Summer Vacation

Kawashima Textile School will be closed for Summer Vacation from August 9 to August 17, and the teachers' office (where we answer inquiries in English) from July 26 to August 21. We will respond to your emails after August 22. We apologize for the inconvenience, and thank you for your cooperation.

The International Students Course for Spring 2025 Has Ended

The International Students Course for Spring 2025 has ended successfully. In the spring semester, we welcomed seven students from France, Germany, Norway, the United States, and Mexico.

The students wove a sample piece and dishcloths in the Beginners Course, and a double (warp and weft) Kasuri sample, cushion cover, and shifted warp kasuri cloths in the Foundation Kasuri Course under the guidance of instructor Emma Omote, and all completed the course(s). The final day ended in smiles, and the students shared the following impressions. “It’s cool to be a part of the International class, meeting people from different cultures, and we are all navigating living here, and having experiences together has been pretty cool.” “I knew nothing (about weaving) when coming to the school, but learning everything was easy, broken down into steps to follow. The teacher was patient, and everyone was helpful. I learned so much.” “I love to be able to watch what the 1st and 2nd years (students in the professional course) are doing, and see their progression.” Some of the students who took the Foundation Kasuri Course this time will be coming back to the school in the fall semester, to continue on to the Applied Kasuri Course. One of the students shared the following thought. “I had a good time. It’s a good thing that you would want to come back. I’m looking forward to coming back this autumn.”

Applications OPEN: International Students Course Autumn 2025

Fragment
Freja Hallin (Sweden)

Applications are now open until 9AM (JST) May 8, 2025 for the International Students Course in Autumn 2025. Please see here for more information.

Foundation Kasuri Course: Oct. 1-22
Applied Kasuri Course: Oct. 27-Dec. 2

A Thank You and About Spring Vacation

The 2024 school year Graduate Exhibition (Mar. 5-9) has ended. Thank you to everyone who was able to visit. You can see photos of the exhibition on our instagram and facebook pages.

Kawashima Textile School will be closed for Spring Vacation from March 20 to March 23, and the teachers' office (where we answer inquiries in English) from March 15 to March 31. We will respond to your emails after April 1. We apologize for the inconvenience, and thank you for your cooperation.

Shifu Weaving Workshop (Jun. 30-Jul. 4, 2025)

We will begin accepting applications for the Shifu Weaving workshop (Jun. 30-Jul.4.) starting 10AM (JST) Feb. 6, 2025. Seats will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Prerequisite skills for the course are weaving, warping, and experience setting up a floor loom.

Necessary information if you would like to prepare in advance:
-An emergency contact person (address, phone number, email)
-ID photo (A 3.5cm x 4.5cm, color, JPEG file under 400 KB. The background should be white or light-colored. You must be facing forward, without a hat/cap, or sunglasses.)
-Please read our “Information about Meals” and “Terms and Conditions” prior to applying.

If you have any questions, please use the contact form. We look forward to meeting you!

Winter Vacation

Kawashima Textile School will be closed for Winter Vacation from Dec. 25 to Jan. 5, and the teachers' office (where we answer inquiries in English) from Dec. 21 to Jan. 7. We will respond to your emails after Jan. 8. We apologize for the inconvenience, and thank you for your cooperation.

The International Students Course for 2024 Has Ended & Applications for Spring 2025 Open Until Dec. 12

Kawashima Textile School is a place where students who wish to learn weaving gather from around the world. The International Students Courses, offered every year in spring and autumn, are very popular, as schools with specialized Japanese weaving courses in English are rare. The content was a combination of the Beginners Course, Foundation Kasuri Course, and Applied Kasuri Course, which attracted highly motivated international students in 2024 as well. In the spring semester, we welcomed a total of nine students from Indonesia, Italy, France, Finland, the UK, the US, and Australia, and in the autumn semester, a total of seven students from Belgium, Sweden, New Zealand, Australia, and the US. In the Applied Kasuri Course held in autumn, students created their original artwork incorporating skills learnt in the Foundation Kasuri Course. Some students work as textile designers, and one said that her style expanded through creating her own artwork during the course, and that the designs were born from studying Kasuri in Japan. The artwork created by these international students will be shown at the graduation exhibition in March next year.

