Japanese Art of Fabric
October 7-19, 2026
Tokyo, Kyoto
Escorted Group Tour
Our Advanced Exploration of Japanese Textiles as Art
Join Esprit Travel in October 2026 for our most exciting new trip yet – a deep dive in the world of fabric and textiles throughout Japan. This is an entirely new trip that we have designed to cover a wider range of textile arts and destinations and to complement our popular Textiles of Kyoto tour. Starting in dynamic Tokyo, we’ll explore contemporary textiles and visit showrooms and galleries. We’ll also consider the formal use of textiles in parts of Japanese culture. Travel outside of Tokyo to visit the Kubota Itchiku Art Museum at the foot of famous Mt. Fuji. After Tokyo we travel to Arimatsu to learn about the origin of shibori dyeing techniques before landing in Kyoto for the rest of the trip. During our time in Kyoto we’ll explore even more of the beautiful Japanese textiles traditions with workshops, private artist visits and special experiences. A day trip to the mountain town of Miyama will allow us to visit a local indigo dyer who has a different approach to this ancient art. We’ll stay at beautiful, centrally located hotels in both Tokyo and Kyoto and have some free time for private exploration.
Frost for the warp and dewdrops for the weft are too weak—
no sooner is the mountain brocade woven
than it scatters in tatters.
Fujiwara no Sekio (c 1200)
Art of Fabric Tour Highlights
This tour encompasses visits throughout Japan from our base cities of Tokyo and Kyoto.
φ Learn about a range of materials and techniques:
- Weaving and washi paper;
- Katazome and kakishibu
- Hikihaku, yuzen and shibori;
- Kimono and obi
- Indigo and natural dye
φ Visit significant museums related to textiles, including:
- Tsujigahana dyeing
- Shibori
- Indigo
φ Share an in-depth exploration of Japanese textiles with fellow, like-minded travelers
φ Explore how Japan's most exquisite textiles are used in a variety of settings, from formal temples, shrines, ceremonies and more to simple daily use.
The Art of Fabric Tour Daily Itinerary
October 7
Depart Home
Depart for Japan on your individually arranged flight.
October 8
Arrive Tokyo Japan
Arrive Japan. We will give you advice on how to book your flights and transfer to the hotel in Tokyo from either Tokyo Narita or Haneda.
Your hotel in Tokyo for the next five nights is the Royal Park Ginza-6, located in the world famous Ginza area - with shopping and restaurants right outside the door.
The evening is free.
Accommodations: Royal Park Ginza 6
Meals included today: None
October 9
Tokyo
We’ll start our time in Tokyo at Meiji Shrine to learn about Shinto and experience kagura, a blessing ceremony of ancient, sacred music and dance. The use of textiles throughout the complex will be discussed. A short walk through Harajuku, a center of Japan’s renowned youth fashion and culture, is followed by a walking tour on nearby Omotesando to see contemporary architecture and trendy street life and take us to our first luncheon. After lunch, we are planning a visit to a relevant museum exhibition followed by a private presentation at Nuno Gallery, known for innovative textiles and clothing by renowned designer Reiko Sudo. This evening you are free to enjoy dinner on your own.
Accommodations: Royal Park Ginza-6
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch
October 10
Tokyo
We will spend the day with a Tokyo resident on an insider tour of Kuramae, a laid-back neighborhood steeped in history and brimming with creativity. Known for its rice granaries during the Edo Period, today, Kuramae is an emerging neighborhood of artists, designers, and creatives. Today we will have our welcome dinner.
Accommodations: Royal Park Ginza-6
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
October 11
Tokyo
Sunday is flea market day in Tokyo and we'll choose one of the best for our morning activity. This afternoon will be free time to take in some of the Tokyo's vast array of specialty stores, high-end designer shops and their world famous department stores. The evening is free.
Accommodations: Royal Park Ginza-6
Meal included today: Breakfast
October 12
Tokyo
Today we travel by coach to the base of Mt. Fuji, Kawaguchiko, for a visit to the Kubota Itchiku Art Museum. Kubota san expressed the changing faces of Mt. Fuji on kimono with his unique technique. This museum currently features over 40 different kimono as he worked to create the "Symphony of Light" to express the four seasons and the universe in a total of 80 pieces. The pieces were created using tsujigahana dyeing, a popular pattern dyeing method from the Muromachi period which he revinvented to create the clear, beautiful yest subtle colors shown in the museum pieces. The evening is free.
Accommodations: Royal Park Ginza-6
Meal included today: Breakfast, Lunch
October 13
Arimatsu/Kyoto
Today we depart by Shinkansen bullet train for Nagoya where we will board a coach for the rest of the touring day. Visit the small town of Arimatsu, a charming town in Japan, renowned for its rich heritage in shibori dyeing, a traditional method of fabric dyeing that involves intricate folding, twisting, and binding techniques. The town has played a pivotal role in preserving and promoting this art form, which dates back to the Edo period, making it a cultural treasure in the region. Artisans in Arimatsu have developed unique styles of shibori, creating stunning textiles that reflect both creativity and craftsmanship. Today, visitors can witness firsthand the meticulous process and the vibrant results of this exquisite dyeing technique. Continue on to our centrally located hotel in Kyoto. The Kyoto Hilton based their design theme on the textiles of Kyoto - with various interesting elements woven into the design of the hotel highlighting the rich history of textiles in Kyoto.
