During this unique tour, you will meet artisans that live and work in the historic Nishijin textile district. These craftsmen and craftswomen still use the traditional, time-honored Nishijin weaving techniques. You will learn about these weaving techniques and traditions.
Artisans perform more than 20 steps to complete a Nishijin weaving. A person skilled in performing a single task completes each step. The many stages of production require designers, planners and weavers, thread dyers and many others. Hand looms as well as power looms are employed in the manufacturing process.
Accompanied by an experienced tour guide, you will visit various studios and observe how each process is completed. You will listen to the craftspeople and hear about their skill and how it fits into the entire weaving and kimono-making process.
The Kyoto Kimono Walking Tour is an experience of a lifetime!
The tour operator in a deluxe taxi will pick you up at your hotel, hostel or train station and guide you to three stops along the tour. Typically, you will see the Obiya, or management office, the stainer’s factory and the weaver’s factory. You will be able to talk to the craftspeople to ask about their processes. After the tour, your guide will return you to your place of pick up.
Itinerary
9:00am Your taxi will pick you up at your Kyoto hotel or train station
9:20am Arrival at Nishijin
9:25am A short walk to the Obiya, or management office
10:10am Walk to the staining factory
10:20am Tour the staining factory
11:00am Walk to the weaving factory
11:05am Tour the weaving facility
11:40am Your taxi will return you to your Kyoto hotel or train station
• Note that the order above is subject to change
Price
| 9 people | 8 people | 7 people | 6 people | |
| Price per person | ￥9,200 | ￥9,700 | ￥10,200 | ￥11,000 |
| 5 people | 4 people | 3 people | 2 people | |
| Price per person | ￥12,000 | ￥13,700 | ￥16,500 | ￥21,900 |
Tour price includes:
Taxi fare, parking fee and experience fee
A qualified tour operator will accompany you during your tour.
①Kyoto Kimono Walking Tour – Meet Kimono Craftspeople in the Historic Nishijin Textile District
Please contact us if you have questions.
The state of the tour
（You can see the same work,but the stop-by factory may change.）
We pick you up at hotel or station by taxi.
After explaining the simple course, head for Nishijin and depart.
After arriving Nishijin, we get off the car and walk.
You are departed with the guide with a story of Nishijin and Nishijin weave.
Everyone’s exciting!
Obiya(management place) description and look at inspection work
In the room there are colorful silk threads stacked on the shelf,
In the opposite direction the band is stacked casually halfway.
While asking the table to spread out the design and the kimono-band made from it,
They explained the explanation of each process that you have seen so far and the inspection work etc. here.
Loupe will check if there are small dust and threads in it.
Everybody say “Wow, cute!” “Beautiful!” in a pretty kimono-belt pattern.
This tour is not for sale purpose, so basically they just show and explain,
But for those who absolutely want that, they will sell it wholesale price maybe.
staining factory
While walking for a few minutes with listening to the description of the town,
we arrive at the staining factory where steam is blowing up with the sound.
We enter the factory in the back, and explained about the kneading process and dyeing process.
A skilled craftsman confirms the dyed color with visual inspection one by one.
We felt peeked at the techniques of craftsmen.
Midsummer is getting really hot and humid.
weaver factory
Next when you come in front of the studio you can hear sound “Gashan, Gashan”.
Here is a weaving factory.
From the small entrance of Machiya, there is a big opportunity beyond imagination placed behind the house.
Yarns and tools are placed in narrow places in factories that are not wide.
It was said that the threads of 100 colors or more were managed at all times.
As many as 2,000 yarns pass through the weaving machine, with warp yarns alone.
We were impressed by the way weaving it in various patterns!
This place was working as an elderly couple and I was able to tell you various things other than Nishijin’s process.
It is half a day tour of about 3 and a half hours, but I was able to feel the Nishijin weave and Nishijini townscape while enjoying plenty.
About application
・After receiving your application, it may take 1 or 2 days to contact the reservation to inquire as to whether you can experience each workshop.
About cancel Policy
If you cancel a tour, a cancellation fee may be assessed according to the following terms:
3 days before the scheduled tour start 10%
2 days before the scheduled tour start 20%
1 day before the scheduled tour start 30%
on the day of the scheduled tour start 100%
Application
①Kyoto Kimono Walking Tour – Meet Kimono Craftspeople in the Historic Nishijin Textile District
Please contact us if you have questions.
Tour Information
1. Tour operator: Manten
Address: 18 Murasakino-nishifujinomori-cho Kita-ku,Kyoto, Kyoto 603-8224
2. Manten is a member of the All Nippon Travel Agent Association (Number 2-525)
3. If the minimum number of tour participants (1) is not met 14 days prior to the scheduled date, the tour is subject to cancellation.
4. If the tour is cancelled, customers will be notified either by their travel agent or Manten.
5. The itinerary shown is final.
