Iga Kumihimo: the Long Tradition of the Braided Cord
Iga City in Mie Prefecture has so much to offer tourists. It’s known for everything from Haiku (Japanese poetry) to ninjas and beef. There’s a gorgeous castle with a large park around it and it’s just a nice, quiet town to escape to when your trip consists of hopping from one megalopolis to the other. But you can’t really bring beef, ninjas, or castles back home with you. What you can do is learn a traditional handicraft in one sitting, and bring that knowledge and what you’ve made home with you.
Caption: My gracious kumihimo hosts took a picture with me to celebrate my unlikely success.
The Iga Kumihimo Kumi no Sato is a must for anyone visiting Iga that wants a great interactive experience and a meaningful souvenir to take back home. Next time I’m in Iga I’ll definitely go again. Maybe they’ll let me make some kumihimo socks or something, now that I’ve graduated from the beginner level.
Getting to the workshop is really easy. It’s a short walk from Uenoshi Station, just past the Danjiri Museum. From Nagoya or Osaka, getting to Iga City takes about an hour and twenty minutes by car, or two hours by train. If you go by train, you’ll need to check where you’ll need to switch trains carefully. Or you can always just take a highway bus. Check the timetables from Osaka or Nagoya.
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