Japan Quilting & Textile Tour with Anita Grossman Solomon

Tour Info

OVERVIEW 

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

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.
Enjoy shopping trips to several locations in Tokyo, including Quilt Party, the Blue and White Shop, and Nippori Fabric Town.

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 10-day journey.

START & FINISH

The tour starts at 6.00 pm at Keio Plaza Hotel in Tokyo on Day 1, Saturday May 20. The tour concludes after breakfast at Hotel Granvia in Kyoto on Day 10, Monday May 29. Please contact us to arrange your arrival and departure transfers between hotel and airport.

Itinerary

DETAILED ITINERARY

Day 1   Sat   May 20      Arrive Tokyo

Arrive in Tokyo and transfer to hotel. Dinner at hotel. (D)

Day 2    Sun   May 21    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    Mon   May 22   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. 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. And shop at Okadaya Shinjuku Honten, one of the best places for craft supplies in Tokyo. (B)

Day 4    Tue   May 23     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 5    Wed   May 24   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). The festival in the Fuji Five Lakes area, offers breathtaking views of vast fields of shibazakura, with Mount Fuji in the backdrop on clear days. Later we take train 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 6    Thu   May 25     Kyoto

In the morning, we take a visit to Japan's largest antiques market. Next, 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 7    Fri   May 26      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 8    Sat   May 27     Kyoto

This 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 travel to Hieidaira to 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. Returning to Kyoto and create your own masterpiece in the Yuzen painting workshop. We then stop at the iconic Nomura Tailor. (B)

Day 9    Sun   May 28    Kyoto-Nara-Kyoto

Take an excursion to Nara to visit Todaiji, one of Japan's most impressive temples, as well as the nearby Isuien Garden. At Nara Deer Park, enjoy an encounter with Nara's famous sacred deer. Return to Kyoto, we 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. before our farewell dinner in a local restaurant. (B, D)

Day 10    Mon   May 29 Depart Kyoto

The tour ends after breakfast. (B)

Tour Leader

ANITA GROSSMAN SOLOMON

Anita Grossman Solomon lives in midtown Manhattan where she constructs artful bed quilts from classic blocks. Previously an art curator, she took up quilt making in 1990 becoming a full-time international teacher with workshops around the world including venues in Abu Dhabi, Johannesburg and the Panama Canal.
You may have watched her on “Simply Quilts”, “The Quilt Show’, and “Quilt Out Loud". She’s written three books for C&T Publishing and contributed to several others. Her quilts have been displayed everywhere from the ceiling of the International Quilt Festival in Houston to an enormous screen high above Times Square in New York City. Robert Kaufman Fabrics debuted her KONA® fabric palette of 32 colors. She is a two-time Instructor for Craftsy.com which published her column The Fiber of My Being. She’s blessed with a fine eye, curiosity, patience and a good sense of direction.

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
• 9 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, Tokyo (3 nights)
https://www.keioplaza.com/

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

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