One of the features of the school is that graduates can return to study again. This autumn, we welcomed back a student who took the Applied Kasuri Course after completing the Foundation Kasuri course the previous year, and another who re-took the Applied Kasuri course to build on their Kasuri learning and create new pieces, after completing the Foundation Kasuri and Applied Kasuri courses in 2019. "I like how I can focus on my work, since it's well-equipped and quiet, away from the busyness of the city. I hope to come back again." Other students also commented, "The school had the right tools and facilities to do detailed work," and "It was an honor to be able to study here."

Following on from last year, a student from our partner school in Sweden, HV Skola, introduced their school to students in the Professional Course. The Japanese students and international students exchanged information and knowledge with each other, resulting in encounters and inspiration through weaving.

*Applications for the International Students Course in Spring 2025 are open until 9AM(JST) Dec. 12.


(Blog series) About the School: Internationality

Applications OPEN: International Students Course Spring 2025

Sample from the Foundation Kasuri Course
Anneke De hert (Belgium)

Applications are now open until 9AM (JST) Dec. 12, 2024 for the International Students Course in Spring 2025. Please see here for more information.

This time, we are also holding a 5-day Shifu (paper yarn) workshop after the Foundation Kasuri Course. For now, it will only be open to those enrolled in the International Students Course. Any remaining seats will be available to others in mid-January 2025.

Beginners Course: May 21-Jun. 3
Foundation Kasuri Course: Jun. 6-26
Shifu Workshop: Jun. 30-Jul.4

Summer Vacation

Kawashima Textile School will be closed for Summer Vacation from August 9 to 18, and the teachers' office (where we answer inquiries in English) from July 27 to August 19. We will respond to your emails after August 20. We apologize for the inconvenience, and thank you for your cooperation.

Applications OPEN: International Students Course Autumn 2024

Zen
Rebecka Lundborg (Sweden)

Applications are now open until 9AM (JST) May 7. Please see here for more information.

Spring Vacation

The 2023 school year Graduate Exhibition (Feb. 28-Mar. 3) has ended. Thank you to everyone who was able to visit. You can see photos of the exhibition on our instagram and facebook pages. Kawashima Textile School will be closed for Spring Vacation from March 28 to March 31, and the teachers' office (where we answer inquiries in English) from March 15 to March 31. We will respond to your emails after April 1. We apologize for the inconvenience, and thank you for your cooperation.

Graduate Exhibition 2023

Kawashima Textile School Graduate Exhibition
2024.2.28 (Wed.) -3.3 (Sun.)　10:00 - 17:00 Admission Free
Annex of Kyoto Municipal Museum of Art (Kyoto-shi Bijutsukan BEKKAN)
Google Maps

Please check our website for updates.

Winter Vacation

Kawashima Textile School will be closed for Winter Vacation from December 26 to January 4, and the teachers' office (where we answer inquiries in English) from December 23 to January 9. We will respond to your emails after January 11. We apologize for the inconvenience, and thank you for your cooperation.

International Students Course Spring 2024

Warp shifting Kasuri sample (Foundation Kasuri Course)

Applications are open for the International Students Course in Spring 2024 until 9AM (JST) Nov. 29. The Foundation Kasuri Course is now 15 days long, and will include the basics of warp shifting Kasuri. Please see here for more information.

Summer Vacation

Kawashima Textile School will be closed for Summer Vacation from August 8 to 16, and the teachers' office (where we answer inquiries in English) from July 29 to August 20. We will respond to your emails after August 21. We apologize for the inconvenience, and thank you for your cooperation.

Rules After Reclassification of COVID-19 to Class 5 Starting May 8

updated July 18, 2023:

-Students and Workshop Participants
Wearing a mask is not required, and the decision is up to the individual. However, we may ask you to wear a mask during explanations/demonstrations and conversations in shared indoor spaces. We will continue to thoroughly implement measures against infectious diseases, such as ensuring adequate ventilation, promoting hand disinfection, and cleaning the classrooms.

-Staff Members
The decision of wearing a mask is up to the individual.

We will end physical condition checks such as temperature checks, but if you feel unwell, such as having a sore throat or fever, please inform the office as soon as possible. We will continue to take appropriate measures while checking additional government measures that will be announced in the future.

---

updated May 9, 2023:

Due to [the abolition of the “Basic Policies for Novel Coronavirus Disease Control” on May 7, 2023] indicated by the government, we will be redefining the rules for students, workshop participants, and staff as follows.

