Kazetsuchi Inc. is partnering with The Royal Park Hotel Iconic Naha, operated by Mitsubishi Estate Hotels & Resorts Co., Ltd. (7F, Ryukyu Bank Head Office Building, 1-11-1 Kumoji, Naha; General Manager: Tatsushi Nakata), to launch a new cultural experience program called "Ryukyu Experience" from July 10 (Friday), 2026. The program invites travelers to explore Ryukyu bingata, a colorful dyeing art once worn by Ryukyu Kingdom nobility and royalty, through a workshop tour and a hands-on dyeing session led by working artisans. Dedicated accommodation plans paired with each program are also available, offering a way to experience the historic craft and Okinawa's aesthetic sensibility in depth.
A Craft Facing Rising Costs
Ryukyu bingata is a dyeing technique unique to Okinawa that has been passed down since the Ryukyu Kingdom era and is designated as one of Japan's Important Intangible Cultural Properties. However, the brushes, stencils, and other materials essential to the craft have become increasingly expensive as the number of craftspeople who supply them declines, putting the transmission of the technique itself at risk.
To help address this challenge, Kazetsuchi designed the new program around turning tourism spending into a funding source for craft preservation, working with Mitsubishi Estate Hotels & Resorts to direct part of the proceeds back to the participating workshops.
Ryukyu Experience Program Details
Reservations open July 3 (Friday), 2026, at 2:00 PM, with the program itself beginning July 10 (Friday), 2026.
Program 1: Chinen Bingata Research Institute Workshop Tour
Visitors can watch artisans at work, observing the "color-making" and "color-application" processes handed down since the Ryukyu Kingdom era, with each morning and afternoon session limited to one group. Guests get close to the historic tools and materials while hearing the story behind the family's craft. The workshop belongs to the Chinen family, one of the three principal bingata families whose lineage of dyers served the Ryukyu royal court, carrying forward designs shaped by Okinawa's natural surroundings and court culture. Today, tenth-generation artisan Toma Chinen continues that legacy, handling every step from design to final dyeing himself. Participants in this program take home an original hand-dyed Ryukyu bingata art panel by Toma Chinen.
Price: ¥30,000 for one person (¥5,000 per additional person)
Times: 10:00 AM or 2:00 PM
Workshop tour: approximately 60 minutes
Included: one hand-dyed art panel per group
Reservations: http://rsv.ihonex.com/cgi-bin/ihonex3/plan_shokai.cgi?hid=rphs_icnaha&plan_groupcd=SHISATSU&form=jp
Program 2: Gusuku Bingata Dye Workshop Tote Bag Dyeing Experience
A dyeing experience at a workshop with 55 years of history. Guests choose their own pattern and colors to create a one-of-a-kind tote bag, in a workshop suited to adults and children alike.
Price: ¥4,500 per person (includes a snack)
Times: 10:00 AM or 2:00 PM
Experience time: approximately 60 minutes
Reservations: http://rsv.ihonex.com/cgi-bin/ihonex3/plan_shokai.cgi?hid=rphs_icnaha&plan_groupcd=TAIKEN&form=jp
Where the Proceeds Go
A portion of the program fee goes toward the participating workshops' production environment — specifically, purchasing brushes and stencils whose costs have risen, and repairing workshop facilities affected by aging. The fee guests pay for the experience becomes the artisans' tools, part of a cycle meant to help pass the craft on to the next generation.
About The Royal Park Hotel Iconic Naha
Located on floors 7 through 13 of the Ryukyu Bank Head Office Building in front of Yui Rail's Kencho-mae Station, the hotel is a modern luxury property offering rooms including an executive floor, three restaurants, a bar, and a pool. Guest rooms are designed around terraces with banyan trees and amahaji-inspired spaces, embodying a stay nurtured by the islands of Ryukyu.
Location: 1-11-1 Kumoji, Naha, Ryukyu Bank Head Office Building
Rooms: 257
Facilities: 3 restaurants, bar, pool, gym, executive lounge
Access: approximately 2-minute walk from Yui Rail's Kencho-mae Station
