ESMOD TOKYO International Short Courses
Applications Now Open
Jul 20 – 24, 2026
A five-day immersion into Japanese textile culture, approached through making, material exploration, and cultural discovery across Tokyo.
Led by practitioners working across traditional techniques and contemporary textile design, the course introduces a range of traditional Japanese textile practices through guided workshops, studio sessions, cultural visits, and lectures.
Participants will travel across five different locations throughout Tokyo to experience workshops in:
- Kumihimo braiding and traditional Japanese cord making
- Traditional Japanese weaving techniques
- Natural plant dyeing processes
- Indigo and tenugui dyeing techniques
- Katazome stencil dyeing and Edo Komon textile techniques
Alongside the workshops, the program includes visits to inspirational craft museums, vintage kimono shops, and traditional Japanese wooden shoe (geta) makers’ stores, offering participants a broader understanding of Japanese craftsmanship, material culture, and the relationship between tradition and everyday life.
Participants work in a focused setting, engaging directly with how color develops, how patterns carry meaning, and how variation and irregularity are integrated into Japanese aesthetics. Equal attention is given to practice and reflection, allowing understanding to emerge through doing.
The practice encourages a different relationship to material, where observation, patience, and process guide decision-making, and where textiles are understood as evolving rather than controlled outcomes.
INSTRUCTORS
Shoko Uematsu
A Tama Art University graduate, Shoko works between Tokyo and Shanghai across material research and product development, with a textile expertise and practice grounded in both experimentation and tradition.
Quoi Alexander
A graduate of Central Saint Martins with a BA in Fashion Design and an MA in Regenerative Design, Quoi has worked as a designer at Chanel and Alexander McQueen before founding his own label, Quoi Alexander, in Paris. Along with his teaching, he currently researches materials and regenerative design in Tokyo.
DISCOVER & EXPERIMENT
Discover katazome (stencil dyeing), natural dyeing, kumihimo (rope and cord making), indigo and tenugui dyeing, Edo Komon, and traditional weaving through guided hands-on workshops led by active practitioners.
Experiment with color development, resist techniques, pattern building, material handling, and textile construction processes.
Visit craft museums, vintage kimono shops, and traditional craft stores throughout Tokyo to gain deeper insight into Japanese material culture and visual language.
Take part in seminars and discussions positioning these practices within broader cultural, historical, and technical contexts.
LEARN
Understand the foundations of key Japanese textile processes and how they developed through material, environment, and daily practice.
Observe how different traditions approach time, repetition, attention to detail, and the relationship between craft and daily life.
Learn directly from active practitioners while exploring how traditional Japanese textile techniques continue to evolve within contemporary culture and design.
EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES
Gain an opportunity to create with your hands, understand Japanese textile culture through direct engagement with materials, professionals, processes, and places.
Build a collection of textile samples, references, and observations that can inform future creative work, teaching practice, or personal research.
Jul 20 – 24, 2026
Tuition Fee: ¥120,000 (~€650) *
*Pricing includes all workshops, materials, and Japanese–English interpretation.Accommodation, travel, and personal expenses are not included.
*The course is subject to a minimum enrollment of 5 participants.
*Small-group training, limited number of participants. Pre-registration doesn’t confirm participation.
Interpretation provided (JP/EN)
Location: Tokyo (details shared after registration)
Open to both Japanese and English speakers.
The course is taught in Japanese with live Japanese to English interpretation.
If you are interested, please complete the pre-registration form below.
Pre registration form
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at <shortcourse@esmodtokyo.com>