JAPANESE TEXTILE TRADITIONS

with Janice Gunner | 3 September 2019 | 13 nights

FROM

£5145

PER PERSON

The trip of a lifetime! Come and see the amazing textile delights of Japan together with visits to some iconic tourist attractions. Our brand-new itinerary includes visits to textile museums in and around Tokyo, to Arimatsu, a very special Shibori town, stunning Kyoto and Kinkakuji, the ancient and preserved village of Miyama, Tokushima famous for Aizome (indigo) production, Matsue and more. Included are visits to see the work and talk to award winning quilter Noriko Endo, Shibori master Mr Hirose Murase, The Little Indigo Museum and master indigo dyer Hiroyuki Shindo plus lots of workshops including one with a delightful quilt teacher and friend, Reiko Nakazawa. You will go home with amazing memories and experiences and hopefully fall in love with Japan like we have!

Kinkaku-ji Temple, Kyoto

Japanese Fabric

ITINERARYDAY 1Meet your expert for this tour, Janice Gunner, at London Heathrow airport for your fl ight to Tokyo.

DAY 2We’ll land in Tokyo in the morning and meet our local guide before transferring by coach to our hotel.

In the afternoon we’ll take a half day tour of Toyko, including our fi rst fabric shop (all 5 fl oors of it!)

DAY 3Today we’ll spend the full day in Toyko, seeing some iconic sites as well as exploring the traditional Japanese silk fabrics that are produced in the Tokyo area. Our crafty highlights will include a visit with award-winning quilter Noriko Endo and a spot of shopping at another of the city’s many craft stores.

DAY 4We start the day travelling on one of Japan’s famous bullet trains to Nagoya. We continue by coach to the villages of Arimatsu and Narumi, famous for the Shibori dyeing technique. Here we’ll visit the museum dedicated to the technique and learn more about it from a local expert.

Our second bullet train of the day takes us from Nagoya to Kyoto.

DAY 5This morning we’ll enjoy a sightseeing tour of Kyoto, including Kinkaku-ji, a Zen Buddhist temple and one of the most popular buildings in Japan.

In the afternoon we travel by coach to Miyama to visit The Little Indigo Museum, Hiroyuki Shindo’s collection of textiles.

DAY 6Today we’ll enjoy a full day tour of Kyoto including a visit to a Roketsu (wax-resist) dying studio where you can learn, hands-on, about one of Kyoto’s traditional textile dyeing methods. We’ll also take a workshop with local quilt teacher Reiko Nakazawa and experience a

traditional Japanese tea ceremony.

DAY 7Our target today is Tokushima, an area famous for growing indigo plants and dyeing. En route we’ll visit the Uzo-no-michi walkway to view the Naruto whirlpools.

Once in Tokushima we’ll visit a museum dedicated to the indigo trade and enjoy a performance of the traditional Awa-Odori dance, one of Japan’s most famous traditional dances.

DAY 8Our second day in Tokushima includes a visit to a local studio to learn about the indigo dyeing process and the opportunity to try your hand at washi (Japanese) papermaking.

DAY 9Today we’ll travel to Sakaide to visit a museum dedicated to the history of the rounded paper fans (Uchiwa) and you will also have the opportunity to make your own Uchiwa.

We then continue to Okayama where we’ll visit the castle and Korakuen, one of Japan’s top three landscaped gardens.

Kyoto

To book or for more information, please call us on 01473 660800 or visit www.stitchtopia.co.uk

Japanese Fabric

DAY 10This morning we’ll travel by coach to Yasugi where we’ll visit the Adachi Museum of Art and enjoy a Hirose-Kasuri dyeing workshop.

Tonight, we’ll stay in Tamatsukuri in a ryokan, a type of traditional Japanese inn that has existed since the 8th century. We’ll enjoy a Japanese dinner and an Onsen hot spring bath.

DAY 11Enjoy a full day tour of Izumo including the Folk Crafts Museum, the Taisha shrine, once of the most ancient and important Shinto shrines in Japan, the premises of an indigo dyeing specialist and the Ichibata temple. Fingers crossed the weather will be fi ne this evening, and we can enjoy sunset over Lake Shinji, the seventh largest lake in Japan.

DAY 12Today we’ll visit Shiomi Nawate Street and soak up the charm and character of old Japan from its white-washed samurai houses and other old residences. Our crafty indulgence is the Izumo Museum of Quilt Art, displaying the quilts of internationally reknown designer Mutsuko Yawatagaki. The fabrics used in her quilts come from antique and vintage kimonos, some as much as 200 years old. Later in the afternoon we’ll take an internal fl ight back to Tokyo.

DAY 13Our fi nal full day in Japan includes a visit to Akie Ginza Sashiko Museum & shop, dedicated to the works of modern Sashiko artist Akie Sakamoto and the Edo Isegatakami Museum to see Japan’s largest collection of Ise-katagami; the Japanese craft of making paper stencils for dyeing textiles.

