11 Days Quilt Festival Tour (Closed)

Welcome to Japan! We will have transportation services to take you to your hotel. Please refer to your tour handbook for more information.
Rest at the hotel and be ready to start your exciting tour tomorrow.

**INFORMATION**
From Narita Airport to downtown hotel in Tokyo - about 90 mins(Bus)
From Haneda Airport to downtown hotel in Tokyo - about 30 mins(Bus)

Let the festivity begin! We are going to have a welcome tea party to meet & greet. It gives us chance to meet other fellow quilters from all over the world to build friendship of a lifetime.

We enjoy the 20th Tokyo International Quilt Festival for the day.

For those who are looking to leave early, we have an free afternoon optional tour to the Omotesando area including Aoyama flower market for some shopping and sightseeing.

Back to the hotel / Dinner on your own.

Today, we'll show you what traditional Tokyo has to offer. Just relax in a motor coach, and we will take you around the city.

We will visit Sensoji temple, also known as Asakusa Kannon Temple, the oldest and most popular Japanese temple in Tokyo.

Then, we will explore the Tsukiji outer market. It is always fun to taste mouthwatering local foods in an open market. You can also find chef knives, dried goods, and other kitchen supplies. Here, you will have time to enjoy lunch of your choice as well.

Next stop is Ozu Washi, Founded in 1653, Ozu Washi carries traditional Japanese Paper (Washi). We will learn the process of making washi paper and see a beautiful array of washi there.

We will finish our day shopping at the famouse Nippori Textile Town. You can find stores like Tomato, Mihama and so many more. This district is lined with numerous fabric shops, selling a wide assortment of beautiful fabrics often at discounted, affordable prices.

Enjoy 20th Tokyo International Quilt Festival for the day.

For those of you who want to explore the city of Tokyo, we offer free optional tours in the morning and afternoon. (entrance fee & public transportation fee are not included)

Morning free Optional Tour: Kiyosumi garden is representative of a beautiful traditional Japanese garden. Fukagawa Edo museum is a hands on museum which shows you what life was like in Edo, or what we know as Tokyo.

Afternoon Free Optional Tour: Yuzawaya craft shop in Kichijoji. Yuzawaya is one of the famouse craft chain stores in Japan. You can find wide variety of Japanese craft supplies in a residential neighborhood of Kichijoji.

Back to a hotel / Dinner on your own.

We will explore some of Japan's most astonishing fabric related museums in the suburbs of Tokyo today.

Our day begins with a trip to the Sashikokan in Hinohara Village, located in the western part of Tokyo. Home to Sashiko artist Akie Ginza's exhibition of Sashiko art, this quaint museum housed in a 200-year-old farm house showcases the Little Stabs style of sashiko stitch art.

Before making our way to the next destination, we will stop for Hoto, a Japanese noodle dish native to the Yamanashi area. Hoto is a noodle soup filled with lots of local fresh vegetable, like daikon and kabocha, with miso based flavor and is a comfort food especially during the winter.

Then we will visit the Itchiku Kubota Art Museum. With western buildings built in a serene Japanese garden over looking Mt. Fuji, you will surely find this site a magical place. Itchiku Kubota was a textile artist who devoted his life to recreating the forgotten 15th century Tsujigahana fabric tie dye technique. Many of his works are on display at this museum. Browse through the extensive collection of Kimonos decorated in this traditional Japanese art.

Today, we say farewell to Tokyo. We will travel like a local and take a bullet train to Nagoya.

Upon an arrival to Nagoya, we will have a course lunch in a garden restaurant at the Woods of Noritake China. Noritake is one of the leading porcelain/ chinaware makers in Japan. Here, both your eyes and mouth will be entertained by beautiful dishes.

After lunch, we have time to explore the porcelain museum and shop where you can learn the process of making porcelain and purchase some of your own.

Then we will proceed to Arimatsu Cotton Shibori museum. Here, you can meet and see Shibori artists at work. You will be amazed to see how tedious the process is and how much patience the artists possess.

After sundown, we will take you to see one of the best illumination displays in Japan. The illumination display in Nabana Garden is nothing like what you may have ever seen. From an illumination tunnel to a Mt. Fuji illumination show, you will surely be enchanted for the entire evening.

After a fun filled exciting day, you can enjoy a buffet dinner at your hotel and relax in a Japanese hot spring bath.

