Ryunohara Retreats
Creators’ Edition
The act of creation is not one of just creativity but also of determination, perseverance despite the odds, and the willingness to try and try again. Witness the lives of creators who are dedicating their lives to the preservation of traditional arts and crafts while forging ahead with their own creations. Put your hands and mind to work.
Sample Itinerary
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Day 1
Meet up at Kii-Tanabe Station at 2pm. Shuttle to Ryunohara.
Check in to Ryunohara Hatago, introductions over a Welcome Drink
Assemble your own dinner with seasonal ingredients at the main building
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Day 2
Paper
Make paper from scratch with Okuno-san, who revived the paper making tradition in our village. In a time where the raw ingredients for washi paper may not even be from Japan, Okuno-san has built his own tools, harvested his own raw materials, and uses no electricity or chemicals in his work. You’ll leave with 2 sheets of paper each but also with a greater appreciation of what paper truly means to humanity.
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Day 3
Colours
Enter Negi-chan’s world of colours. It’s not fast fashion but slow fashion, a world where deep colours take time, patience, and heart. You’ll take home traditional furoshiki wrapping cloth dyed in colours derived from herbs, flowers, and bark. They are transformed with onsen water, and lye made from the best ash available. Create your own patterns but also gain an understanding of what it means to lead a colourful life.
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Day 4
Fire
Binchotan charcoal was invented 1 hour away from us, and there is but 1 maker left in our village, Shibata-san. Watch him as he removes charcoal from a kiln burning at 1000°C (1830°F). This high heat and extended burning time results in charcoal that burns for a long time at very temperatures without smoke and very little carbon monoxide. High-end restaurants use his charcoal, and we’ll make wind chimes from them.
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Day 5
Breakfast, check out at 10am
Arrive at Kii-Tanabe Station by 11am for your journey onwards.