Special tour by the Learning Session: "A journey to discover Karamushi weaving in Showa Village, Fukushima Prefecture - exploring the warmth of handcrafted crafts"

Showa Village in Oku-Aizu, Fukushima Prefecture, is a place where time flows gently and gently. It is a special place where the beautiful "Karamushi weaving" that has been carefully passed down since ancient times still lives on. Karamushi weaving was once beloved as a high-quality summer kimono. From growing the "Karamushi" plant that is its raw material, to plying each individual thread and weaving it into a piece of cloth... this mind-bogglingly meticulous handiwork continues to this day.
This special tour will take you to Showa Village, where you can hear from practitioners of ramie weaving, tour the fields, and even try your hand at weaving. See, touch, and feel with your heart. Be sure to enjoy this special experience as you become engrossed in the charm of ramie weaving.

Tour highlights: Day 1: Easily travel directly to the site by chartered bus from Tokyo Station. ・ Invite people from Showa Village to participate in a learning session on Karamushi weaving. ・ Stay at the Marumine Kanko Hotel, a long-established inn in Ashinomaki Onsen, a mystical hot spring resort surrounded by nature. ・ Dinner on the first day is a buffet of local cuisine from all over Tohoku. ・ All rooms are single-occupancy, so even solo travelers can feel at ease.

Day 2: Visit to a ramie field; Observe the process of "ramie pulling" to extract fibers from the outer skin of the stem; Observe the process of "thread spinning" to twist fibers to make thread; Demonstrate ramie weaving; Experience coaster making

Date: Friday, July 18th to Saturday, July 19th, 2025
Meeting point: Tokyo Station Marunouchi Kajibashi Parking Lot (bus boarding point)
Participation fee: 74,800 yen per person (tax included)
*Includes accommodation, chartered bus, meals, and local event participation fees.
*Only single rooms are available.
Number of participants: Maximum 25 people (minimum 15 people)

[Itinerary]

July 18 (Day 1)
12:45 Meet at Tokyo Station
13:00 Depart from Tokyo Station
17:00 Arrive at Ashinomaki Onsen Marumine Kanko Hotel
17:30 Karamushi weaving workshop
19:00 Dinner at the hotel (buffet style) Free time after dinner

July 19th (Day 2)
9:00 Depart from hotel
10:00 Arrive at the Karamushi Fair venue in Showa Village, Fukushima Prefecture. Watch demonstrations of Karamushi pulling, thread spinning, and Karamushi weaving. Experience making coasters.
12:00 Lunch on your own
13:30 Visit to the Karamushi field
15:00 Depart from Showa Village
19:00 Arrive at Tokyo Station and disband

Learn more