This tour is designed around guests. We gather your requests and put together your dream trip to delve into textiles.
Kyoto has been famous for textiles for centuries due to its long-standing tradition of textile production and its reputation for high-quality fabrics. The city has been a centre for the production of textiles since the Heian period (794-1185), when the imperial court demanded luxurious fabrics for their clothing and for the decoration of their palaces and temples.
Kyoto’s textile industry flourished during the Edo period (1603-1868), when Kyoto was one of Japan’s largest cities and a major centre for trade and commerce. During this time, Kyoto’s textile artisans developed many innovative techniques and designs, including yuzen dyeing, a method of painting intricate designs on silk using a special paste, and nishijin weaving, which uses metallic threads to create intricate patterns.
Today, Kyoto is still home to many textile artisans who continue to produce high-quality fabrics using traditional techniques. Many of these fabrics are used to create traditional Japanese clothing, such as kimono and obi, as well as modern fashion and interior design products. The city is also home to many textile museums and galleries, which showcase the history and artistry of Kyoto’s textile industry.