Selvedge Textile Tour of Japan, Dates TBC

Total price per person is £12,000 including domestic Japan flights, accommodation, museum entry, expert guide for the full trip, local guides, local transport and meals. This total cost is excluding international flights, insurance and visas. Subject to changes. 

Tour Overview

Join Selvedge for an exploration of the beauty and textile culture of Japan, travelling through ultramodern cities, historic towns and tranquil islands, where ancient traditions and cutting-edge contemporary culture are harmoniously blended. From the hustle and bustle of Tokyo to the older, quieter traditional city of Kyoto, join us to explore private textile collections, antique and contemporary textile shops, indigo studios and denim workshops.

Expert Guide 

Your guide for this trip will be world-renowned textile scholar, artist, and curator, Yoshiko Wada. As your expert guide, she will lead you on a journey that goes beyond the surface of the tourist experience. You will enjoy walking tours with local experts, hands-on workshops with artisans, intimate dinners with friends, and visits to the studios of designers and artisans. 

Luxury Accommodation  

During your journey, you will rest your head in a mix of traditional Japanese Inns and Western hotels, including Tokyo’s renowned I-House, a modernist building set in classical Japanese gardens.

Timeless Traditions 

Under Yoshiko’s guidance, rather than taking home only material treasures, you will also leave Japan with a wealth of knowledge. At a temple we sample the food that monks enjoy, in hidden lanes, we will find antique ikebana baskets, and markets where beautiful vintage kimonos can be found.

Art and Architecture 

Taking in the very best of Japan’s art scene, the tour includes everything from the Hara Museum of Contemporary Art  - one of the first museums in Japan to specialise in contemporary art - to the isolated beauty of Naoshima Island, in Japan’s Seto Inland Sea. It’s known for its art museums. Built into the hillside, Chichu Art Museum, designed by Tadao Ando, has paintings from Monet's “Water Lilies” series. Benesse House Museum shows contemporary sculpture and installations. One of Yayoi Kusama’s iconic pumpkin sculptures stands by Miyanoura Port. On the east coast, the Art House Project is a collection of architectural art pieces.

Natural and Cultural Beauty

Journeying by plane, boat and bullet train we criss-cross Japan to seek out the finest folk textile museums, enduring textile traditions, and enchanting natural beauty. Yoshiko Wada will lead you through her favourite shops, as well as stunning temples, traditional gardens, and introduce you to the finest Japanese cuisine. 

For more information please email Catherine Harris (events@selvedge.org).

Payment terms 20% (£2,400 deposit) final payment 80% (£9600 by date TBC). Please arrange to pay by BACS transfer.