Designated as one of Japan's National Traditional Handcrafts

Ina Tsumugi Pongee - A Hands-On Experience with Artisans From the Only Factory in Japan Still Preserving Local Traditions of Spinning, Dyeing and Weaving Ina Tsumugi Pongee Fabric

The kimono is famed worldwide as a symbol of Japan. Silk kimono, which are soft to the touch and have a gorgeous luster, are extremely precious to Japanese people.

In this special program, guests participate in a unique, hands-on tour led by the Managing Director of the factory, and try out weaving firsthand under the guidance of a weaver at the only remaining workshop that still performs the spinning, dyeing and weaving of Ina Tsumugi - a local, traditional silk fabric used for making kimono - which is one type of Shinshu Tsumugi (tsumugi made in Nagano Prefecture - designated as one of Japan's national traditional handcrafts).

Ina Tsumugi is a textile woven from a mixture of raw silk, dupion silk, and silk wadding. It is a fabric that is very time and labor-intensive to weave. Local, naturally pigmented plants are used as part of the dyeing process. These lengthy techniques produce high-quality textiles with a deep luster - it is said that no two pieces have the same texture and color.

Komakane City in Nagano Prefecture, located at the foot of Japan’s two alpine ranges, has long been a center for sericulture (the farming of silkworms). We hope that guests will be mesmerized by the wonder of Japanese silk textiles and kimono culture through interaction with the people and places that preserve this rare, regional traditional craft.