School Philosophy
Atelier Shimura is actively engaged in outreach activities such as running a school in addition to its creative activities, in order to pass on to the next generation the respect for nature and sense of color that Japanese people have cherished since ancient times, as well as the culture and ideas that have arisen from them. The school offers a variety of courses that allow you to experience the world of dyeing and weaving. In addition to hands-on experience, the school also holds "learning sessions" that explore the culture and ideas surrounding dyeing and weaving.
Starting in 2026, we will further develop our learning opportunities and launch the "Ars Shimura Course" under a new curriculum. This six-month course involves carefully weaving bolts of fabric. The "Ars" in the "Ars Shimura" course comes from the Latin for "art" or "skill." Through the handiwork of dyeing and weaving, students will experience the profound art of approaching the life of things, and through lectures on culture and philosophy, they will learn about "color and language" in a multi-layered way. By approaching things from both the hands and the mind, we aim to deepen self-understanding and an appreciation of nature. Atelier Shimura is committed to conveying the essential value of dyeing and weaving, especially in these rapidly changing times.
School Credo
- 一
- 一人ひとりの魂のふるさとに出会う場所です。
- 二
- 自然の声に耳を傾けます。
- 三
- 染織を通して物づくりの精神を大切にします。
- 四
- 美に基づく共同体を目指します。
- 五
- 芸術活動を通じて平和を考えます。
*クレドとは「信条」「志」「約束」を意味するラテン語
- 1
- A place where each person can encounter their soul’s true home.
- 2
- We listen closely to the voice of nature.
- 3
- Through dyeing and weaving, we cherish the spirit of making.
- 4
- We strive to build a community grounded in beauty.
- 5
- Through artistic practice, we reflect on peace.
*“Credo” is a Latin word meaning “belief,” “aspiration,” or “promise.”
The three pillars of the school
Our school has built its curriculum around three key pillars.
「自然との対話」 － 植物の生命の色をいただく草木染め
植物から色をいただく体験は、自然への畏敬の念と繊細な感受性を育ててくれます。植物を単なる素材としてではなく、生命ある存在として関わることで、人と自然との調和的な関係を学びます。
「自己との対話」 － 自らの内面を静かに深めていく織り
機に向かう時間は、自分自身の心と静かに向き合うひとときです。内面の心象風景を織り出すことは、自己との対話の積み重ねであり、心の奥にある自分自身を見つけ出す過程でもあります。
「言葉との対話」 － 芸術と思想を巡る学び
一人では気づけなかった考えや視点に出会うことで、学びの喜びを感じると同時に、他者の意見に耳を傾けることで、共感する力も育まれます。言葉を通してより広く、深い視野を持つことを目指します。
“Dialogue with Nature” — Plant-based dyeing: receiving the living colors of plants
Experiencing color drawn from plants nurtures reverence for nature and a sensitive awareness. By engaging with plants not merely as materials but as living beings, we learn a harmonious relationship between people and the natural world.
“Dialogue with the Self” — Weaving that quietly deepens one’s inner life
Time at the loom is a moment to gently face one’s own heart in stillness. Weaving one’s inner landscape is an accumulation of dialogue with the self—and a process of discovering who one is, deep within.
“Dialogue with Words” — Learning through art and thought
Encountering ideas and perspectives we could not have found alone brings the joy of learning; and by listening to others, we also cultivate the capacity for empathy. Through words, we aim to develop a broader and deeper outlook.
Greetings
Shoji Shimura
A Message Regarding the School
Fukumi Shimura
We learn many things through the work of dyeing and weaving. Plants (color), animals (thread), and minerals (mordants) are not just materials; they provide us with living things. We use our intellect and sensibility to create these things. In this way, we learn the path to beauty in things that are made with spirit. If we stray from this path, beauty will not come.
Yoko Shimura
Dyeing and weaving is almost entirely about thread. From dyeing and warping to putting the thread on the loom, the thread is squeezed, tied, stretched, wound, and finally woven. During this process, the thread will tangle and break countless times, but if you patiently fix it, a path will become visible and you will know the direction you should take. The process from thread to cloth is somewhat similar to the way humans live. We hope you will join us in experiencing the joy and hardship of holding thread in your hands.
Course Introduction
An encounter between light, wind and color
- Half-day plant dyeing course
This is a half-day workshop where you can dye tsumugi thread or silk stole with the colors of seasonal plants. Even if you are new to plant dyeing, you are welcome to join. If you choose tsumugi thread dyeing, you can also weave the thread into another course.
Playing the sound of threads
- One-day plant dyeing and weaving course
This is a one-day workshop where you can dye tsumugi thread in the morning and experience weaving in the afternoon. You can enjoy weaving not only the colors dyed that day, but also the wide range of natural dyes available here. Recommended for those who are new to weaving.
Wearing the colors of plants
- 2-day stole weaving course
This course involves weaving a stole using colored warp threads accented with stripes and patterns. After enjoying the weaving process over two days, you will finish the remaining threads into fringe and create your own original stole.
Weaving my Obi
- 2-month obi weaving course
This is a course that takes place over 12 days over a two-month period, during which you will weave a kimono long enough to be used as an obi. The first time you take the course, you will use white warp threads, but those who have taken the course more than once will be able to weave with colored warp threads. This course is recommended for those who love kimonos.
Ars Shimura
- Six-month kimono weaving course
This course allows students to attend up to 40 days out of six months and create kimono (bolts of fabric) using dyes made from seasonal plants. Through the handiwork of dyeing and weaving, students will experience the profound art of approaching the life of things, and through lectures on culture and philosophy, they will learn about "color and language" in a multi-layered way.
(Kyoto) Plant dyeing using seasonal plants and famous spring water
- Half-day plant dyeing course
This is a plant dyeing workshop where participants will dye seasonal plants using "Samegai Water," a spring water that springs from the main store of "Kameya Yoshinaga," a long-established Kyoto confectionery shop in Shijo Horikawa, Kyoto. At the end of the workshop, participants will enjoy seasonal high-quality sweets from Kameya Yoshinaga and seasonal blended tea from Atelier Shimura.
Learning Session
Learning Session
- Learn, think and feel together
Atelier Shimura values the ancient Japanese people's love for nature, their sense of color, and the culture that has developed from them. In our online seminars, we study one theme over the course of a year.
