Ever since I saw this post in Uncovering Japan, I have been planning to go and try it. Finally the day arrived.
Nishijin Textile is located in Kyoto, looks like any other office building but as soon as you step inside, you will be taken to the world of wonderfully designed Kimono.
The Free Kimono Show is schedule every 45-50 minutes starting from ten in the morning till four in the afternoon.
We got there just as the show was starting.
We did not finish the show since we got called by the staff. Time to do some weaving :).
My working station.
Mr. P and Miss R , working really hard on their weaving.
Miss J and her blue table center piece.
Yes, we are making a simple, small table center.
I’m done.
The Nishijin Staff, putting some glue and finishing my table center piece.
Lots of mini-looms. I think there are about 80 looms in the room. These looms are used only for weaving introduction.
We went back to the main building were the shop is located and where you can see some of the weavers while working.
Just to show that in one master piece, it will take more than just one thread.
There was a girl there working in this huge canvass , unfortunately no pictures allowed while she is working. When she saw us, she came and show us her nails, they were very uneven.
There are also hand made products, beautiful and expensive in the shop. A great gift or souvenir from a place called Kyoto.
Hand weaving requires some advance reservation and cost 1800 yen for each person.
Maniniyot 
Fascinating! When I was in Kyoto, I went into a kimono shop and I was looking at an obi. The shopkeeper insisted that I look at it in full (even though I couldn’t afford it) so she and her assistant opened it up for me – it went from the back of the shop to the front door. Soooo beautiful! I managed to buy a couple of pieces of fabric while I was there, but that was the best I could do.
It’s too bad you couldn’t get a picture of the one the girl was working on – the finished kimono are gorgeous!
The really nice one are way to expensive but it is really exquisite. I just saw a Kimono in one of the store in Osaka, and it was a whopping 1 million yen.
I think the girl was working with a sort of banner and its design was those temple guardian with scary faces.
I’m glad you made it there and got to do some weaving! The kimono are gorgeous aren’t they?
yes , they were very beautiful. Unfortunately I could not afford the one I want 🙂