo-lined stone path, and enjoy the spare, mossy garden from the veranda, and see the 400-year-old tearooms as well as the lush stroll garden.

Lunch is at a restaurant specializing in Zen-style vegetarian cuisine.

After lunch, we will visit the studio of an artist to learn about katazome, a dye technique using paste and hand cut stencils.

The evening is free.

Meals included today: Breakfast and lunch.

May 23

Kyoto

This morning, we will meet visit the studio of an artists to learn about sashiko, Japanese folk embroidery using the basic running stitch to create geometric repeat patterns, usually done on cotton cloth. Sashiko has also been used for centuries to repair or add strength to worn areas of clothing, a technique called boro that transcends the simple act of mending to create a family history in the tradition of mottainai, the Japanese tradition of wasting nothing.

Lunch at a restaurant serving homestyle o-banzai cuisine in a traditional machiya town house.

After lunch, we will visit a company that since 1902 has created karakami, decorative wood block printed washi paper for fusuma sliding doors, wallpaper, and contemporary art pieces. The technique originated in China and was imported to Japan over a thousand years ago. Karakami paints are made from powdered mica and ground seashells, bound with a glue made from seaweed.

After some free time to explore on your own with Esprit’s Downtown Guide, we’ll meet for dinner.

Meals included today: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

May 24

Kyoto

We will divide into two groups today for a half-day shibori workshop. Shibori refers to many different forms of shaped resist, including tying, clamping, and stitching to create a resist, then a pattern is revealed after the fabric is dyed.

You will have free time when not in the workshop.  A group lunch at mid-day is scheduled.

Meal included today: Breakfast, Lunch

May 25

Kyoto

We’ll spend the morning at the massive Kitano flea market, which is held on the 25^th of each month on the spacious shrine grounds. After an introduction to Shinto, Japan’s indigenous spiritual belief, there will be ample time to browse the booths selling antiques, tools, scrolls, pottery, kimono, fabric scraps, plants, pickles, and artisan-made clothing. At outdoor food stalls called yatai. you will be able to try typical festival food.

After lunch we’ll walk a short distance to an elegant kimono gallery in a beautifully preserved wooden machiya townhouse, for a presentation about how one chooses the fabric for a custom kimono and the accessories to go with it.

Meal included today: Breakfast.                                         

May 26

Shigaraki Day Trip

We will travel out of Kyoto to neighboring Shiga Prefecture by charter bus. Our first stop is the home and studio of a family of dyers to learn about the unique Japanese fermentation process of the plant Persicaria Tintoria to create the indigo dyestuff called sukumo.  We will see a demonstration of dipping cloth and paper in their vats and see their finished work. 

A drive through the countryside brings us to the Miho, a spectacular museum that was designed by I.M. Pei, where we will see the permanent collection of Asian art and antiquities and this spring’s temporary exhibition.

A short ride brings us to Shigaraki, one of Japan’s old pottery towns dating back to the 1200’s, to visit the workshop of an artist who makes functional stoneware with the local light-colored gritty clay that is fired without glaze for six days in a huge wood-fired kiln. 

After returning to Kyoto in the late afternoon, the evening is free.

Meals included today: Breakfast and lunch.

May 27

Kyoto

We will spend the morning in the Nishijin weaving district. First, we will visit the traditional machiya-style merchant house of a 5th generation gold leaf artisan who is part of a collaborative process of applying gold leaf to handmade washi paper. The paper is cut and woven with silk to create luxurious kimono obi, for which Kyoto is famous.

Next, we will visit the flagship store of Chiso Kimono. Founded in 1555, Chiso is a designer and producer of elegant hand painted silk for custom kimono and accessories. Chizo collaborates with a network of highly skilled artists, for the time-consuming, complex, multi-step yuzen process that takes up to 6 months for each finished kimono roll.

After lunch we will visit downtown shops specializing in textile supplies, including embroidery thread, brushes, yardage for dyeing, stencils and dye.

Meals included today: Breakfast and lunch.

May 28

Kyoto

We will travel north about 45 minutes to rural Ohara and take a leisurely walk through the picturesque rural village. We will see small family farms, flowering trees on the hillsides, and pickle shops featuring the many vegetables grown locally.

We will learn about natural dyeing at a family-run studio.

After a leisurely lunch at a farm to table restaurant, we will visit a rustic dye studio specializing in kakishibu, a dye technique using the tannin from persimmons to create a rich brown color.

After returning to Kyoto, the evening is free.



Meals included today: Breakfast and lunch.

May 29

Kyoto

This morning, we will visit tiny workshop of a family of kumihimo artisans, who weave giant silk tassels and knots for Shinto shrines and intricate silk cords for kimono and contemporary art jewelry.

The rest of the day is free. Some possibilities include stocking up on textile tools and supplies, seeing a museum show, an excursion by local train into the nearby hills to soak in an outdoor hot spring bath, contemplation in a serene and beautiful garden or downtown exploring. There is never enough free time in Kyoto!  Some possibilities for today’s free day include stocking up on textile tools and supplies, yarns for weaving and thread for sashiko stitiching, exploring Kyoto’s kitchen, Nishiki market, an excursion by local train into the nearby hills to soak in an outdoor hot spring bath, take a hands-on workshop, contemplation in a serene and beautiful garden and downtown exploring.

Meal included today: Breakfast.

May 30

Kyoto

We will begin the day with a visit to the studio of an internationally known artist who has used the skills and techniques he learned as a traditional yuzen kimono painter to create original works for both wearables and wall pieces.

Our afternoon program focuses on the work of the late visionary artist Akihiko Izukura. An internationally renowned master of natural dyeing, weaving, twining and braiding, among other techniques, Izukura-san also experimented with plant dye processes to create ethereal “wind-like” fabrics and garments. In his last years, he began to create interactive installations honoring and illustrating the work of the silkworm. We will meet a local filmmaker and see his 30-minute documentary about Izukura-san’s work and his philosophy.

We will also meet an artist who worked for many years with Izukura-san, and after his death last year started a new company to creatively reuse materials that were left over from his couture production. She will show us finished pieces that have lovingly transformed waste into new works of art. 

We will gather again for our final dinner to share stories.

Meals included today: Breakfast and dinner.

May 31

Depart for home

We will provide information and options for transferring to your departure airport, or to an onward destination if you are extending your trip.



Meal included today: Breakfast.

Notes

Fitness: The best way to discover Kyoto is on foot. Please be prepared to walk about 1 mile every day. Although we will set a leisurely pace, there will be stairs, stone steps, and uneven terrain. Floor sitting on cushions is the norm in Japan and although we will try to get a chair for you, it may not always be possible.

Dietary: Japanese people rarely discuss their dietary restrictions and so most restaurants are not used to accommodating special requests such as vegan and gluten free. If this applies to you, please contact us before registering. Allergies to shellfish and preferences for no red meat and poultry can usually be accommodated.  

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