DAY 14It’s time to say farewell to Japan as we depart the hotel and travel to the airport for our return fl ight.

Kinkaku-ji Temple, Kyoto

Kyoto Izumo-Taisha Shrine

To book or for more information, please call us on 01473 660800 or visit www.stitchtopia.co.uk

INCLUDED IN THE PRICE Return International fl ights Domestic fl ight between Izumo to Haneda

Travel by coach and bullet train, as described in the itinerary

12 nights’ hotel accommodation in good 3 star, or 4-star hotels with breakfast

Lunch on Day 6 and a Traditional Japanese dinner on Day 10

Direct luggage transfer on Day 4 Guided sightseeing as described in the itinerary

Direct luggage transfer on Day 4 Stitching workshop in the home of local quilt expert Ms Nakazawa with lunch and tea ceremony

Workshops in di� erent techniques of indigo dyeing

Entrances to museums and temples as detailed in the itinerary

Workshop on washi (Japanese) papermaking

Workshop on Japanese rounded paper fans (Uchiwa)

The company and expertise of Janice Gunner

Services of a local English-speaking guide throughout the tour

ACCOMMODATIONDuring your trip, you will be staying at the following carefully selected hotels:

Hotel Metropolitan Tokyo IkebukuroThe Hotel Metropolitan is located in the heart of the city and conveniently located adjacent to the Ikebukuro train and subway station.

New Miyako Hotel, KyotoA contemporary 4-star hotel with 998 rooms, the New Miyako Hotel is ideally located in the heart of the city close to Kyoto Station. Superior rooms in the main building feature designs inspired by the traditional Kyoto style.

Hotel Clement – TokushimaThe Hotel Clement is located within Tokushima station complex, adjacent to the shopping area. The 250 rooms come equipped with satellite TV, telephone, wifi , tea and co¢ ee making facilities, refrigerator, mini-bar, hairdryer and air conditioning. The hotel o¢ ers a number of eating and drinking options.

Hotel Granvia OkayamaLocated close to Okayama station, the Hotel Granvia o¢ ers comfortable rooms that are both well-designed and practical. Within the hotel you can fi nd free wifi , a number of eating and drinking options and the Granvia Resort Club with indoor pool, jacuzzi, sauna and gym.

Hotel GyokusenHotel Gyokusen is a traditional Japanese-style ryokan (inn). Each room comes with toiletries, wifi , TV, refrigerator, safe, kettle and hair dryer. Facilities include a hot spring bath, Japanese-style garden, lounge, a nightly folk-song event and two shops.

Excel Hotel Tokyu - MatsueRooms at the Excel Hotel Tokyu come with TV, telephone, tea and co¢ ee making facilities, refrigerator, hairdryer and toiletries.

Traditional Kimono

Souvenirs

PRICES (INC FLIGHTS & TRANSFERS)

Twin room: £5145 per person Single supplement: £725 Deposit: £400

Hotel Gyokusen

Hotel Granvia Okayama

New Miyako Hotel, Kyoto

Hotel Metropolitan Tokyo Ikebukuro

Kimono

To book or for more information, please call us on 01473 660800 or visit www.stitchtopia.co.uk

WHY BOOK A STITCHTOPIA HOLIDAY? Hand-picked expert will accompany

you throughout the tour

Experienced Tour Manager

Good quality accommodation, usually in 4 star hotels

Workshops included on most tours; with our own expert and with local experts where applicable

Exclusive ‘behind closed doors’ visits where possible

Small, intimate group sizes

Single guests welcomed and looked after

THE ‘STITCH TOGETHER’ PROGRAMMEFor single travellers who are interested in our trips, but don’t have a friend able to come with them why not join our ‘Stitch Together’ programme to help with the costs of a single occupancy room? We have designed a way for you to fi nd someone to share a room with on any of our Stitchtopia Holidays. Please call us for more information.

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NON-CRAFTERSWhy not bring a non-crafting partner with you? If a non-crafting family member or friend wishes to accompany you on any of our holidays, and is sharing a room with you, then a reduction will apply to the price the non-crafter pays. Please call us for more information.

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MEET US THEREStitchtopia Holidays are designed with all crafters in mind, wherever you live in the world! If you would like to make your own fl ight arrangements and meet us at our fi rst hotel, please let us know – we would love to tell you more about our ‘meet us there’ holiday discounts.

Kimono Design

Arena Travel, Explorer House, 2 Betts Avenue, Martlesham Heath, Ipswich, Su¢ olk, IP5 3RHPlease see our website for our terms and conditions

To book or for more information, please call us on

01473 660800 or visit www.stitchtopia.co.uk

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