Kimono: A Cultural Icon of Japan
During the peak travel season, you’ll often see visitors in colorful kimono strolling through town. Kimono look wonderful against old streetscapes.
Before Western clothing arrived in Japan, kimono were simpler in design and part of everyday life, worn as ordinary clothes.
They were also what people wore to celebrate life’s milestones, such as weddings, Shichi-Go-San (the festival for children aged three, five, and seven), and Coming-of-Age ceremonies, when they dressed in luxurious silk.
Today, we’ll take you behind the scenes of kimono culture, which lies at the very roots of Japanese culture.
Yosano, Kyoto Prefecture.
Walk through the town, and you can still hear the soothing clatter of looms, clack, clack, drifting out from inside traditional machiya townhouses.
For about 300 years, Yosano has been a center of silk weaving, known for Tango chirimen, a fine crepe-textured silk.
Close to the World Heritage site of Amanohashidate, this quiet town still preserves its old streetscapes and the daily life of its people. Even today, Yosano has more textile businesses per capita than any other municipality in Japan.
The Town’s Best-Known Spot: Chirimen Kaido (Chirimen Street)
From the Edo period through the Meiji, Taisho, and early Showa eras, this was where Tango chirimen, a luxurious silk fabric, flourished at its height.
Many buildings from that time still stand today, including merchant houses, clinics, and banks, all built as the chirimen industry modernized the town.
By bike, to Amanohashidate.
The Yosano Tourism Association rents out bicycles. Head out through town, pedal through the peaceful countryside, and before long, the sea comes into view.
And with so few people around, you can take in everyday life in the town slowly, at your own pace.
“Is this what travel felt like before smartphones?” you might wonder. Step away from the convenience of instant information. Jot down your memories in a notebook, or strike up a conversation with someone in town…
We quietly hope that in Yosano, you’ll find a moment to lose track of time and come back to yourself.
What Is Tango Chirimen?
Tango chirimen is a silk fabric born about 300 years ago in the Tango region of northern Kyoto Prefecture. It is known for its distinctive crinkled texture, called “shibo.”
In the Edo period, local weavers adopted techniques from Nishijin in Kyoto, and through their own ingenuity, a unique textile culture grew.
Even today, the region produces 70% of Japan’s silk fabric. Long used as a fabric for kimono, Tango chirimen has supported Japanese tradition and remains the signature textile of Tango, carried on to this day.
🚃 Getting Between Kyoto Station and Yosano by Public Transportation
[Option 1: By Train]
Step 1. Take a limited express train, such as the “Hashidate,” from Kyoto Station to Amanohashidate Station.
Step 2. At Amanohashidate Station, change to the Kyoto Tango Railway and ride to Yosano Station.
Travel time: about 2 hours 15 minutes or more in total.
[Option 2: By Highway Bus]
Take the highway bus from Kyoto Station to a stop such as Nodagawa Tankai-mae.
Depending on your destination, you may need to change to a local bus after getting off.
[Timetables and Service Information]
- Yosano Town public transportation timetable:
https://www.town.yosano.lg.jp/life/local-transportation/jikokuhyo/ - Tankai Highway Bus timetable:
https://www.tankai.jp/highwaybus/timetable/ - Kyoto Tango Railway timetable:
https://trains.willer.co.jp/timetable/
Please note: Travel times and service status vary depending on the date and time of day. Be sure to check the latest timetable before you travel.
⏰ Tour Duration
About 4 hours
(the time may vary depending on the number of workshops you visit)
📍 Meet at the Yosano Tourism Association
📍Stroll along Chirimen Kaido
📍Visit weaving factories
📍Tour ends at the Yosano Tourism Association
🏠 お宿情報
📍Idutsuya (Chirimen Kaido Ryori Ryokan)
HP：https://www.chirimenkaido-idutsuya.jp/
Founded in 1890, this inn is known for its dishes of fresh Sea of Japan fish and Kyoto free-range chicken, finished over charcoal.
Only three groups of guests stay each day, and the atmosphere feels like visiting a relative’s country home. Please note that it is not a hot spring inn, and it puts food ahead of facilities.
⏰ Check-in: from 4:00 PM / Check-out: by 10:00 AM
💴 From ¥9,000 (room only). Meal plans available.
📍Kayayama-no-Ie
HP：https://yosano-kankou.net/stays/kaya_yamanoie/
Perched on a hillside, this inn overlooks terraced rice fields and the town below. Enjoy dishes made with local vegetables, game meat, and seafood, along with craft beer brewed with Yosano hops and local sake.
There are six tatami rooms, from 8 to 25 mats, and the inn welcomes everyone from solo travelers to large groups booking the whole place.
⏰ Check-in: 3:00 PM to 10:00 PM / Check-out: by 10:00 AM
✔︎ Snow falls here in winter, so snow tires are recommended if you are driving. The inn is entirely non-smoking.
💴 From ¥5,000 (room only). Meal plans available.
📍KAYA
HP：https://kaya-kyoto.com/
A traditional townhouse (kominka) at the end of a quiet alley off Chirimen Kaido, rented out as a whole house.
The highlights are a wood-fired sauna and craft beer on tap made with Yosano hops, along with hop-scented steam in the sauna.
⏰ Check-in: from 4:00 PM / Check-out: by 10:00 AM
💴 From ¥70,000 (room only). Meals can be added as an option.