Workshops
From cocoon to mawata silk, to thread, and finally to cloth.
We offer small workshops to experience handwork in rhythm with nature.
For First-Time Visitors
Which workshop should I choose?
yamamayu workshops are not simply about making a finished object.
They are small, quiet places to trace the time from cocoon, mawata silk, thread, dyeing, and weaving toward cloth.
- If you would like a short introduction
Mawata Mini Workshop | Hachioji - If you would like to visit the mountain studio in Yamanashi
From Cocoon to Cloth | A Small Time at the Yamanashi Studio - If you enjoy colors and making a small textile piece
Composing Silk Colors | A Small Textile Work in Hachioji - If you are interested in wild silk and the mountain season
noasobi Workshops - If you would like to spend several days at the mountain studio
Summer Workshop | Three Days in the Mountain Studio - If you are looking for a summer family activity or research project
Summer Family Workshop | From Cocoon to Mawata, Making a Small Silk Textile - If you would like to learn continuously
Year-Long Textile Program | Slowly Tracing the Path from Cocoon to Cloth - If you are visiting from overseas or wish to arrange a private visit
Private Studio Visit
Current Workshops
Dates and contents vary by workshop.
Please see the latest information below.
June – September 2026
- June 6 Sat. | Yamanashi
noasobi Workshop | Observing Tensan Wild Silk Larvae
→ View details - June 14 Sun. | Hachioji
Mawata Mini Workshop | A Small Time Where Thread Begins
→ View program - June 19 Fri. & June 20 Sat. | Yamanashi
From Cocoon to Cloth | A Small Time at the Yamanashi Studio
→ View details - June 26 Fri. & June 27 Sat. | Hachioji
Composing Silk Colors | A Small Wall Hanging in Hachioji
→ View details - July 3 Fri. – July 5 Sun. | Yamanashi
Summer Workshop | Three Days in the Mountain Studio
→ View program - July 10 Fri. – July 12 Sun. | Yamanashi
Summer Workshop | Three Days in the Mountain Studio
→ View program - July 26 Sun. | Hachioji
Summer Family Workshop | From Cocoon to Mawata, Making a Small Silk Textile
→ View program - August 11 Tue. | Yamanashi
Summer Family Workshop | From Cocoon to Mawata, Making a Small Silk Textile
→ View program - Starting September 2026 | Yamanashi & Hachioji
Year-Long Textile Program | Slowly Tracing the Path from Cocoon to Cloth
→ View program
Workshop Programs
Based mainly at our studios in Yamanashi and Hachioji, we offer small workshops to experience materials by hand.
Programs include monthly workshops, seasonal sessions, residential workshops, family workshops, continuous study programs, and private studio visits.
Yamanashi | Monthly Workshop
From Cocoon to Cloth | A Small Time at the Yamanashi Studio
A regular workshop in Yamanashi to touch the flow from cocoon, mawata silk, thread, dyeing, and weaving toward cloth.
- Schedule: Third Friday and Saturday of each month
- Location: Yamanashi studio
- Capacity: 2–5 participants
- Time: 10:00–15:00
- Includes lunch
- Contents vary by month
Hachioji | Monthly Workshop
Composing Silk Colors | A Small Textile Work in Hachioji
A workshop to enjoy naturally dyed silk colors and material combinations while creating a small textile piece.
- Schedule: Fourth Friday and Saturday of each month
- Location: Hachioji atelier
- Capacity: 2–5 participants
- Time: 10:00–15:00
- Includes lunch
- Contents vary by month
Mawata Mini Workshop
First Mawata Experience | A Small Time Where Thread Begins
A short introductory workshop for first-time visitors to touch mawata silk and experience the beginning of silk fibers becoming thread.
