Workshop "Maizuru Place" for Craft and Creation Opens in Kyotango, Kyoto: A Hub for Artisans and Creators Supported by Chanel
A new hub for artisans and creators, "Maizuru Place," supported by Chanel, has opened in Kyotango, Kyoto.Summary
The NPO "TOMORROW" has opened "Maizuru Place" to the public on October 12 as part of its settlement concept "Ashita no Hata" in Kyotango, Kyoto. The facility serves as a base for creation and learning, where artisans and creators stay in the region to explore expression through craftsmanship and exchange. Chanel and the French complex "le19M," which supports French craftsmanship, sympathize with the concept and Chanel supports the project. "Ashita no Hata" aims to connect the region and people through art, passing on Japanese crafts and wisdom cultivated in daily life to the next generation. One catalyst for the establishment of "Maizuru Place" was the 2025 exhibition "la Galerie du 19M Tokyo" held in Tokyo. "le19M," founded by Chanel in Paris, is a complex housing 11 workshops (Maisons d'Art) related to fashion and interior, and artisans with exceptional skills. It supports Chanel's creation, inherits traditional crafts, explores creative possibilities, and communicates the appeal of craftsmanship. The exhibition "Beyond Our Horizons" held within "la Galerie du 19M Tokyo" brought together Japanese artists and artisans with French artisans and ateliers to collaborate, combining techniques, materials, and cultural backgrounds. "Maizuru Place" is an attempt to develop the dialogue and collaboration born from this exhibition into continuous, community-rooted efforts. Located on a hill overlooking the Sea of Japan, the facility allows people from various fields to learn inherited crafts, interact, and engage in new craftsmanship. Some works and materials used in the exhibition are reused as architectural and spatial elements. Tatami mats created by a collaboration between Takamuro Tatami Kogyo and the tweed atelier "Lesage," Ajiro weaving by Fujimori Komuten, and collaborative works by the pleating specialist "Atelier Lognon" and the textile workshop "Design Tochi" take on new roles in Maizuru. Adjacent "SEI TAIZA" opens as the first art gallery in Maizuru, Kyotango, showing some works from "Beyond Our Horizons," including a collaboration between the atelier "Paloma," specializing in soft garments (flou) such as chiffon and silk, and manga artist Daisuke Igarashi, as well as a collaboration between the floral atelier "Lemarié" and the karakami workshop "Kamiso." "Maizuru Place" places sustainability at the foundation of its production and activities, aiming for future zero waste. It also aims to be a place where anyone, regardless of age, gender, expertise, or experience, can learn, dialogue, and participate in creation. The collaboration of Japanese and French artisans and creators, which started from the Tokyo exhibition and toured to Paris before connecting to Maizuru in Kyoto, is expected to make "Maizuru Place" and "SEI TAIZA" new bases for linking community-rooted techniques with diverse creativity and passing on crafts and culture to the next generation. Viewing "Maizuru Place" is by guided tour (reservation required), and reservations can be made via TOMORROW's website under "Ashita no Hata 2026 REFLECTION | Autumn Public Opening."
(Source：Tokyo Art Beat)