(Image borrowed from kyotoshibori.com.)
One of the best things about my last trip to Japan was how easy it was for me to visit and see Japanese artisans and even learn from them. And one of those experiences was at the Kyoto Shibori Museum. It is a very underrated location! But it is right in the Kyoto CBD, so it isn't that hard to get to.
(Borrowed from kyotoshibori.com.)
As the Kyoto Shibori Museum's official website will tell you, they have their own exhibitions and store full of all kinds of beautiful products. They also run a wide range of different classes which give you hands on experience on how to do both the binding and dying needed for the shibori process.
The man who toured me around the building was very nice and even showed me part of a documentary on shibori techniques. I found it so interesting, I went on to buy a DVD about shibori processes from the Museum. The museum runs many different classes on differing styles of Shibori. Some are simpler while others are more complex. I wanted to learn the more complicated kind, so it was what I chose. But I found that class very easy, since the instructor was so good at explaining the processes.
(Images borrowed from kyotoshibori.com.)
For me, a proud moment was getting my photo taken with the most aged and experienced artisan. He was very nice and exhorted me to tell my friends and family about the place. For me this was no problem. I loved it there and I think I'd like to return for more classes in the future. Class details are as follows:
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