Cancellation of the Autumn Courses in 2026

We regret to announce that the International Students Course will not be held this autumn, as we are unable to provide adequate support due to a shortage of English-speaking staff.

Applications OPEN: International Students Course Spring 2026

Applications are now open until 9AM (JST) Jan. 8, 2026 for the International Students Course in Spring 2026. Please see here for more information.

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

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

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

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.

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.

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.

Second Deadline for Spring Courses in 2023

We are accepting additional applications for the Beginners Course and Foundation Kasuri Course next spring:

Beginners Course
May 24 - June 6
Foundation Kasuri Course
June 12- June 23

Application Deadline
9AM (JST) Jan. 30 (Mon.) / Notification date: Feb. 3 (Fri.)

More information about the course and application procedure can be found here. Please use our contact form if you have any questions.

International Students Course 2023

We are delighted to announce that the International Students Course will resume in 2023. Please see here for more information.

Applications are now open for the Spring Courses, and will close on Dec. 19.

Thank you so much for waiting!

About the School: Internationality 10 | Interviews with Graduates

-Nurturing the lessons of weaving through making, and life -    Flora Waycott

KTS had opened its doors internationally since the very beginning, and the reputation as being a school in Kyoto where one can acquire reliable handweaving skills spread gradually by word of mouth from the participants. The final part of our Internationality series is an interview with Flora Waycott, who taught Prang, who we introduced in our previous article. Flora studied at KTS as an exchange student, worked as a textile designer in London, taught textiles in a university in New Zealand, and is now active as an artist and illustrator based in Australia.

"In my home studio in Australia."

Flora Waycott (English / Japanese)
Artist / Illustrator
Currently living in Australia
Courses: Tailored Course* (May to August 2003)
*The Tailored Course was a course offered to international students until 2009, arranged according to indivudual requirements. Since then we have shifted to ready-made courses.

-Could you tell us why you chose to study at KTS?

I was on an exchange program from my university in the UK Winchester School of Art for the third term of my second year. The teachers at KTS helped me to tailor my own weaving schedule for the few months I studied at the school. I took a 3 day dye course with Hori-sensei and learned how to dye skeins of silk yarn using synthetic and natural dyes. I then wove about 6 metres of a 'tanmono' length, using silk yarn I had dyed during the dye class. After this I wanted to learn the kasuri technique, so my tutor Sakurai-sensei helped me to create a length of cloth around 3 metres long with motifs of swallows scattered horizontally throughout. For this cloth, I naturally dyed my silk using 'akane' - the madder root. I also joined the first year students in their spinning class with Nakajima-sensei and spun my own wool.

-Could you tell us why you recommended KTS to your student, when you taught textile at Massey University in New Zealand?

I knew that my students who showed a keen interest in weaving would gain new perspectives at KTS and enjoy the creative processes which are so unique to Japan. My student Prang was always attentive and committed - a bright spark in my classes and very keen to develop her knowledge of weaving after graduating from university. I knew that going to Kyoto and studying at KTS would be a wonderful experience for her; not only would she learn to further her studies in weaving, but she would be living in a beautiful part of the world with endless inspiration. I was very happy to hear that she had taken the course and I hoped that she would make as many wonderful memories as I did.

Flora at KTS in 2003. "After dyeing skeins of silk with the madder root, I made a length of cloth scattered with swallows using the kasuri technique, taught to me by my tutor, Sakurai-sensei." 

-What do you remember most about your time studying at KTS?

My time at Kawashima Textile School left a deep impression on me and is an experience which I treasure and look back on fondly. I grew up in Japan as a child but I had never been to Kyoto, so to live there and to immerse myself in such a creative environment was a dream come true. Weaving is a slow and purposeful practice, and to see the care and attention the students gave to their work was very inspiring. We dyed our own yarn, even spinning it ourselves on occasion, before we even touched the loom...to have this control over the entire process of my weaving made the end result so much more rewarding. The school has an intimate environment; we all got to know each others' projects and I enjoyed watching everyone else's weaving grow and grow on their looms as the weeks went by, cheering each other on. I was very fortunate to be able to try many techniques during my time at KTS: dyeing, weaving, spinning wool and the kasuri technique which I had been curious about for a long time.

As well as enjoying my studies, I remember how warm and welcoming everyone was at the school. One day, along with a group of students, I visited the renowned Indigo dye artist Shindo Hiroyuki at his home studio and we dyed pieces of fabric together, using his indigo dye vats. The other students at the school became like a family. When I left, they gave me origami animals, letters, and small handmade gifts they had made for me, as well as a photo album full of pictures of us all at the school. I still have all of my momentos from that time.

-How has your experience at KTS influenced you?

