[Tokamachi, Niigata] Original Textiles: Handwoven Scarves/Placemats in the Kimono Town

This experience involves using a loom to create original placemats and scarves. [Tokamachi, the "Kimono Town"] Weaving has been a thriving industry in Tokamachi since ancient times, and it remains famous today as a producer of high-quality textiles. In the past, weaving was a part of local life, with women gathering together to spin thread and weave, especially during the snowy winter months. [What you'll get out of this experience] Experience weaving in Tokamachi under the guidance of weavers. In this experience, you'll use an easy-to-use hand loom to weave fabrics, using thin threads for the warp and thinly torn cloth for the weft. Choose your favorite from the colorful threads provided and design your own color scheme. Why not create an original piece of fabric as a memento of your trip?

This is an experience where you can use a loom to make your own original scarf or placemat (luncheon mat). Tokamachi has had a long history of weaving, and to this day it is famous as a producer of high-quality textiles. In the past, weaving was a part of the lives of local people, with women from the village gathering together to spin thread and weave, especially during the snowy winter months.

Twisting is a necessary process to make strong thread by twisting the thread. The thread unraveled from the cocoon is very thin and cannot be used as thread as it is, but by twisting several strands together in a bundle, it is possible to make a usable thread. Tokamachi is a kimono town with a long history of using thread, and the workspace used for the experience is a corner of a stylish workshop attached to a thread twisting factory. This experience will also be an opportunity to experience the little-known "culture of thread."

In Tokamachi, you can try your hand at weaving under the guidance of weavers. For this experience, you will use an easy-to-use hand loom, with thin warp threads and slightly thicker silk threads for the weft. Choose your favorite thread from the colorful threads provided and design your own color scheme. On the half-day course, you will make one placemat (lunch mat), and on the full-day course, you will make a scarf. Why not create an original piece of textile to remember your trip?