focus
Japanese Craft & Cultural Context
type of camp
Cultural Immersion Learning
group size
12
price
TBD
specific dates
September 2019
location
Makabe, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan
Registration
This registration is now closed. For late admission, please contact registration@typecamp.org
Highlights
expand your Japanese cultural knowledge
explore Japanese modern and traditional crafts
experiment with Japanese calligraphy styles
understand Japanese lettering practices
discover your new hand lettering skills
transform fabric with traditional indigo
form your own historic japanese name stamp
carve a gourd, yes, a gourd!
make your own sake label at a centuries-old sake factory
connect with Japanese artisans in the village
meet the locals that have welcomed you to their town
taste rustic food from the Japanese countryside
enjoy a relaxing week in rural Japan
Details
We are considering holding our Japan camp again September 2019.
Are you interested? Let us know!
This camp will take place in the small village of Makabe in the Mount Tsukuba area of Ibaraki, Japan.
You will apply typographic concepts to traditional Japanese arts and crafts, taught by experts in their field, in environments that are conducive to learning and exploration and Japanese culture. Each day of our countryside retreat will focus on a different aspect of Japanese craft, including Japanese brush calligraphy, Shibori indigo dying, historic letterform carving, sake labels, and more. The week concludes with a group project for the town of Makabe.
West Ibaraki is a rustic agricultural area known for its scenery and slower way of life, so we will allow for time to explore. Everyone will be able to connect with the residents of the rural village that has welcomed us, both with their food and their craft, their homes and their workshops. We will even visit an elementary school – and these children are seriously awesome and could very well be your favorite part of the camp.
The area around Makabe is an idyllic and authentic view of small-town Japan; therefore, we promise that you will have a truly hospitable experience rarely offered to visitors. This special opportunity will help you to explore an area of the world known for art, design, and craft; and you will also contribute to a cultural exchange with a very charming Japanese village with generous artists and adorable kids.
Want to see what it was like in 2016? Check out Daria’s Diaries from during our 2016 camp. They’re both honest and hilarious!