Some of you may know that I have a creative writing site on Substack called Digging Deep, Then Deeper: Something to Say. Today, I published an essay about my take on Japanese culture based on my observations of acts of kindness, cleanliness, and respect. Rather than repost it in its entirety, you can read it at this link: A Culture of Kindness.
And, if you haven’t already subscribed to read my essays past and future, you can do this at the end of the essay with the buttons.
Thanks so much for reading and commenting. All my best, Norma
And, we are taking a list of people interested in going with us to Japan for a culture and textile tour in October 2025. If you would like to add your name to be notified when we have more information, please send me an email. Thank you very much.
Annie, my friend from Taos and traveling companion, spent the afternoon in a kintsugi workshop in the Aoyama neighborhood of Tokyo. Kintsugi is the process of mending broken pottery and lining the cracks with a combination of a special glue and filling them with 24k gold powder.
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Wabi-Sabi is the philosophy of making something whole from imperfection. Imperfection is honored here. It recognizes that nothing in life is perfect. things can be repaired and made whole again is a practice that applies to everything in life, including all things in life — people, nature.
“Kintsugi is a traditional Japanese technique of repairing broken ceramics with gold or silver. This method embodies the aesthetic of wabi-sabi, which finds beauty in imperfection and the natural aging process. The beauty of imperfection is not about hiding flaws such as cracks or chips; instead, it is about emphasizing them through kintsugi, creating a new kind of beauty. On the other hand, the beauty of aging means finding new value in things that naturally change over time, gaining unique textures and charms as they age or wear. Kintsugi realizes these concepts, breathing new life into broken objects and creating a new kind of beauty. On the other hand, the beauty of aging means finding new value in things that naturally change over time, gaining unique textures and charms as they age or wear. Kintsugi realizes these concepts, breathing new life into broken objects and creating a distinctive form of beauty.”
The lacquer used in Kintsugi is a sap collected from the lacquer tree, which is purified to remove impurities. The types of lacquer commonly used include raw lacquer (kurushi), clear lacquer (sukiurushi), wheat lacquer (mugiurushi), rust lacquer (sabiurushi), engraved lacquer (kokusourushi), black lacquer (kuroroiurushi), and picture lacquer (eiurushi).
Lacquer rash is an allergic reaction caused by a component in lacquer called urushiol, which can cause symptoms such as redness, eczema, swelling, and itching. In severe cases, it can even cause difficulty breathing, so caution is needed when handling it. However, products coated with fully dried lacquer typically do not cause rashes, and lacquerware craftsmen often develop immunity to lacquer, making them less prone to rashes.
The drying time for lacquer depends greatly on humidity and temperature. Generally, a humidity of 70% to 85% and a temperature of 20* C to 30° C are required for drying lacquer, and craftsmen use a controlled environment called a “lacquer bath” for this process. The drying time varies depending on the type of lacquer used, the season, and the conditions of the lacquer bath, usually taking half a day to a day.
Our finished pieces were carefully put into a container. We were told to keep it there for two weeks, then carefully remove them to let them air cure for another two weeks —a month total.
It was an amazing experience. If you are interested in coming with us to Japan in October 2025, please send me an email. I can’t guarantee we will do this workshop. Perhaps it is something you could do on your own before or after the tour.
We spent the day with our guide Kit who has been living in Tokyo for over forty years. She met her Japanese husband in London where he was a student and she was a resident advisor for Brown University study abroad. Kit has. PhD in English literature and is fluent in Japanese of course. It was an amazing adventure. Our day started at a katazome workshop and ended with shaved ice —. nothing I’ve ever tasted before! An amazing treat to end our day together. I was so full I couldn’t eat dinner.
Stencil dyeing in Japan is called katazome (型染め). In this technique, a stencil (usually made from paper) is used to apply a resist paste, typically made from rice flour, onto fabric. The resist blocks dye from penetrating certain areas, creating intricate patterns when the fabric is dyed. After dyeing, the resist is washed away to reveal the design. Katazome is commonly used for kimono fabrics and other traditional textiles.
The workshop master makes intricately dyed cloth that is sewn into kimono that can cost $70,000 USD. These are handed down generation to generation. We had a hands-on experience dyeing a tote bag. I chose white. Annie chose gold.
We will likely have a similar experience on our October Japan tour in 2025. Send me an email if you want to get on the interested list.
The cloth is “cooked” in a sawdust steam bath to set the design permanently. We got there just in time to see the dye master bring it out of the steamer. It will then be rinsed in an indoor “stream” of water to reveal the pattern.
Japan is an aesthetic experience. There is detail and be attention to everything here, from food to clothing to handcrafts. It is a place of extraordinary beauty. And they practice the art of wabi-sabi — there is beauty in simplicity and imperfection.
I spent the morning with Keiko-San at her home gallery twenty steps away from the Red Bridge. There is a green bridge, white bridge, and red bridge here. Landmarks to navigate location. Japanese are very organized and clean. Hisa, a local translator, met me at the red bridge along with Keiko-San to take me to her house. As we entered i was asked to take off my shoes before climbing the steep stairs to where she lives.
Keiko-San is a master Sashiko embroiderer. She does not have a shop. One must know about her and arrange a meeting through her son who lives in the US. I was grateful to have Hisa with me to make the communication easier.
