Kawachi Momen Hataori Kobo is located about a 5-minute walk from Ishikiri Sando Shopping Street at Ishikiri Station on the Kintetsu Nara Line.
This is a rare spot where you can experience the traditional Japanese craft of making Kawachi cotton.
"Kawachi Cotton" is a cotton fabric made by spinning thread from cotton grown in the Kawachi region (eastern Osaka Prefecture) from the Edo period to the beginning of the Meiji period and woven by hand. It is characterized by its thick threads and thick texture.
In the "spinning experience," you will loosen and smooth the cotton fibers, then twist them together on a spinning machine to make a strong, solid thread.
"Once the thread is made, the next step is weaving the cloth. Since foot-operated looms are complicated to use, in this weaving experience you will try your hand at making coasters using a tabletop loom.
By repeatedly inserting the weft threads between the warp threads, the weave gradually takes shape. Once a 10cm square piece has been woven and a decorative border has been added, the coaster is complete.
The production of Kawachi cotton is the result of the combined efforts of the craftsmen who spin the thread and the craftsmen who dye the stencils used to dye the fabric, resulting in the creation of the "real" Kawachi cotton. We want to preserve this collaboration for the next generation. The studio's representative, Nakai-san, spoke calmly and powerfully about his outlook for the future.
Ishikiri Sando Shopping Street
*List of Kawachi cotton making experiences*
Cotton ginning is free of charge. *If you have cotton seeds grown from the seeds we provided, please bring them in.
Yarn spinning: 700 yen (tax included)
Coaster creation: 700 yen (tax included)
Indigo dyeing Handkerchief dyeing 600 yen (tax included) / Stole dyeing 2,500 yen (tax included)
Weaving class: 1 session (approximately 3 hours) x 5 days, 15,000 yen each (tax included)
*For experiences other than the weaving class, please plan for about an hour.
*If you would like to experience indigo dyeing or if you would like to experience it in a group of 20 or more, please contact us in advance.
