Japanese Culture: 2006年2月アーカイブ

If you want to get experience of dyeing clothes, Roketsuzome dyeing would be interesting for you.
Roketsu dyeing studio is the only place in Japan visitors can experience the entire roketsu process;
instruction by craftspeople with more than 50 years of experience;
make something to take home;
two hour sessions: 1500/cloth or 2500/T-shirt;
book at least 1 hour before your visit;

15 min. by taxi from Kyoto St. or a 2-min.
walk from Nishikyogoku Umazuka-cho stop on Kyoto City bus #80 or #32;

73 Umazuka-cho, Nishikyogoku
Ukyo-ku, Kyoto 615-0885
Tel (075) 313-1871
Fax (075) 313-1941
Open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Closed Wednesday

To have Japanese style room, it is very easy and nice to have a Japanese Paper Lamp.
"あかりデザイン工房", a Japanese craft lamp workshop makes nice lamps.
The lamps gives you warm feeling and makes you relaxed.

address: 京都市上京区東堀川通り出水下る
tel: 075-451-8789
e-mail: kabun@pop02.odn.ne.jp

There is a machiya, old Japanese house, called "Shijo-Kyo machiya" which you can visit for free in Kyoto.
This machiya is kept by Kyoto city to show what is a machiya and hold some traditional event you can join for reasonable price.

蒔絵：makie class
Every Saturday, they hold a class to make "Bon", a Japanese plate with gold powder.
Date: every Saturday 11:00 to 16:00
e-mail: info@kyomachiya.org
tel: 075-213-0350
address: 京都市下京区四条通西洞院東入郭巨山町11
higashihairu, nishino-toin,
shijodori, shimogyo-ku, kyoto city

They exhibit many traditional hand crafts like ceramics, sake, clothes and so forth and you can even purchase those.
It is free to enter and enjoy Japanese culture!

The day before the season changes is called Setsubun. This occurs 4 times a year, but only the change from winter to spring is widly observed. Nowadays, this day falls on 3r of February.
On this day, beans are thrown at a demon (often a cooperative family member with a mask), while screaming “Out with demons, in with good luck”. You can find in many shops the set of mask and beans ready to use.