I am grateful for the opportunity to study at KTS when I was a student; broadening my knowledge of textiles and building foundations for my creative career. My experience gave me direction, not only in my final year at university upon my return to England, but also towards my goal of working in the creative industry. The teachers and students at KTS instilled in me the benefits and rewards of paying attention to every detail of my work with care and I carry this through in my artwork and life as much as possible. I look forward to returning as soon as I can to participate in more courses, to keep learning and growing.

-What does weaving mean to you?

Weaving means taking care, and taking time. There is no need to rush weaving, in fact, you can't. It takes patience, dedication and commitment; it can be all consuming in the best way, if you let it. All of these things appeal to me...it's that feeling of time standing still when you are plunged deep into something you love, giving it all of your attention and getting lost in the process, allowing the outcome to evolve as you weave. It is a wonderful place to be. I am an artist and illustrator now, but I have a small loom so I can reconnect with weaving when I want to. Within the practice of weaving, there is much that can be carried through to everyday life. I always have this in mind when I am creating my artwork, remembering to take care and not rush.

"To me, painting and weaving are intrinsically linked - small details and thoughtful compositions are always present."

You can visit Flora's website Flora Waycott or follow her on instagram at @florawaycott

About the School: Internationality Series 1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9

Thank you for reading our Internationality series! Our next series, "Tsuzure-ori (tapestry weaving)" starts on Feb. 16, which we hope you enjoy as well.

About the School: Internationality 9 | Interviews with Graduates

-Following in the footsteps of a teacher who had shown a Kasuri piece that she made-    Aroonprapai Rojanachotikul

The Internationality segment of a series introducing Kawashima Textile School (KTS). At KTS, which has international recognition in the handweaving community, unique connections have developed, in which students of former students who have since become educators in the textile field, come to study. In Parts 9 and 10, we will bring you interviews with a teacher and student. First, we talk to the student, Aroonprapai Rojanachotikul, about how she came to know KTS from her teacher, what was memorable about her studies, and what weaving means to her.

Aroonprapai organizing samples for her class

Aroonprapai Rojanachotikul (Nickname: Prang) (Thai)
Textile Artist and Natural Dye and Pigment Specialist
Currently living in Thailand
Courses: Natural Dyeing Workshop (2013), Beginners, Foundation Kasuri, Applied Kasuri I, II, III* (October 2014 to February 2015)
*now part of Applied Kasuri II

-Could you tell us why you chose to study at KTS? How did your teacher introduce you to our school?

After I graduated in Textile Design from Massey University in Wellington, New Zealand in 2012, I returned to Thailand. I trained and worked as a Brocade weave artist at Hariphunchai Institute of Handwoven Textiles. After a year, I realized I wanted to explore more on other weave techniques. Suddenly I remembered while studying at Massey, my teacher, Flora Waycott showed us her Kasuri weave she did while I was in my second year at university. She mentioned that it was KTS based in Kyoto, Japan.

I searched through the Internet and found KTS. I checked out workshops and courses that were available at the time for international students. I chose to apply for the Natural Dyeing "Colors of the Heian Period" workshop in 2013 first to survey the facilities, courses, and environment. I had such an amazing time at the school and decided that I will be back to do the Kasuri courses.

In 2014, I returned to KTS once again for a much longer stay. I was thrilled and excited so I contacted Flora instantly to tell her that I followed her footprint to Kyoto and found KTS. She wished me good luck and to enjoy my time in KTS.

-What do you remember most about your time studying at KTS?

All the staff and students were very friendly. They reached out and tried to help as much as they could. I met a group of wonderful people from various fields, some were already involved in textile, some were curious about textile and wanted to learn about it. We had fun traveling through Kyoto and learned about the life and culture together. I still recall vividly how Hori-sensei managed to help me through many, many colour corrections when my dye session wasn't going as planned. Friendships that came from many Japanese students that helped me out when beaming my kasuri warp on a super cold, gloomy and snowy day. They made sure that I ate, when I refused to come out of my loom while trying to finish my weave just before Christmas break approached. When I was sick, everyone was making sure I was alright. There were so many memorable moments for me while I was at KTS. I really consider it another home away from home.

"My work, and also small samples for the workshop I teach. It is a traditional technique for making Palm leaves manuscript cover, made as offerings to the temple. It is made by using bamboo strips and thread woven together. It is a combination of weave and crochet. This technique can only be found in Mae Chaem district in Chiangmai. Nowadays, only a few people practice this technique."

-How has your experience at KTS influenced you?

Since I am now also teaching, I think KTS has influenced how I teach. What I learned at KTS was to be thorough, accurate, and mindful in every process, which I think was a very good way to learn and be taught. Therefore, when I teach, I want my students to be well guided like I did when I was at KTS. It also helps my own personal practice to be systematic and detailed.

-What does weaving mean to you?

