Japan Quilting & Textile Art Studios Tour with Kimberly Einmo

Tour Info

OVERVIEW 

Our Japan Quilting & Textile Art Studios tour is a gateway to the tradition that lies at the heart of Japan’s fiber-art heritage.

Start our tour in Tokyo, the capital city of Japan and enjoy shopping trips to retail sites such as the Blue and White Shop and Nippori Fabric Town. Tour of Janome factory in Tokyo, and enjoy a workshop on site.
Travel to Kawaguchi Lake. On this leg of the tour, an en route stop at the Itchiku Kubota Museum provides a view of the Kubota Kimono Collection and majestic Mt. Fuji.

Hands-on workshops introduce you to Shibori at the Narumi Shibori Museum and to Yuzen painting and Roketsu dyeing in Kyoto studios. Additional venues include the Kyoto Museum of Crafts and Design and Nomura Tailor, a treasure trove of fabrics, notions, and tools.

Cultural sites round out the tour’s itinerary. Sites include the Fushimi Inari Shrine with its thousands of orange torri gates and the Gion District, a Geisha quarter in Kyoto. Plus, feast in food markets and make your own sushi on this immersive 11-day journey.

START & FINISH

The tour begins at 6.00 pm at Keio Plaza Hotel in Tokyo, on Day 1, Tuesday May 9. The tour concludes at after breakfast at Hotel Granvia in Kyoto, on Day 11, Friday May 19.

Please contact us to arrange your arrival and departure transfers between hotel and airport.

Itinerary

DETAILED ITINERARY

Day 1   Tue   May 9           Arrive Tokyo

Arrive in Tokyo and transfer to hotel for check in.

Day 2    Wed   May 10      Tokyo

After breakfast visit the Tokyo National Museum, one of the oldest and largest of Japan's top-level national museums. Stroll through the traditional Koishikawa Korakuen Garden and explore Asakusa market and the famous Sensoji Temple. Also visit Japan Traditional Crafts Aoyama Square where you can find some special souvenir. (B)

Day 3    Thu   May 11        Tokyo

Today take a tour of the Janome Sewing Machine Company and enjoy an exclusive half-day workshop in the Education classroom at the headquarters. We make a stop at Amy Katoh’s special shop - Blue and White, which houses artisan ceramics, designer clothing, traditional textiles, fun jewelry, collectibles, and gifts. Visit Ozu Washi that offers a wide range of the finest traditional Japanese washi paper before returning to our hotel.  (B)

Day 4    Fri   May 12          Tokyo

Morning visit to the historic Nippori Fabric Town, home to nearly 100 shops carrying all sorts of fabric and notions. Then visit Quilt Party, owned by the world-famous quilter Yoko Saito, specializing in quilting, fabric, and patchwork materials needed for any craft project. Stop at Okadaya Shinjuku Honten, one of the best places for craft supplies in Tokyo. The shop stocks fabrics and craft materials of every kind, it is a haven for sewing and craft-making enthusiasts. (B)

Day 5    Sat   May 13         Tokyo-Hinohara-Kawaguchiko

Travel by coach to Kawaguchi Lake with a stop at Akie Ginza’s remarkable Sashiko Museum in the small village of Hinohara. The museum is filled with her sashiko work, apparel, wall hangings, handbags, jewelry, and home décor and more. Also make a stop at the beautiful Itchiku Kubota Museum to see the stunning Kubota Kimono Collection. This evening enjoy the views of Mt. Fuji from our onsen hotel. (B, D)

Day 6    Sun   May 14        Kawaguchiko-Shizuoka-Kyoto

Today we attend the Fuji Shibazakura Festival, one of the best and most popular occasions nationwide to see shibazakura (pink moss or phlox moss). It is located in the Fuji Five Lakes area, offering breathtaking views of vast fields of shibazakura, with Mount Fuji in the backdrop on clear days. Later we take train from Shizuoka station to Kyoto, where we visit the famous Shibori Museum. This is the only museum in Japan specializing just on the tie-dye theme. (B)

