Natural Indigo Dyeing Tour

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If you’ve taken a tour with us in the past, you may notice that we tend wear a lot of blue. That’s thanks to our good friends in Nagiso, who is an expert at natural indigo dyeing. She ferments her own dye, and makes a variety of clothes, drapery, and accessories in her home workshop. The resulting colours are beautiful in all their various shades, and the process of dyeing things for yourself is also great fun, and a great way to explore a mostly forgotten part of Japanese culture.

On this tour you’ll learn all about indigo dyeing from a friendly, knowledgeable expert, who will then guide you through the dyeing process. You’ll get to pick something to dye yourself, which you’ll be able to take home that very day, as a memento of your time in Kiso.

Please note that this tour is currently only available on weekends and Japanese national holidays

Note: The dyeing liquid is a fairly strong alkaline. Most people won’t have any problem, but guests with sensitive skin can wear gloves during the dyeing process. Those with extreme sensitivity may want to give this tour a miss, however.

This tour has half-day and full-day options.
more details below

Reserve a Tour Date

Recommended seasons to visit:

Tour Information:

  • Starting & Ending at: Nagiso station (or nearby areas – please ask!)
    (see detailed travel info)
  • Time Estimate: Half-day tour: 3-4 hours, Full-day tour: 5-7 hours

Accommodation – where to stay:

The most convenient areas for this tour are: Nagiso (plentiful accommodation options) and Nakatsugawa/Magome, but Okuwa, Kiso-Fukushima, or anywhere in the Kiso valley is just fine.

You can find more detailed suggestions for accommodation in and around the Kiso area here.

Reserve a Tour Date

Highlights of the Tour:

・The chance to meet a local artisan, and learn all about contemporary life in this quiet part of the world.
・An guided exploration of the history, traditions, and craft of indigo dyeing.
・Hands-on experience with a centuries-old folk craft that few travellers to Japan will ever get the chance to experience.
・A stroll around a local neighbourhood filled with rice fields, mountain springs, and calm conifer forests.
・(optional) delicious, locally made, seasonal bento boxes, enjoyed right there at the workshop.
・Your own hand-dyed, completely unique souvenir to take home with you—use it, display it, or wear it! (see options below)

Tour Options:

Full-Day Tour:

Our guiding fee: from ¥46,000
Additional fees: ¥3,500-¥7,000 per person
(see Pricing below)

The full-day version of this tour allows you to meet the artisan, learn all about indigo dyeing, and dye to your heart’s content!

While a half-day tour only allows you to dye one item of your choosing, the full-day tour gives you much more time. Recommended for those with a strong interest in dyeing or textiles, or for those who want to dye multiple items.

・Roughly 5-6 hours total


Combined Full-Day Tour:

Indigo Dyeing
&
Kakizore Gorge Walking Tour

Our guiding fee: from 46,000
Additional fees:
・Indigo Dyeing: ¥3,500-¥7,000 per person
(see Pricing below)

This option combines the shorter version of the indigo dyeing activity above with a half-day visit to the secluded Kakizore gorge.

Not too steep, and not overly long, this walking route nevertheless boasts both stunning waterfalls and serene pools of crystal-clear water straight from the mountains.

・Roughly 5-7 hours total

Combined Full-Day Tour:

Indigo Dyeing
&
Nagiso Woodworking

Our guiding fee: from ¥46,000
Additional fees:
・Indigo Dyeing: ¥3,500-¥7,000 per person
(see Pricing below)
・Woodworking: ¥5,500 per person

This option combines the shorter version of the indigo dyeing activity above with the chance to try your hand at Nagiso’s traditional woodturning craft.

On this tour, you’ll visit a traditional woodworking workshop, learn about the history of their craft, and fashion your own plate on a woodworker’s lathe.

・Roughly 5-6 hours total

Combined Full-Day Tour:

Indigo Dyeing
&
Yogawa Trail Walking Tour

Our guiding fee: from ¥46,000
Additional fees:
・Indigo Dyeing: ¥3,500-¥7,000 per person
(see Pricing below)

Since the dyeing workshop is located just off the Yogawa trail—the scenic stretch of the Nakasendo between Nagiso and Nojiri—this tour is perfect for combining with our Yogawa Trail Walking Tour.

On this tour you’ll hike the Yogawa trail through idyllic mountain hamlets, before taking a rest at the workshop to try your hand at indigo dyeing. Then, when you’re finished, you’ll continue on the trail, cresting the Ne-no-Ue mountain pass, before finally descending through beautifully forested slopes into Nojiri post town.

Notes on lunch:
Since we’ll really be striking out into nature on this tour, we won’t pass any places to eat until we finish in Nojiri post town. You’re welcome to bring your own lunch, but we’d strongly recommend letting us reserve delicious, seasonal bento boxes, made by a great local company.

(vegan/gluten free/etc. meals available, but please let us know about your dietary restrictions in advance)

・Roughly 6-8 hours total

Half-Day Tour:

Our guiding fee: from ¥36,000
Additional fees: ¥3,500-¥7,000 per person
(see Pricing below)

The half-day version of this tour allows you to meet the artisan, learn all about indigo dyeing, and dye one item of your choosing (please note that if you want to dye something particularly large, or if you want to attain a very deep, dark blue colour, it might require too much time for a half-day tour – please ask when you make your reservation!).