As time goes by, for me the meaning of weaving has changed a lot. Weaving was a way for my creative output to express myself, to connect mind and craft together. Sometimes, even as a stress relief remedy. Now, the connection between weave and I have deepened. I consider myself as a tool where I become a loom, my hands are the shuttles and my mind is doing all the threading and shafts lifting. It has certainly become more meaningful over the years. The bond between weaving and me, no longer stays just behind a loom and textiles I created. It influences my life philosophy and broadens my perspective. When weaving, mistakes were made and learned. Almost anything is fixable. That has become my principle and how I teach my students now too, to not be afraid of making mistakes and just go for it.

Follow Aroonprapai on instagram at @prang_aroon.

About the School: Internationality Series 1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8

Graduate Exhibition 2020

Smokey Sunset　Beatrice Thompson*

*Please read our interview with Beatrice at the end of the post.

This year's Graduate Exhibition will be held from March 10 (Wed) to 14 (Sun) at the Annex of Kyoto Municipal Museum of Art. Please note that depending on the situation, dates are subject to further change. If so, we will announce them as soon as possible on our website.

Kawashima Textile School Graduate Exhibition
2020.3.10 (Wed.) -14 (Sun.)　10:00 - 17:00 Admission Free
*Please note that the opening hours have changed this year.
Annex of Kyoto Municipal Museum of Art (Kyoto-shi Bijutsukan BEKKAN)
Google Maps

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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 write down your full name, address, and phone number upon entry (required by Kyoto City). Those who cannot cooperate will not be able to enter. (updated Mar. 3, 2021)
*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.

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Interview with Beatrice Thompson (Australia)

We asked Beatrice, whose tapestry is shown in the exhibition images, about what life has been like since studying at Kawashima Textile School. Beatrice studied in the Foundation Kasuri Course and Applied Kasuri Course I to III in autumn 2019.

-Has your work broadened from your experience of learning Kasuri in Japan? If so, could you tell us how?

I left Kawashima Textile School feeling like a whole new world had opened up to me. I have long been fascinated by ikat textiles and understood on a basic theoretical level how they were created but could never get my head around how it was possible to keep all the threads aligned according to the designed pattern through all the different stages. It was wonderful to have the process explained step by step on practical level and I now feel like I have an excellent foundation to develop from.

In the past I have experimented with screen-printing photographic images onto the warp threads prior to weaving – so the imagery found on my work had a strong photographic quality about it. While at KTS I really enjoyed focusing more on geometric and abstract patterning and feel inspired to take that much further. Also, prior to studying at the School I did not have much experience with dyeing threads, I left feeling much more confident in this skill and look forward to doing much more dyeing in the future.

My time at KTS was the first time I had been to Japan and I absolutely loved the experience. It was very inspiring, and I hope to make my way back to Japan soon and also back to KTS to have the opportunity to have some dedicated focused time weaving and learning more kasuri skills. Like everyone I hope that the coronavirus will be brought under control soon.

-What have you been working on since your time at KTS?

I work full time so I do not have as much time as I would like to spend weaving and creating but I have managed to find some time to work on a few projects since leaving Kawashima Textile School in December 2019. In my last week at the School I prepared a kasuri warp for a wall hanging which I wove once I returned to Australia. The workshop spaces at KTS, the weave rooms and the dye studio were so fantastic and well equipped. Since returning home, I have mostly been doing some sampling and trying to figure out ways I can continue to explore the kasuri technique at home in a more limited space and with the equipment I have at home. In 2020 I also completed a couple of non-kasuri commissions – a tapestry wall-hanging and an upholstery job for which I shiboried some cloth. This year I would like to work towards creating some more wall hangings.


You can visit follow Beatrice on instagram at @beatrice_t_thompson

About the School: Internationality 7 | Interviews with Graduates

-Making things by hand in a space that connects the bistro with weaving-　Patricia Schoeneck

The Internationality segment of a series introducing Kawashima Textile School (KTS). We are bringing you interviews with graduates from all over the world who have various relationships with weaving. In this 7th part of the series, we asked Patricia how she came to study at the school from our partner school in Sweden, her impressions of the school, and as a bistro owner, how weaving exists in her everyday life, and what her job at the bistro has in common with weaving from a perspective of making things by hand.

Patricia Schoeneck (Swedish)

Owner of a bistro

Currently living in Sweden

Courses: Foundation Kasuri, Applied Kasuri I (May to June 2012), Applied Kasuri II, III* (October to November 2013) as a foreign exchange student from Handarbetets Vänner Skola

*now part of Applied Kasuri II

-Could you tell us why you chose to study at KTS?

The school HV (Handarbetets Vänner Skola) where I did my weaving studies is a partner school with Kawashima and that was my first way in to discover Kawashima. As I read about the school I felt that it was a wonderful place to study and explore traditional but also modern handcraft in the field of weaving and dyeing techniques.

