Fukuoka Now is pleased to announce this very special tour to see one of Kurume’s finest traditional manufacturing processes: Kurume Kasuri. This full-day tour includes a delicious Japanese lunch and opportunities to pick your own persimmons. The tour is subsidised and is a great opportunity to see some of traditional Japan. Read on for more details and a full itinerary.
Kurume Kausuri is a unique and highly regarded weaving and dye craft on the cusp of a resurgence in popularity. In this special tour we’ll take you behind the scenes at two workshops to see the dyeing and weaving process up close. You’ll be amazed at the detail and care involved in these handcrafted processes. We’ll meet the craftsmen, have a chance to speak to them directly and see the raw materials, process and finished products.
Then we’ll enjoy a tasty Japanese (kaiseki style) lunch made with local and fresh ingredients at restaurant Waka. The Kurume area is also famous for delicious kaki (persimmons).
We’ll stop by an orchard where you can pick kaki directly off the tree. There will be free samples and you can buy some to take home as souvenirs.
Near to the persimmon orchard, we’ll visit an area with many haze trees. The nuts on these trees were once an important raw material used to make candles. The candles are still made as a local craft. They have beautiful long flames and a warm a color that cannot be matched by today’s mass produced candles.
Fukuoka Now staff and a knowledgeable bilingual guide will provide full guidance in English the entire day. The tour price includes all transportation and lunch.
Don’t miss this opportunity to learn more about Fukuoka Prefecture’s crafts, culture and foods! Book a seat for yourself and your friends, limited to 20 persons, book soon!
Note: The cost of this tour has been considerably subsidized. Participants are expected to fill out a short survey about the tour at the end. The program is intended for non-Japanese persons, and they will be given priority in booking. However, Japanese persons are welcome to attend so long as they reserve at the same time as a non-Japanese person.
• Nov. 12, (Sat.), 2016
• Time: 08:15 departure from Tenjin, return by 17:00 to Tenjin
• Tour fee: ¥3,000 (including tax)
• Includes English speaking tour guide
Tour Itinerary
08:15: Meeting time
08:30: Depart by bus from Tenjin (in front of Bank of Japan)
09:30~10:40: Marugame Kasuri Workshop (machinery)
10:50~12:00: Moriyama Kasuri Workshop (dyeing, handweaving)
12:20~13:30: Lunch at Waka
14:10~14:50: Persimmon-picking
15:00~15:40: Visit area with haze trees
17:00: Return to Tenjin