-Students and Workshop Participants
Due to COVID-19 being reclassified to a Class 5 infectious disease on May 8, 2023, wearing a mask will be a personal choice. However, we ask that you wear a mask during explanations/demonstrations and conversations in shared indoor spaces. We will continue to thoroughly implement measures against infectious diseases, such as ensuring adequate ventilation, promoting hand disinfection, and cleaning the classrooms.

-Staff Members
Even after the reclassification to Class 5, for the time being, we will make it mandatory to wear a mask in shared indoor spaces during business hours.

For the time being, we will continue to carry out physical condition checks, such as temperature checks. We will continue to take appropriate measures while checking additional government measures that will be announced in the future.

International Students Course Autumn 2023

One perfect -silent- walk in Kyoto

Maria Isabel Guzmán (Colombia)

Applications are now open for the International Students Course in Autumn, and will close at 9:00 (JST) May 15. Please see here for more information.

Spring Vacation

The 2022 school year Graduate Exhibition (March 1-5) has ended. Thank you to everyone who was able to visit. You can see photos of the exhibition on our instagram and facebook pages. Kawashima Textile School will be closed for Spring Vacation from March 24 to March 28 and the teachers' office (where we answer inquiries in English) from March 17 to March 31. We will respond to your emails after April 1. We apologize for the inconvenience, and thank you for your cooperation.

Graduate Exhibition 2022

Kawashima Textile School Graduate Exhibition
2023.3.1 (Wed.) -5 (Sun.)　10:00 - 17:00 Admission Free
Annex of Kyoto Municipal Museum of Art (Kyoto-shi Bijutsukan BEKKAN)
Google Maps

*Before visiting, please check our measures to prevent the infection or spread of Coronavirus, and requests to visitors below.

*Please note that depending on the situation, dates are subject to further change. For more information and updates, please check our website.

---

Measures to Prevent the Infection or Spread of Coronavirus

We will be taking the following measures to prevent the infection or spread of Coronavirus. We kindly ask for your understanding and cooperation.

Requests to Visitors
*Please wear a mask.
*Visitors’ body temperatures will be checked upon entry through thermography and/or thermometers (by Kyoto City). Those who have a fever over 37.5 cannot enter.
*Please wash and sanitize your hands.
*Please refrain from visiting If you have any of the following symptoms:
　-Cold symptoms
　-Strong fatigue
　-Difficulty of breathing
　-You have travelled to a region or country where COVID-19 is spreading, in the past 14 days.
*Please keep a distance of 2m from other visitors/staff.
*Please do not touch the artwork.
*Please refrain from having loud conversations.

Our Measures
*Staff will wear masks and check their temperatures.
*Hand sanitizer is provided upon entry.
*Handrails, coin lockers, etc. will be sanitized.
*There is a possibility that we will limit the number of visitors to prevent overcrowding.

Masaru Hori-Sensei Retirement Announcement

Skilled dyeing expert Masaru Hori-sensei will be retiring at the end of the 2022 school year (March 2023). After working for 42 years in the dyeing department of Kawashima Textile Co., Ltd. (currently Kawashima Textile Selkon Co., Ltd.), Hori-sensei has been in charge of dyeing classes as a full-time instructor at the school for over 25 years, and has devoted himself to teaching, with his high level of expertise and gentle personality.

A message from Hori-sensei:

---

Recently, I have started to feel that my strength is declining, and although I am filled with loneliness, I have decided to retire in March.

During my 25-plus years at the school, I have had the opportunity to meet many people, and have countless memories. Thank you very much for everything (Thanks to all the dyes as well).

I wish you all the best in your future endeavors.

Masaru Hori (84)
Dye Room

---

Please read our interview and class reports, where we have shared Hori-sensei’s attitude towards dyeing and thoughts on teaching.

An Interview with Dyeing Teacher Masaru Hori 1/2/3 (Interviewed: Jul. 2020)

Hori-sensei's Dyeing Class (Covered/Interviewed: Apr. - Nov. 2021)
1　"If the data is non-reproducible, it is better not to have it at all."
2　"The starting point for Kanzome is matching the color perfectly.”
3　"Be careful not to tangle the thread. Haste is waste.”
4　”In natural dyeing, nothing is a mistake.”
5　”Remembering the vibrant color”
6　”I want students to come to like dyeing, and continue."

*If you have a message for Hori-sensei, please leave a comment here in the Japanese version of this post.