The atmosphere at Kawashima both impressed and inspired me. The atmosphere of taking creation, craft, and textile extremely seriously. It made no sound, it needed not, it was just there led by teachers and accompanied by the students.

-You first studied at KTS in 2012 and came back to continue studying kasuri after 1.5 years.
You wove a large work by yourself at home by combining the techniques you learned at KTS. Did you find any new points of views? You might have found something that you want to learn more clearly, by leaving once in terms of place and time. Perhaps, such a sense of distance may lead to your current lifestyle between working at a bistro and weaving.

Both at Kawashima and in Sweden I had so many ideas and visions about things I wanted to create. Since both dyeing and weaving are pretty time consuming it is not possible to realize every big idea that was growing in my head. I think, when looking back, I had to complete a big work first in order to start making smaller works, samples. And working like that enabled me to create and realize more of my visions. Now in my current lifestyle I might be leaning towards both ways of practicing weaving and creating in general. Since running a bistro takes almost all my time I need to have small/short textile work that is realistic for me to complete but I also need a big over-years-lasting work that I can return to whenever I have some time left.

-How has your experience at KTS influenced you?

It gave me patience and confidence in my ability to succeed towards my visions within weaving, dyeing and overall projects in life.

-How do you use the skills learnt at KTS in your career, life, etc?

I try not to rush, I source to take away unnecessary work or objects that risk to stand in conflict with my final goals or visions.

Elfviks Gård Bistro

-Could you tell us the background of renting an atelier, starting to work at a bistro, and then becoming the owner? Perhaps this lifestyle works well for you, as a mother of a small child?

Both the atelier and the bistro are situated in the countryside at a sheep farm. I love nature and old buildings so when I one summer day found that place I knew I wanted to work there. As weaving is hard to make money off of, I had to find other ways to be able to earn my living, especially because my partner and I wanted to become parents soon. So when the former owner of the bistro wanted to leave, I said I could take over. Soon after that our son was born. It is a lovely way to live, although it is very hard and means a lot of work, but I wouldn’t want it any other way.

-From the view of creating things by hand, your bistro job and weaving seems to be related somehow. Do you feel that way?

My bistro job and weaving are related in several ways I think. They are both hard works, takes a lot of time, a lot of unreflected time when you just do what you have to do to accomplish what you started, but they also consist of and start with an idea, a thought, or just a feeling. I bake a lot of buns, cakes, and cookies, and I feel, just as repeatedly that it is, still, satisfaction. Because every once in a while or very often I get the same feeling that weaving gives me. For example, running the bistro is like working with my hands, having something in front of me, a lot of routine, making the same things over and over again, but also here and then, as twinkling stars, the feelings of creation appear and kicks in right to my heart, just like weaving.

-What does weaving mean to you?

At this moment weaving has a small part in my physical day to day life. I run my bistro everyday, with all the work that comes along. But my weaving studio is situated just above the bistro, and every once in a week I go up to the attic and enter the studio and breathe, deep breaths. I know that in a short future of time I will be working there again. Until then I inhale the wonderful scent of fibers and loom and dream about my next textile project.

Visit the Elfviks Gård website or follow Patricia on instagram at @patriciaschoeneck and @elfviksgardsbistro.

Patricia's "Student Voice" article from 2013, with photos of her work in the KTS Graduate Exhibition.

About the School: Internationality Series 1/2/3/4/5/6

About the School: Internationality 6 | Interviews with Graduates

-Looking at the fusion of cultures, and exploring the possibilities of weaving spaces-　Rosa Tolnov Clausen

The Internationality segment of a series introducing Kawashima Textile School (KTS). Over four weeks starting from Part 4, we are bringing you interviews with graduates from all over the world who have various relationships with weaving. In this 6th part of the series, in addition to how she came to learn at KTS, what influenced her, how she uses the skills she learned, and what weaving means to her, we asked Rosa Tolnov Clausen about the idea of practicing a completely different approach to seeing weaving as a space, and her motive behind holding the workshop "Everything I Know About Kasuri," instead of weaving her own piece, which is what is usually done as the final project at KTS.

The Weaving Kiosk project. A series of nine temporary weaving spaces 2017-18 in Denmark, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. Photo: Johannes Romppanen

Rosa Tolnov Clausen (Danish)
Textile designer and PhD student
Currently living in Sweden and Finland
Courses: Foundation Kasuri, Applied Kasuri I, II, III*
(October to December 2013)

*now part of Applied Kasuri II

-Could you tell us why you chose to study at KTS?