- Date: Sunday, June 14, 2026
- Location: Hachioji atelier
- Capacity: 2–4 participants
- Time: 13:00–14:30
- Fee: ¥6,600 tax included
- Contents: Introduction to mawata silk, drawing silk fibers into thread, and making a small thread specimen
noasobi Workshops
Small Seasonal Workshops with Materials and Nature
Small seasonal workshops to experience sericulture, wild silk, plants, and the changing mountain season. Held several times a year with different themes.
- May 3 Sun. | Attaching silkworm eggs
- June 6 Sat. | Observing Tensan wild silk larvae
- July 18 Sat. | Harvesting Tensan wild silk cocoons
- Autumn | Sericulture and mawata silk
- Location: Yamanashi
- Mainly 10:00–13:00
Summer Family Workshop
From Cocoon to Mawata, Making a Small Silk Textile
A summer family workshop for those wondering what to do with silkworm cocoons raised at school or at home.
Parents and children, as well as grandparents and grandchildren, are welcome. We will observe the inside of a cocoon, touch mawata silk, choose colors, and make a small silk textile.
- Hachioji session: Sunday, July 26, 2026, 13:00–16:00
- Yamanashi session: Tuesday, August 11, 2026, 13:00–16:00
- For: Elementary to junior high school students with a parent/guardian or grandparent
- Capacity: Up to 4 groups per session
- Fee: Hachioji ¥13,200 per family group / Yamanashi ¥14,300 per family group, tax included
- Contents: Cocoon observation, mawata making, small textile making, and a worksheet for summer research
- Includes seasonal tea and a small sweet
Summer Workshop
Three Days in the Mountain Studio
A 3-day, 2-night summer workshop held at our studio in Yamanashi, where you can slowly experience cocoons, mawata silk, thread making, dyeing, weaving, and the time of the mountains.
This is one of the long-running workshops of Yamamayu no Sato Textile Studio, continued for more than 20 years. It offers time that cannot be fully experienced in a short workshop — from morning to evening, tracing the path from material toward cloth.
Beyond making, this program also includes the atmosphere of the studio, seasonal meals, and the quietness of the mountain landscape.
- Dates: July 3 Fri. – July 5 Sun., 2026
- Dates: July 10 Fri. – July 12 Sun., 2026
- Location: Yamanashi studio
- Format: 3-day, 2-night residential workshop
- Capacity: Small group
- Contents: Cocoons, mawata silk, thread making, dyeing, weaving, and time at the studio
- Details and booking information will be announced on the individual workshop page.
Year-Long Program
Slowly Tracing the Path from Cocoon to Cloth
A year-long textile program to learn, step by step, the flow from cocoon, mawata silk, thread making, dyeing, and weaving through the seasons.
The program is planned to begin in September 2026 at our Yamanashi and Hachioji studios, and is open to beginners.
- Planned start: September 2026
- Locations: Yamanashi studio and Hachioji atelier
- Number of sessions: 6–7 sessions planned
- For: Beginners welcome
- Contents: Cocoon, mawata silk, thread, dyeing, and weaving learned step by step
- Details and application schedule will be announced when ready
Private Studio Visit
Private Studio Experience for Overseas Guests and Small Groups
A private studio visit for overseas guests, textile professionals, and those who would like to learn more deeply about the background of our works.
We introduce the process from cocoon, mawata silk, thread, dyeing, and weaving, and can show textile works upon request.
- Location: Yamanashi studio or Hachioji atelier
- Format: Private visit for one group
- Duration: Approx. 2–3 hours
- Fee: From ¥33,000 per group, tax included
- Contents: Studio visit, material introduction, simple handwork experience, and viewing of textile works
About Participation
Each workshop is held in a small group. Contents may change slightly depending on the season and the condition of the materials.
For outdoor sessions or workshops using cocoons, plants, or hot water, we will let you know in advance about suitable clothing and what to bring. When children participate, we ask that a parent or guardian work together with them for safety.
If You Are Not Sure
If you have questions about the contents or schedule, please feel free to contact us.
For first-time visitors, we also have a page introducing the background of yamamayu.
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