We are headed to Kyoto, Japan's old capital and the birthplace of kimono fabric.

Here, we will take you to the most amazing places that produce and restore Japanese traditional crafts.

The Kyoto Shishu Restoration Studio is dedicated to repairing embroidery and traditional Japanese cloth pieces.. The embroidery that comes through the doors are sometimes 100, 200, and even up to 300 years old. Therefore, the Kyoto Embroidery Restoration Studio employs only skilled embroidery specialists to restore the works in order to bring them back to life. We will get to see the artists in action and ask questions while taking a tour of the site.

We will then visit Nishiki Market, Kyoto's popular marketplace filled with fresh flavors and culinary treats. Often called Kyoto's Kitchen, Nishiki Market is located in an arcade shopping area which hosts popular craft stores like Nomura Tailor, Misuya Needles, and SouSou. Nomura Tailor carries dazzling fabrics and materials perfect for your crafts when you get back home. Be sure to sample the selection of Misuya Needles. These special needles are of high-quality and produced in the Matusbara district of Kyoto. Known for their strength, flexibility, and quality, these are a must for any sewing fan. SouSou offers several stores that each specialize in different themes. Some have fabrics and Tenugui towels, Japanese traditional kitchen clothes, while others sell socks and small gift items.

It's time to get crafty! Our first workshop is a Japanese family crest printing. You can choose a family crest/birthday crest from among 5000 designs.

We will take a special day trip to a forest in Kyoto called Kameoka where traditional artisans live and make products just like an olden days. Our ancient cultures have flourished with harmony in nature. Surrounded by the trees and water, let's relax, and rejuvenate ourselves.

Azuki beans are used to traditional Japanese sweets. They are locally grown here. We will learn to make this beatuful Japanese sweets called Nerikiri, using traditonal tecnique. Continuing on, we will learn how to make Japanese sweets called Nerikiri using traditional techniques. Nerikiri is made with azuki beans that are locally grown in the region.

Our next workshop will have us learning Japanese Indigo dying. We will make our own tie dye designs on a cotton handkerchief.

People in Kyoto have been living harmony with bamboo, using it as an essential resource all the while making sure the plants are cared for. At Nagaoka Meichiku, you will be able to see how artists create both traditional and modern products using locally grown bamboo.

In the afternoon, we will visit a braid cord studio where you will get to see amazing, detailed techniques passed down for centuries to make colorful braided cords.

Have you wonder how Velvet is made? We will visit a studio which specializes in making Velvet using 100 silk threads. The artists still hand make the velvet using a technique from over 500 years ago.

We will enjoy a spirited rickshaw ride through Arashiyama, the Bamboo Groove Forest. You will be welcomed by friendly smiles of Rickshaw drivers who are both entertaining and very knowlegable. They will also take you amasing picures in the Bamboo forest that you want to show all your friends back home. You have time to enjoy visiting many traditional-style shops and grab some food for lunch after the rickshaw ride.

We will head to the Golden Pavilion, or Kinkakuji Temple, a must see Kyoto attraction where the two upper floors are covered in gold leaf. The reflection of the golden temple on the pond adds to the stunning sight.

We will head to the Kyoto Shibori Workshop & Museum, where the talented and enthusiastic experts will guide you through making your very own, original shibori using wooden blocks. You can even take your work of art home for a perfect souvenir to remember the unique experience. The museum also has a great collection of shibori for you to gain inspiration from while you work, or to give you ideas for your next project after your vacation ends.

We have planned a special farewell dinner to commemorate your vacation with your tour guide and group. During the group tour's dinner, enjoy an authentic Maiko (apprentice Geisha) performance while dining in Kyoto. Enjoy the last group dinner together with your tour group and share your favorite memories with your guide of your experiences travelling Japan!

We will take a bullet train to go back to Tokyo to join Yoko Saito for a quilt workshop!

Considered one of the world's top quilters, Yoko Saito revolutionized Japanese quilting with her bold use of exquisite designs and brilliant blend of taupe color in her artwork. Meet Yoko Saito! She is down-to-earth, friendly and an extraordinary quilter. We are delighted to offer an opportunity to participate in Yoko Saito's workshop just for our quilt tour. There will surely be something for everyone to enjoy during Yoko Saito's electrifying quilt workshop.

Your pleasant and memorable Japan tour ends today. Your quilt tour will disband after breakfast. Fly home with cherished memories or enjoy an extended stay vacation in Japan.