I already knew about Kawashima Textile School. I cannot completely remember from where. But I was definitely aware that my friend Johanna was at KTS in the previous year and I knew that I also wanted to go. I saw a stay at KTS as a perfect opportunity to visit Japan and at the same time to get practical insight into the Kasuri technique. I had already been interested in Kasuri for a while and had made a research project about it during a school exchange to Aalto University in Finland in 2012. As a matter of a fact Finland has a Kasuri tradition as well, but in Finland it is called Flammé (Flame). Finnish weavers have used very simple Kasuri variations in different folkloristic costumes. But Flammé is to my knowledge not taught anywhere in Finland. Studying at KTS offered the possibility to go to Japan for a longer period of time and gain some insight in Japanese textile traditions and be introduced to practitioners in the field.

-How has your experience at KTS influenced you?

Being part of the environment at KTS and being in Kyoto was an incredibly stimulating experience for me, which I still draw on in my work.

I did a quite alternative project at KTS, which was about cultural exchange and aesthetic development, but departing from weaving. Basically I invited people in Kyoto for a pop-up Kasuri workshop called “Everything I know about Kasuri.” The idea was to use the Kasuri technique as a catalyst for cultural exchange. Arguing for the project, receiving the trust and support from the teachers at KTS and actually conducting the project in Kyoto, have definitely meant increased confidence in my ideas, which has affected most of my projects since.

Flammé textile sample from the collection of Dräktbyrån Brage, Helsinki.
Photo: Rosa Tolnov Clausen

-Was your decision to hold a workshop as a final project at KTS connected to your previous experience to create spaces and/or teach to share with people? Could you tell us your thoughts behind the idea of creating spaces?

When I came to KTS I had just graduated from the Master’s programme as textile designer from Kolding School of Design in Denmark. My graduation project in Denmark was a collaboration and co-design project with blind and visually impaired weavers. Through that project I became aware how the weaving space in addition to being a productive space, also holds other meanings for the people who weave, for example as a social space to be among others and as a physical, material and creative space in an increasingly digitalised world. It has been my interest since then to explore these additional meanings of the weaving space through my projects.

When I came to Japan and especially Kyoto, I was so fascinated by the presence of handcraft in urban space. When I walked around, I saw professional craftsmen sew, weave, hammer etc. as a completely natural part of a highly modern and digitalised urban landscape. It felt like the handmade and the digital could co-exist. Furthermore there were textile workshops open for participation around the different cities I visited. People were printing, knitting and weaving.

Lastly I had this almost physical feeling of aesthetic development taking place in and around me. I myself was inspired and influenced by the Japanese culture and fashion, and at the same time I could see many Japanese people and brands being inspired by the Nordic/Scandinavian culture. We interpret each other and the outcome are fusions, which are not completely Nordic or Japanese, but something new.

These were the impressions and the background that the “Everything I know about Kasuri” workshop grew out from. I wanted to create a textile workshop in urban space, which could serve as a moment of cultural meetings and exchange.

-Were there any points you were careful about,culturally,with aspects as a foreigner teaching another country’s tradition?

Yes, certainly I was very aware and very, very careful of not claiming to teach Japanese people about Japanese culture as a Dane, having only spent three months in Japan. That was why the workshop was called “Everything I know about Kasuri” and not “Everything there is to know about Kasuri.” I did not want to pretend to be an expert after only two months of education. Also, when I gave the introduction to the participants in the workshop I emphasized the Finnish history, which I knew better and which would maybe add something the participants did not know.

Everything I Know About Kasuri workshop in Kyoto in December 2013. 
Photo: Kohei Usuda

-Could you tell us more on how your confidence increased through your workshop experience,and how it has affected you afterwards?

Based on all these impressions that I describe above, I had a very strong intuition that a workshop would be the right project as a final project at KTS. But maybe because it was such a different approach from weaving my own work and/or maybe because of the risk of overstepping cultural borders in an inappropriate way, not all the teachers were completely convinced about my idea. I was asked to create a time plan of how this project could be realized. I did that and then I got an OK from the teachers and they helped me very much in the planning process and for example when I had to find supplies or make contact with somebody.

Teachers and students from KTS came by the workshop. All in all the experience of following a gut feeling, trusting it and working hard to realize a vision in a foreign context and then succeeding, I felt, gave me a lot of confidence both when it comes to trusting my ideas, but also when it comes to trusting that I am able to do what I set my mind to.

-Has your experience at KTS influenced you in your academic and professional career? If so,could you describe how?

I think mostly in the sense described above concerning self-confidence. Furthermore, though my first visit at KTS and in Japan, I developed many private and professional relationships that have helped me very much and made it much easier to come back to Japan both in 2015 and two times in 2017. In 2017 I was invited to host a series of workshops in 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa in 2017 in occasion of the celebration of 150 years of diplomatic relations between Japan and Denmark and former KTS student Kanako Watanabe and Tokyo based photographer Kohei Usuda really supported me very much.