The evening is free.
Overnight: Hilton Kyoto
Meals included today: Breakfast and lunch
October 14
Kyoto
Start the day in Kyoto's Gion district with a presentation on antique textiles. After lunch, We will have a shirushizome experience at a dye workshop. Shirushizome is a paste resist process used to dye noren shop curtains, festival coats and other functional, commercial textiles. We will each make a banner in the same koi
fish design, choosing our own colors. Dinner is on your own this evening.
Overnight: Hilton Kyoto
Meals included today: Breakfast and lunch
October 15
Kyoto
We will travel northwest outside of Kyoto for about 90 minutes to the small rural town of Miyama. This delightful village of thatched roof houses is a wonderful place to stroll and visit with two local artisans. We will meet a delightful indigo dyer who will explain her own unique take on this art. Her husband will give us opportunity to learn something completely different as he explains about how the unique thatched roofs are made and preserved in this historic area. A visit to the Little Indigo Museum will give us a change to further learn about private museum opened by the master indigo dyer Hiroyuki Shindo. The first floor is his studio and you can see indigo dyepots. On the second floor, stunning collection of indigo dyed textiles around the world (Indonesia, Nigeria, China etc.) as well as old Japan (from Edo to Showa periods) are displayed which are all from Shindo sensei's 300 collections. After returning to Kyoto, the evening is free.
Overnight: Hilton Kyoto
Meals included today: Breakfast and lunch
October 16
Kyoto
Start the day with a visit to learn more about hikihaku. Hikihaku is a kind of decorative thread made by applying gold/silver foil or powder on the surface of Japanese washi paper to create designs, and then cutting the paper very finely to form the threads using in weaving fabrics. It has been used since ancient times as one of the base materials for nishijin-ori, traditional Japanese fabric. After a traditional Japanese lunch, we'll visit with one of Kyoto's more interesting weavers. The evening is free.
Overnight: Hilton Kyoto
Meals included today: Breakfast and lunch
October 17
Kyoto
Today we have allowed for free day in Kyoto for you to explore on your own. We'll provide you with our custom textiles shopping map with inside information into fabrics, dyeing, weaving, yarns, and more. Early this evening we re-gather for a private event with a geisha with free time afterwards for dinner.
Overnight: Hilton Kyoto
Meals included today: Breakfast
October 18
Kyoto
We will join a special guest for an in-depth introduction to kimono culture in Kyoto and the directions local designers are taking to keep the tradition alive. After lunch, we will be welcomed on a repeat visit to one of Esprit’s most favored yuzen artists who will discuss how his work is continually being reinterpreted as he ages and continues to learn and grow while responding to environmental and cultural changes. This evening we will gather again for our final dinner to share stories.
Overnight: Hilton Kyoto
Meals included today: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
October 19
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.
Note: If you would like to attend the Toji Temple Flea Market on October 21 (Kyoto’s largest!) you should depart at least two days later to the US. We can book a post-tour hotel nights for you with sufficient notice.
Meal included today: Breakfast.
Notes
Fitness: The best way to discover Japan is on foot. Please be prepared to walk about 2-3 miles 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 but cannot be guaranteed.
Pricing
Price: $9,950 - all single rooms
Registration opens January 15, 2026. Send an email to info@esprittravel.com to request registration information. Payment of a $1000 deposit will complete your registration and hold your place on the tour. The balance will be due 90 days prior to the start of the tour.
Tour price based on a group of 14 and includes the following:
- Eleven nights at tour hotels in single accommodations:
- Royal Park Ginza 6
- Hilton Kyoto
- Daily breakfast and other meals as indicated.
- Informative commentary by an Esprit tour leader who is fluent in Japanese, using our unique radio headset system
- Tour activities including any workshops and special events
- Daily touring, including admissions and local transportation.
- Guide Tipping
Please let us know if you prefer to share a room and we can provide a discount if you are traveling as a couple.
Group size is limited to 14.
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Not included:
· International flights. We will provide information for booking your flights when the tour is confirmed.
· Airport transfers. There are several different ways to reach the cities from different airports and at different costs. We will provide information so that you may make the best selection for your travel plans.
· Drinks at group meals are not included.
*The tour price may be adjusted at the time of final payment for exchange rate fluctuation and for a group that is smaller than 14.
For registration information and Terms and Conditions email info@esprittravel.com.
Note: Actual visits and events will be finalized approximately 30 days prior to departure to allow for the inclusion of special exhibitions, visits and events, and are dependent on the schedules of our Japanese colleagues. A final itinerary will be sent to you about two weeks prior to tour departure. The itinerary is subject to change at any time.