Day 7    Mon   May 15      Kyoto

This morning visit Yoshiko Jinzenji’s studio. Yoshiko Jinzenji is one of the foremost quilt artists in the world. In the studio view a variety of her finished quilts, homeware pieces and yardage with her printed designs. Return to Kyoto, we participate in a Roketsu dyeing workshop using a traditional wax-resist dyeing method. Then visit the spectacular Kinkakuji Temple, known as the Golden Pavilion. The temple's stunning gold leaf coating makes it one of Japan's must-see structures. End our day with a walk through Kyoto’s best-known Geisha quarter – the Gion District. (B)

Day 8    Tue   May 16        Kyoto-Arimatsu-Kyoto

Following breakfast, travel by Bullet Train to Arimatsu – the center of Shibori dyeing dating back to the early 17th century. Visit the Narumi Shibori Museum and participate in a Shibori-dyeing workshop. Explore the town before returning to Kyoto. (B)

Day 9    Wed   May 17      Kyoto-Nara-Kyoto

Take an excursion to Nara and meet the famous deer at Nara Park before returning to Kyoto and create your own masterpiece in the Yuzen painting workshop. (B)

Day 10    Thu   May 18      Kyoto

In the morning, we visit the intriguing Fushimi Inari Shrine. The magical, seemingly unending path of over 5000 vibrant orange torii gates that wind through the hills behind Fushimi Inari-taisha Shrine makes it one of the most popular shrines in Japan. Then visit the famous dying shop Aizenkobo and visit the Kyoto Museum of Crafts and Design (formerly the Kyoto Museum of Traditional Crafts Fureaikan). Familiarize yourself with the techniques and history of local handicrafts, and admire exhibits covering dozens of categories and over 500 samples of traditional crafts. We then stop at the iconic Nomura Tailor before our farewell dinner in a local restaurant.  (B, D)

Day 11    Fri   May 19        Depart Kyoto

The tour ends after breakfast. (B)

Tour Leader

KIMBERLY EINMO

Kimberly Einmo is an author, award-winning quilter, fabric designer, international instructor, quilt judge, host of five popular classes on CRAFTSY/ Bluprint, and the National Spokesperson for Janome Sewing Machines. She has written six best-selling books published by the American Quilter’s Society, created a signature line of unique, specialty quilting rulers, and she writes a column called Stray Threads, in every issue of American Quilter Magazine. Her debut basics fabric collection, Solid-ish, is a best-seller for Timeless Treasures Fabrics and she enjoys teaching on quilting cruises and leading luxury land excursions to exotic locales around the globe.

View Bio and Upcoming Tours

Inclusions

TOUR INCLUSIONS

What is included in the tour price?

• Shared arrival & departure transfers
  
• Transportation in Japan including trains and chartered coaches
  
• 10 nights twin-share accommodation at well-appointed hotels with breakfast daily
  
• Meals, workshops, and entrance fees as stated in the itinerary
  
• An English-speaking guide throughout the trip in Japan

What is not included in the tour price?

• International airfares to Japan
• Travel insurance
• Porterage at hotels & personal expenses
• Gratuities and anything not mentioned

Due to the constant changes in the COVID restrictions worldwide, we highly recommend that passengers wait to purchase air tickets until the following:

1. The tour reaches the minimum number to travel.
2. Prior to the due date of their final payment (three months before departure), we will notify passengers the travel status and the requirements for travel to their destination. At that time they may choose to proceed with the tour or not. If they choose to cancel they may apply their non-refundable deposit to any other Opulent Quilt Journeys Tour within 18 months.

Please note: If passengers purchase tickets and the tour is cancelled or moved to a new date, we are not responsible for any loss regarding their ticket purchase.

Hotels

HOTELS

Keio Plaza Hotel (4 nights)
https://www.keioplaza.com/

Hotel Regina Kawaguchiko (1 night)
https://kawaguchiko.regina-resorts.com/

Hotel Granvia Kyoto (5 nights)
https://www.granviakyoto.com/