-What does weaving mean to you?

My relationship with weaving is constantly changing. When I started weaving I felt something fall in place. It was fun and I felt that I was good at it. Over time it has become my way of living and is part of everything I do in my profession. Today I mostly create spaces where other people can weave, rather than my own textiles, but I imagine that this will even change over the coming years.

Export/import workshop at 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa, in 2017.
Photo: Kohei Usuda

You can visit Rosa's website at rosatolnovclausen.com

About the School: Internationality Series 1/2/3/4/5

About the School: Internationality 5 | Interviews with Graduates

-From an indigo workshop in Thailand to KTS, making in a way that suits the land and lifestyle-　Zazima Asavesna 

The Internationality segment of a series introducing Kawashima Textile School (KTS). Over four weeks starting from Part 4, we are bringing you interviews with graduates from all over the world who have various relationships with weaving, where we ask about how they came to learn at KTS, what influenced them, how they use the skills they have learned, and what weaving means to them. This is Part 5 of the series.

"At the previous family indigo workshop in Sakon-nakhon where I first learned about indigo vat dye. The Indian indigo (indigofera tinctoria) is local to the area, they were planted, harvested, and made into indigo paste here. These small earthen jars contain indigo vat dye, normally a small skein of yarn can be dyed once or twice a day per jar."

Zazima Asavesna (Thai/German)

Textile artist, Natural dyer, Designer & maker of a small apparel business

Currently living in Thailand

Courses: Beginners, Foundation Kasuri, Applied Kasuri I 

(May to June 2013)

-Could you tell us why you chose to study at KTS?

I started my career life as a small animals veterinarian , got married and moved to my husband’s hometown in Sakon-nakhon, where the family had been practicing natural indigo vat dye for over 20 years. There, I got the chance to learn about natural dyeing and tried my hands at indigo and other natural dye dyeing which later led me to the interest of textile weaving. My first experience of weaving on a floor loom was led by a few local artisan women who were so kind and very pleased to share their knowledge with me. There were absolutely no theories, I just copied what I see.

After that experience, I had so many questions and I was eager to know about the possibilities of weaving, so I started to look for a place to learn how to weave. Without knowing if a weaving school really existed anywhere on earth, I accidentally found KTS on the internet. I knew right away this is the place I am looking for. The school was located in one of my favourite towns I’ve ever been to, plus a wonderful location near nature, not so far from the city, where Japanese culture/contemporary art and lifestyles also took place. I was so excited to get to know more about the principle of weaving, the Japanese weaving tradition and also excited about the small international students community where there is a chance to get to know people from different backgrounds and weaving traditions.

-How has your experience at KTS influenced you?

Being surrounded by a group of textile enthusiasts of different ages really inspired me. Our energy was exchanged, I felt connected and welcomed to the world of textile weaving regardless of my past and background. Not only engaging with international classmates, I also made friends and secretly observed the long term talented Japanese students who are working on their amazing projects next door and upstairs. I was mostly amazed by the Tapestry class taking place in the 2nd floor atelier. It was the very first time I ever saw a tapestry being woven from a cartoon (draft) in real life.

Being a self-taught artist, KTS gave me the confidence to weave, the confidence to start learning and seeking new knowledge in life. After that spring I decided I want to seriously weave and was determined to make time and plans for my future so that I can spend time on my weaving projects and make a living out of it.

Tiny tapestry portrait #014 (left) #016 (right) (2020)

“My first solo exhibition at Ranlao Bookshop Chiangmai, Thailand in 2018. The concept was about self exploration of feelings in the era of social media. The exhibition displayed 6 pieces of handwoven textile made with traditional floor loom and tapestry frame loom. All of them were dyed with my favourite natural dye, indigo. The technique seen in this photo is a stencil dyeing technique using rice paste."

-How do you use the skills learnt at KTS in your career, life, etc?

I often work with local natural materials such as cotton, hemp and locally harvested natural dyestuffs. In my early years, my work involved dyeing a piece of simple plain weave cloth with a resist-dyeing technique. For me, weaving plain weave is quite stressful because it is the most simple form of weaving which easily shows a lack of skill of the weaver.

I don’t own a western loom so I kind of adapted the knowledge to what I have. With my loom (Isaan traditional floor loom), I aimed for the same results such as even warp tension, nice and even edges, how to fix the broken warp neatly etc. keeping in mind “Anybody can weave, but not everyone can weave a beautiful textile” the concept my awesome teacher shared with me at KTS. It reminds me that I should try to improve my skill whenever I can.