Upon arriving upstairs, I was surrounded by this Japanese artwork of making little embroidery stitches on hand dyed indigo cloth. I was there for two hours. We even worked together to make two beautiful berets a bit smaller to fit. Fun is not enough to describe the experience.
Of course I bought something and if I never bought another piece of clothing in my life, this would be enough. My friend Svetlana Suggested I visit Keiko and also referred me to Hisa. Going into an artisan’s home is what I treasure most. I hope to return someday. Perhaps in 2025!
if you want to go to Japan with us in late 2025, please send me an email to get on the interested list.
We missed the debate! It was held at 10 am Wednesday morning here. I’m traveling g with friends who have been to Japan nine times. The plan was to hit the streets. But it was modified to spend the day in the giant air conditioned Takashimaya department store to shelter from the 98 degree weather and high humidity.
We are staying at the Hotel Granvia at the train station. Very convenient. Next to food courts, galleries, and shopping
Every department store has a food court and carry out shops filled with fresh and exotic foods. Japan is foodie heaven.
I found a pop up of indigo clothing made in Okayama and went a bit crazy. The indigo here is a different strain than what is grown in Oaxaca.
Time to get going. It’s 10:15 am here in Kyoto, Thursday morning. You all are getting ready for or are already sleeping!
Why Travel With Us: Help sustain regenerative traditions.
We know the culture! This is our land! We are locally owned and operated.
Eric Chavez Santiago is tri-lingual --Spanish, English, Zapotec.
Eric was founding director of education, Museo Textil de Oaxaca + folk art expert
Norma Schafer has lived in Oaxaca since 2005.
Norma is a seasoned university educator.
We have deep connections with artists and artisans.
63% of our travelers repeat -- high ratings, high satisfaction.
Wide ranging expertise: textiles, folk art, pottery, cultural wisdom.
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Creating Connectionand Meaning between travelers and with indigenous artisans. Meet makers where they live and work. Join small groups of like-minded explorers. Go deep into remote villages. Gain insights. Support cultural heritage and sustainable traditions. Create value and memories. Enjoy hands-on experiences. Make a difference.
What is a Study Tour: Our programs are learning experiences, and as such we talk with makers about how and why they create, what is meaningful to them, the ancient history of patterning and design, use of color, tradition and innovation, values and cultural continuity, and the social context within which they work. First and foremost, we are educators. Norma worked in top US universities for over 35 years and Eric founded the education department at Oaxaca’s textile museum. We create connection.
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Arts organizations, museums, designers, retailers, wholesalers, curators, universities and others come to us to develop artisan relationships, customized itineraries, meetings and conferences. It's our pleasure to make arrangements.
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October 27, 28, 29: DAY OF THE DEAD PHOTO WORKSHOP in Teotitlán Del Valle with Luvia Lazo, featured in The New Yorker Magazine. Portraits and Street Photography, recipient of Leica Women Foto Project Award Winner 2024. This is an insider's Street and Portrait photography experience. We visit families in their homes to arrange photo sessions, we take you on the back streets where tourists rarely go.
October 30: Bucket List Day of the Dead Immersion in Teotitlan del Valle A one-day immersion into culture, traditions, and meaning. Build an altar. Gather altar decor at the special market. Savor a homemade tamale lunch. Taste mezcal. Visit artisans. Dye a special textile. Register FAST.
December 6-14: Oaxaca Textile Tour and Workshopsincluding dye and weaving workshops, Tlacolula market and spinning village visits, plus lots more. With Fiber Circle Studio, Petaluma, California. Registration open!
January 11-17, Deep Dive Into Oaxaca: Cooking, Culture + Craft.Take a cooking class and printmaking workshop, visit artisan studios, weavers, and potteries, eat street tacos, taste artisanal mezcal, shop at markets, and explore the depths. 1 Double-Bed Room Left!
February 6-15:Guatemala Textile Study Tour: Cloth and Culture. Discover Antigua, Lake Atitlan and Panajachel, Chichicastenango Market, and visit Coban where they weave fine gauze cloth called pikbil. SOLD OUT
March 12-17: Deep Into the Mixteca Alta: Oaxaca Textile + Folk Art Study Tour 2025. This is cultural immersion at its best! Following the Dominican Route, we visit potteries, churches, Triqui weavers working in natural dyes, a cooperative in Tijaltepec that makes smocked blouses, the expansive Tlaxiaco Saturday Tianguis. Experience another side of Oaxaca.
October: Japan Folk Art and Textile Tour. Get on the Interested List. Details to Come. Email us.
Oaxaca has the largest and most diverse textile culture in Mexico! Learn about it.
When you visit Oaxaca immerse yourself in our textile culture: How is indigenous clothing made, what is the best value, most economical, finest available. Suitable for adults only. Set your own dates.
One-Day Tours: Schedule When YOU Want to Go!
Ruta del Mezcal One-Day Tour.We start the day with pottery, visiting a master, then have lunch with a Traditional Oaxaca Cook who is the master of mole making. In Mitla, we meet with our favorite flying shuttle loom weaver, and then finish off with a mezcal tasting at a palenque you will NEVER find on your own! Schedule at your convenience!
Teotitlan del Valle Map with select rug weavers, restaurants, village attractions
Tlacolula Market Map -- where to find food, shopping, ATMs, and more
Our Favorite Things to Do in Oaxaca -- eating, shopping, gallery hopping + more
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