(Image via KnitJapan)
Do you remember the thrill of that moment when your acceptance letter for a new school, or university dropped through the letterbox? Well these days it’s by email, but I got the same feeling this morning when I opened up the mail that said I have been accepted* into the Kawashima Textile School in Kyoto for a delicious month studying traditional Japanese textiles, during my time in Japan next year. (*There isn’t actually an entrance exam or anything, but it’s always nice to be accepted!)
KTS is somewhere I have wanted to study for a long time. Besides the alluring fact that the school is nestled in a village in the mountains north of Kyoto, its courses have always drawn me in. I must have read and reread their website 50 times over the last few years, always trying to work out how I could squeeze in the time to go. But now I am going to be living down the road for several months, so it is perfect.
(Image via KnitJapan)
The school – one of the oldest textile academies in Asia – has been teaching textile studies since 1973, and has substantial facilities for dyeing and weaving, including a variety of looms. They teach traditional techniques and culture, alongside modern textile practices. One of the courses will be in English and one in Japanese, so I’d better get learning some textile-related vocabulary before then! The school was founded by Kawashima Textile Manufacturers Ltd and students have the chance to see the company’s specialised textile processes up close. I cannot wait.
So much for my plans to have no plans while in Kyoto next year…
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