My personal belief is that the efforts and skills you put into the textile you are weaving is as important as the imagination or the ideas behind it. Art and craft doesn’t have to separate itself from each other. I have been wanting to learn tapestry weaving so badly for the past few years but never got the chance, so 2 years ago I made myself a nail loom from a canvas frame and started learning by myself. A year later I discovered that I really enjoy weaving tiny human portraits (some may have embroidery details added) and since then I have been continuing doing so. Tapestry was not the skill I earned from KTS, but I know in my mind it all started from there.

-What does weaving mean to you?

Weaving is like a journey into myself, a self exploration. By sitting there and repeating the body movements, instead of traveling with your body, your mind travels. Physically I am trying to find the balance of my body rhythm.In many occasions It allows me to explore my thoughts, my emotions and feelings. Sometimes I feel like I am in a battle, a battle with things that will constantly go wrong. Whatever the result will be, you have to accept it.

""Isaan floor loom"
The loom is an old traditional loom made of hardwood by a local carpenter. It originally belonged to an old lady who passed away, then was passed on to another weaver who used it as a spare loom before it was left unused. The reed, heddles, shafts, and treadles are attached to the loom with ropes and bamboo sticks. The tension is made by tying the warp into a knot directly to the loom and manually released and pulled by hands.

Follow Zazima on instagram at @zazieandherloom and @wildinstagram.

Zazima's "Student Voice" article from 2014, with photos of her work in the KTS Graduate Exhibition.

About the School: Internationality Series 1/2/3/4

About the School: Internationality 4 | Interviews with Graduates

 -From being an industrial designer to a student at KTS, then at a postgraduate school in the UK-    Tiffany Loy

The Internationality segment of a series introducing Kawashima Textile School (KTS). KTS is widely known throughout the weaving community overseas as a school where people can learn handweaving. KTS had opened its doors internationally since the very beginning, and the reputation as being a school in Kyoto where one can acquire reliable handweaving skills spread gradually by word of mouth from the participants. Over four weeks starting from Part 4, we will bring you interviews with graduates from all over the world who have various relationships with weaving, where we ask about how they came to learn at KTS, what influenced them, how they use the skills they have learned, and what weaving means to them.

The Weaverly Way (2020)
The site-specific installation employs a weaver's approach to conceptualising and building sculpture. The piece was produced in collaboration with British heritage silk mill Gainsborough Weaving, and presented at London Craft Week 2020.

Photo: Ed Reeve

Tiffany Loy (Singaporean)

Independent designer, artist

Currently living in Singapore

Courses: Beginners, Foundation Kasuri, Applied Kasuri I, II, III* 

(May to July 2015)

*now part of Applied Kasuri II

-Could you tell us why you chose to study at KTS?

I was working with textiles as an industrial designer, when my interest for textiles grew. I wanted to take a step further and learn how textiles are constructed so I searched online for short weaving courses. Eventually I found Kawashima Textile School’s website and was impressed by the work of its graduating students, so I applied. Also, I wanted to be immersed in another culture while learning this new skill.

-How has your experience at KTS influenced you?

At the start of the course I had thought of it as a study-holiday, a fruitful 3-month getaway. The knowledge of textile construction was to be helpful for my textile-based projects in the future. I had no intention to continue weaving when I returned to Singapore, considering the amount of equipment it required. However, at the end of Applied Kauri Course III, which was coursework-based, I was confident that I could manage my own weaving projects, and was excited to take these skills further. It felt like a real pity to stop weaving at the end of the trip. I then decided to set up a mini weave studio back in Singapore and show the local design community my woven work.

"Pastiche (2018)
"Pastiche was a piece of handwoven fabric employing nassen gasuri technique. It was used as the covering for a beanbag. The 1-off piece was created for furniture brand Zanotta, as part of their 50-year anniversary celebration of their Sacco beanbag design."

-How do you use the skills learnt at KTS in your career, life, etc?

Through the courses within a 10-week period, I had gained a solid foundation of weaving and dyeing techniques which enabled further self-directed learning later on. I still refer to the notes I had taken then, when I compare methods of working. I continued to practice and expand on the skills I learnt, and incorporated them into my design projects. Shortly after my return to Singapore, I exhibited some woven tapestries at a local exhibition, and met the first client who engaged me to create woven designs for his brand. I was optimistic about my pursuit in weaving as a profession. 3 years after the course at KTS, I felt I was prepared for another learning adventure. There are no textile mills or institutions in Singapore, so to gain more technical knowledge and skills, like design for jacquard weaving, I had to go overseas again. This time I managed to secure a scholarship from DesignSingapore Council to study at the Royal College of Art in London. Taking a masters course meant that I was meeting other students who had learnt weaving elsewhere, and it was interesting to observe the differences in our approaches in weaving. Having strong foundation skills acquired at KTS allowed me to be more experimental while at RCA, since I was familiar with each step, and how changes affect overall results.

-What does weaving mean to you?

