Japan travel and traditional craft learning showing kimono workshop and cultural immersion experience

THREE WEEKS IN JAPAN AS A MAKER

Japan has a way of slowing you down not by force, but by example. At the centre of my time in Japan was learning to make a traditional kimono in Japan, an experience that reshaped how I think about craft and process.

Spending three weeks there gave me space to observe how deeply craft, care, and intention are woven into everyday life. From fabric shops to workshops, from quiet streets to shared learning spaces, the value placed on doing things well—not quickly—was everywhere.

Travel as Education

For me, travel has always been part of learning. Stepping outside your usual environment changes how you see your own habits, assumptions, and pace.

The kimono class was the anchor point of my time in Japan, but everything around it  the fabric shopping, the daily routines, the attention to detail—reinforced the same message. The discipline required for the hand-stitched construction of the kimono stayed with me long after the class ended.

Bringing It Home

I returned with more than memories and photographs. I returned with a renewed commitment to thoughtful making, to slowing down where possible, and to honouring the process as much as the outcome.

Outside the classroom, I continued seeking out other forms of making, following the same values of patience and repetition. These lessons continue to shape my work today, long after the journey ended.

In the next post, I’ll step back and introduce the other classes I took part in while in Japan.

Continue the Series

This is the fourth in a five-part series on learning traditional Japanese kimono construction:

  1. Learning to Make a Traditional Kimono in Japan
  2. Inside a Traditional Kimono Class in Japan 
  3. Making a Traditional Kimono by Hand
  4. Three Weeks in Japan as a Maker (you are here)
  5. Learning Through Making: Craft Experiences I Sought Out in Japan

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