Those who want to spend more time dyeing, or who want to dye multiple items, might want to choose a full-day tour instead.

Notes on lunch:
Since we’ll really be striking out into nature on this tour, we won’t pass any places to eat until we finish in Nojiri post town. You’re welcome to bring your own lunch, but we’d strongly recommend letting us reserve delicious, seasonal bento boxes, made by a great local company.

(vegan/gluten free/etc. meals available, but please let us know about your dietary restrictions in advance)

・Roughly 3-4 hours total

The half-day version of this tour can be combined with a variety of other half-day tours, including ones that are not listed here—feel free to check our other Walking Tours and Cultural Experience Tours.

*Please note that 100% of the additional fees above go to the craftsperson (to pay for their time, etc.). We never receive any money from any of the instructors who run these sessions. We want these tours to be sustainable—both for us and for the local area—so we don’t believe in taking any money away from the local people who make these experience tours possible.

Pricing:

Full-day Course:

1-2 people: ¥46,000
3-6 people: ¥50,000
7+ people: ¥55,000

Dyeing options:
+¥3,500 per person to dye a handkerchief
+¥4,000 per person to dye a tenugui (a traditional Japanese hand towel)
+¥7,000 per person to dye a t-shirt (please let us know your size in advance)

Any of the above can be provided for you on the day at no extra charge

Please see below if you’d like to bring something of your own to dye!


Half-day Course:

1-2 people: ¥36,000
3-6 people: ¥40,000
7+ people: ¥45,000

Dyeing options:
+¥3,500 per person to dye a handkerchief
+¥4,000 per person to dye a tenugui (a traditional Japanese hand towel)
+¥7,000 per person to dye a t-shirt (please let us know your size in advance)

Any of the above can be provided for you on the day at no extra charge

Please see below if you’d like to bring something of your own to dye!



Bringing something of your own to dye:

In principle, the dyer is happy for guests to bring their own items to dye during the tour. However, the price will depend on the weight of the item in question:

Up to 100g: ¥3,000 per item
Over 100g: ¥3,000 + ¥30 per additional gram

e.g. 90g: ¥3,000
e.g. 135g: ¥4,050

Please make sure to let us know in advance what exactly you are planning on dyeing, and please give us an accurate weight.

Please note that some textiles may be difficult to dye, and so may require extra time (which in some circumstances may necessitate a full-day tour instead of a half-day tour). Feel free to ask if you have any questions!

  • The above fees don’t include any of your travel costs, museum entrance fees, or any meals you may buy on the day.
  • Payment is required upon confirmation of your reservation – late payment may result in your tour date being cancelled. (also see our cancellation policy)
Reserve a Tour Date

Recommended Follow-up Tours:

Many of our customers string together several of our day tours for a guided multi-day trip along the Kiso valley. We’d generally recommend 3-5 days to get the most out of the area.

Any of our tours are accessible from Nagiso, but we think the following are especially good for a follow-up tour (or for a tour the day before this one):

Magome to Tsumago
(Full Day)

Our most popular route (and for very good reason), this hike passes between two of the most picturesque historical towns along the Nakasendo trail—Magome and Tsumago—with stunning natural views of imposing mountains, lush forests, and raging waterfalls along the way.

Southern Kiso
Cultural Experience
Tour
(Full Day – combining
2 half-day tours)

This combination of two of our half-day Cultural Experience Tours provides the opportunity to not just see the southern side of the Kiso valley, but to experience it hands-on.

you can choose two of the following activities:
(1) Nagiso Traditional Woodworking Tour
(2) Traditional Soba Noodles Making Tour

Kakizore Gorge Walking Tour
(Full Day)

Hidden away in the mountains between Nagiso town and Okuwa village, the Kakizore gorge is a perfect option for anyone looking for a follow-up to the Magome-Tsumago tour. Not too steep, and not overly long, this route nevertheless boasts both stunning waterfalls and serene pools of crystal-clear water straight from the mountains.

Travel Information:

This tour can be done as a day trip from Nagoya or Matsumoto, but we’d generally recommend staying overnight somewhere in the Kiso area—either before or after the tour (ideally both).

Where the tour starts:

This tour starts at Nagiso station on the JR Chuo line. We’ll drive you to the workshop from there.

Alternatively, we can start the tour in Nakatsugawa, Magome, Tsumago, or Nojiri.

Our advice on getting to Nagiso station

Where the tour finishes:

The tour finishes back at Nagiso station (we’ll drive you back from the workshop).

Nagiso:
– Plentiful accommodation options
– Convenient train connections to Nakatsugawa and Kiso-Fukushima, as well as limited express trains to Nagoya,Matsumoto, and Nagano
– Taxi and bus connections to Tsumago and Magome

You can find Google Maps information for Nagiso below

Extra Information:

Recommended places to stay:

You can find suggestions for accommodation in the Kiso area here. The most convenient spots for this tour are Agematsu and Kiso-Fukushima, but anywhere in the Kiso valley is just fine.

Cancellation policy & other info:

Please see our full cancellation policy, as well as other information, here.

How to get your luggage around:

You can find information on local luggage transportation companies here.

Travel insurance:

Please note that we do not provide travel insurance – we recommend you purchase your own.


Google Maps Information:

Nagiso Station