Kyoto Nishijin Obi Weaving Studio Tour: Color Design Study Group, Japan Color Science Association (Saturday, October 31, 2026)
Published
About the Program
The Color Design Study Group of the Color Science Association of Japan is accepting applications for a tour and hands-on session at Obiya Sutematsu, a weaving house in Kyoto's Nishijin district that specializes in obi (the sash worn with a kimono). Participants visit the weaving studio and the company's Kyoto machiya (traditional wooden townhouse) headquarters, hear explanations of pattern design and color selection, and then wind colored threads themselves. The program takes place on site on the morning of Saturday, October 31, 2026, with participants meeting at the venue.
According to the organizer's announcement, some Obiya Sutematsu pieces use close to 200 different colored threads in a single obi, and the studio keeps a stock of colored threads numbering in the thousands.
Program Contents
The tour and hands-on session are divided into three parts.
- The weaving studio — See where the patterns are designed, hear explanations of color selection and pattern design, and view the looms
- The machiya (Sutematsu headquarters) — View the event "The Spirit of Obiya Sutematsu" inside a building constructed in the early Meiji period
- Special hands-on session — Combine colors of your choice and wind the colored threads onto a shuttle (hi). You may take the wound shuttle home
After the tour, a hand-weaving workshop is available with separate registration. Participants use a narrow-width hand loom, choose colors from silk threads, and weave their own fabric. The woven fabric can be used as a coaster, tea mat, or vase mat. The session takes approximately 40 minutes to 1 hour, with the last entry at 3:30 p.m. The fee is ¥5,000 (tax included), collected on the day. The organizer will contact applicants separately to confirm their preferred time slot.
The names of the instructors and guides are not listed on the organizer's page (to be added when available).
Event Details
- Date and time — Saturday, October 31, 2026, 10:30–12:30
- Venue — Obiya Sutematsu Co., Ltd. headquarters (609 Masuya-cho, Sasaya-cho-dori Omiya Nishi-iru, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto 602-8201). Meet at the venue. The nearest stop is "Imadegawa Jofukuji" on the Kyoto City Bus, a 5-minute walk away
- Fee — General members and students ¥3,000 (tax included) / non-members ¥4,000. The hand-weaving workshop costs an additional ¥5,000 (tax included)
- Capacity — Not confirmed (to be added when available)
- How to apply and deadline — Apply through the registration form. The deadline is October 22. Fees are paid through the organizer's payment page
- Organizer — Color Design Study Group, Color Science Association of Japan
Refunds are not available once payment has been made. Please confirm your schedule before applying. For questions about the program, contact color.design.sikisai@gmail.com; for questions about fees, contact office@color-science.jp (Tel: +81-3-5913-7079).
Applications and Further Information
The application form, the payment page for the participation fee, and bus and subway routes from Kyoto Station are all posted on the organizer's page.
Special Tour & Hands-On Session: Call for Participants (Color Design Study Group) — organizer's page