As I had received earlier training in product design before learning how to weave, I was always very aware of the differences in approaches and applications. When weaving, I feel compelled to look very closely at the project, sometimes through a counting glass, but I must also zoom out and look at the fabric as a whole surface, and object. Toggling between the 2 points of view is something I find very unique about the weaving process; there are 2 different modes of seeing. Also, weaving as a skill is by no means restricted to fabrics. To me it is a way of building, of assembling lines to form surfaces and volumes. Looking at it in this abstract way, we can apply skills related to weaving to other forms of art and design, like sculpture, or architecture.

"Lines in Space (2019)
"Lines in Space was a project completed at RCA. It's about reducing the fabric surface to minimal lines, and exploring leno weave structures."

You can visit Tiffany's website Tiffany Loy or follow her on instagram at @tffnyly

Tiffany's "Student Voice" article from 2016, with photos of her work in the KTS Graduate Exhibition.

About the School: Internationality Series 1/2/3

About the School: Internationality 3 | Interview with International Students Courses Teacher Emma Omote

-Passing on the skills of handweaving-

The Internationality segment of our series introducing Kawashima Textile School (KTS). Part 3 is an interview with Emma Omote, who teaches the Beginners Course, Foundation Kasuri Course, and Applied Kasuri Course I in English, for students from overseas. She talks about her experience of living overseas, encountering textiles, thoughts on teaching handweaving and kasuri at KTS, how her students have influenced her, and the internationality seen from the school.

Emma Omote giving a presentation about KTS at Tartu Art College (now Pallas University of Applied Sciences), Estonia, 2015

◆ Making things that enrich life

Emma became an assistant at the school after graduating KTS in 2009. She started teaching the International Students Course which was created the same year, in which the Beginners Course and Kasuri Courses are taught in English, with Kozue Yamamoto, and also became the International Coordinator.

She herself has also lived abroad twice. The first time was in her childhood, in the USA. She said that as an Asian, English was a necessary skill to interact with others on an equal footing when attending the local public elementary school. The second time was in Finland, as an exchange student from Kyoto Seika University. She majored in Western Painting, wanting to study a wide range of art, and in Finland, gradually began to find what she wanted to do. "I was drawn to my Textile major friends' approach towards making, where the things they made had a clear purpose, such as "to use" or "to wear." In Finland, textiles were blended into people's lives, such as using bright textiles indoors during the dark winter. I thought it was nice to make things that enrich life."

She wanted to study a skill that was specific to Japan, so after graduating from university, she entered KTS. "I was able to acquire the skills that I wanted because KTS, which is open to anyone who wants to learn, regardless of age, nationality, or background, was there." She likes making within limitations, thinking of combinations of colors in straight lines. She makes kimono as an artist, and teaches handweaving skills at the school to students from overseas. She says she has a feeling of achieving what she was aiming for, communicating about Japan to the world.

◆ Meeting weavers from around the world

It has been about 10 years since her alma mater became her workplace, and since starting to teach people who come to study from overseas. In addition to the school's approach of teaching reliable skills in a smaller class size, she has tried to "make it a good experience for the student" and "teach so the students will be able to weave on their own, after they return to their country." "In class, I share tips on how to finish a fabric neatly, such as how to angle the weft, and how to weave evenly. I hope the students will be able to use what they learned here after they go home. That would make me very happy."

There is a sense of distance of the world that can be seen from the school. "I think that many weavers like using their hands to make things, and are patient. Even if there are differences in countries and cultures, I have the impression that people who have similarities, such as their compatibility with such skills, and values regarding handweaving, gather here." Meeting weavers from around the world is one of the joys in teaching. Through her years in teaching, her feelings about weaving start to change.

◆ What I can do for Kasuri

The fact that students "often ask about the history" led to that change. "In addition to the skills, the international students often ask about the historical background, such as what kind of tools were used in the past, and the characteristics of kasuri of each region." She came to think about handicrafts in Japan, and the people who built the tradition. "My feelings towards Kasuri became stronger, and it became more than just teaching the skills." Her consciousness of "inheriting the skills and spreading seeds around the world" grew.

"Handweaving is a skill with a long history that has continued since ancient times. In this era (where digitization is the mainstream), a unique school that intentionally specializes in handweaving, which has continued for 47 years, where I have studied and now work, exists. How can we pass on the handweaving skills of kasuri, when there are many skills that disappear because of the change of the times? I am thinking about what my role is, and what I can do for Kasuri."

KTS has more than a hundred looms, a well-maintained dyeing room, teachers specializing in weaving and dyeing, and facilities such as the dormitory. International students often say that "it's amazing that there is a school that specializes in handweaving," which continues to operate on this scale. "I hear about textile departments of universities closing overseas. I want to help KTS continue to exist as a place that people who love to weave can come to study."

About the School: Internationality Series 1/2