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12-day Tour :: Kyoto Textile Adventure
TUE February 13 - SAT February 24, 2024
Tour Cost: $8,750 Single Occupancy
Tour limited to 16 participants
TOUR LEADERS: Victoria Stone & Sanae Naito
Once you unpack at the upscale Hotel Okura in the heart of Kyoto, you are home! Kyoto promises a truly authentic experience as the cultural center of traditional Japan.
During your stay, delight in the planned daily activities—insider visits, mini-workshops, day trips, special group meals, and more. After hours, get to know your neighborhood—with shrines, temples, shops, and restaurants around every corner.
This tour promises a relaxed pace in one of the most wondrous cities in the world.
ITINERARY
Day 1 Arrive at Kansai Airport (Osaka) and be transported to your 4-star riverside hotel in Kyoto.
Day 2 After group introductions, head to a kyo-yuzen studio for a silk-dyeing workshop. Walk to an offbeat tenugui museum and then continue to the secret needle shop in the grand shopping arcade. End your day with a lively Welcome Dinner. BD
Day 3 Adventure to rural Ohara! Meet a renowned dyemaster in his indigo workshop, then savor a group lunch in a rustic restaurant, followed by a natural-dyeing workshop at a near-by botanical farm. BL
Day 4 Visit a Meiji-era textile studio for a tour and dyeing workshop. After lunch, stop by a unique silk thread shop and finish your day at an exceptional weaving museum. B
Day 5 Take the bullet train from Kyoto to visit the historic town of Arimatsu for a tour of the Tie-Dye Museum. After a casual group lunch, learn about shibori dyeing in a hands-on workshop. BL
Day 6 Experience a silk weaving workshop with a 4th-generation artisan. Visit a local shrine dedicated to the goddess of weaving, followed by tea and traditional treats at Japan’s oldest confectionery. B
Day 7 Meet a collector and curator of antique Japanese textiles. Enjoy a special group lunch before visiting the renowned Nishijin Textile Center for a kimono fashion show. BL
Day 8 Start with a visit to a hiyoshiya atelier where you paint a miniature parasol. Visit a gallery featuring modern shibori wearable art, then partake in a traditional tea ceremony. B
Day 9 Spend the morning treasure hunting at one of the great temple flea markets. In the afternoon, head to a renowned potter’s workshop-turned-museum, and then wander the historic streets of Kyoto’s east mountain. B
Day 10 At Arashiyama, enter the grounds of the nearly 700-year old Tenryu-Ji temple and walk through the magical Bamboo Grove. Spend the afternoon soaking in a luxury hot-spring spa, or continue to explore local sights on your own. The day ends with an elegant Farewell Dinner. BD
Day 11 Your day starts with a roketsu (wax-resist dyeing) workshop, followed by lunch in the famous Gion geisha district. Head south to visit the hundreds of vermilion torii gates at Fushimi Inari, or enjoy an afternoon on your own. B
Day 12 Admire the iconic Golden Pavilion and stroll the temple grounds for some quiet meditation. Then on to Kansai Airport (Osaka) for your departure. B
Mobility
Okan Arts tours explore vibrant cities, rural areas, and artist studios so mobility is important. Japan is a country that tends to build up and stairs are a common feature. You will be welcomed into private homes and ateliers where seating may be limited or even on the floor.
To experience this tour to the fullest and keep up with the rest of the group, we request that you are able to:
Walk up to three miles throughout the day
Walk on rustic pathways and stairs, often with no handrails
Ascend and descend steep stairs with a handrail
Stand for 40 minutes to one hour (for presentations in small artisan ateliers)
Sit on the floor (not on your knees) for up to one hour
Food
Most traditional Japanese food is free of the common allergens of dairy and peanuts. However, on your trip to Japan we cannot guarantee allergen-free meals.
If you have severe allergies or food restrictions, please assess your comfort with eating in a different culture with a language barrier.
*Please note that if you have a gluten sensitivity or intolerance, most soy sauces —a common seasoning in Japanese foods— contain wheat.
Face Masks
Tour members may be asked to wear a face mask for some outdoor and indoor activities.
Tour Contract
Within 24 hours of paying your Deposit, you will receive the Tour Contract via email. You must return the completed and signed Tour Contract to Okan Arts within one week to finalize your tour booking.
Cancellation
If you cancel your booking before the published start date of the Tour, Okan Arts will work to fill your place.
If your place is filled, you will receive a refund of your booking fee, less $425.
If your place is not filled, you will forfeit 100% of your booking fee.
Okan Arts recommends that you purchase Comprehensive Travel Insurance with Trip Cancellation Coverage.
COVID-19
If your tour is canceled due to Japan closing its borders to travelers, a full refund will be made which constitutes a full settlement.
In the event of a tour cancellation, Okan Arts is not responsible for any additional expenses prepaid by you, such as airline tickets, passport fees, or visa fees.
With Okan Arts, you travel with like-minded textile and quilting enthusiasts who want to be inspired by the people, places, and traditions of Japan.
Okan Arts offers more than tailor-made itineraries and knowledgeable tour leaders—we care that all our travelers have an extraordinary experience!
YOUR TOUR LEADERS
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Victoria Stone, co-owner of Okan Arts, has a lifelong passion for textiles and sewing. Victoria co-led the 2020 Okan Arts Quilting & Textile Tour of Japan where participants appreciated her insider tips on intriguing shops, local restaurants, and after-hours adventures. |
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Sanae Naito, an internationally recognized chusen-dyeing artist, is a long-standing lecturer at Joshibi University of Art and Design. As a homestay student, Sanae lived in Kirkland WA where she honed her English skills. Sanae leads a design studio in Tokyo where she creates her own line of chusen-dyed textiles. |
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Yumi Sugai, our Japanese Tour Expert, started working as a tour guide in 2000. Since then, Yumi has traveled all across Japan with many visitors from abroad. You will never feel a cultural gap once Yumi appears. |
Included
Not Included
It was such a great experience and the group was very special. I had a wonderful time.
Lynn H - Aiea HI
The workshops were great — so was the food. I especially enjoyed the Kyoto hotel where we stayed. It was well-located; we could walk many places from there.
Toni B - San Francisco CA
Thank you for being flexible and doing side excursions. Giving us a Suica card and Tokyo subway/train maps was a great idea.
Lily K - Aiea HI
I hope that others will be able to have the rich and rewarding Japan experience that I had!
Ellen M - Santa Cruz CA
I had such a memorable experience, one I’ll never forget. No drama. No negativity. All love and respect.
Jude S - Los Angeles, CA
I do feel lucky indeed, to have had the special opportunity to travel with Okan Arts to Japan.
Mary K - Chattanooga TN