First Day

Highlights of Our First Day

Bryan picked us up in Tokyo at our hotel and with two vehicles brought us all directly to his farmhouse in Fujino. We were greeted by Hiro, Bryan's partner, who also lives at the farmhouse. Here the other participants from around the globe were formally introduced to each other: Donna, Renita, Anna, Janis, Louise, Shelley, Claudia, Suzi and me, Debra. Starting as strangers and leaving as friends, the bonding started immediately. After being assigned our rooms and roommates, we enjoyed a wonderful homemade lunch prepared by Hiro. Not a minute was wasted and we had our first lecture on the history of Japanese textiles and crafts. Bryan checked our homework which was done at home prior to arrival. We started our initial project, first practicing with paper folding then progressing to our first cloth project to dye the next day. For our special "Welcome" dinner, we drove to a nearby restaurant to enjoy a hibachi-style dinner. The restaurant was exquisite with private tatami rooms, servers in kimonos, beautiful gardens and walking bridges. The food and drink were delicious and the evening memorable.
See links below for the full tour of the Japan Textile Workshop & Tour 2015