Mafu Okai: Weave Nara Sarashi Linen
Handle everyday objects made by a Nara-sarashi linen maker, or reserve a short hands-on weaving session and take home your own tea mat.
AI-generated visual study · not a documentary photographDiscover Mafu Okai: Weave Nara Sarashi Linen
Mafu Okai is the Nara City direct shop of Okai Asa-fu Shoten, a maker of Nara sarashi—bleached hemp cloth associated with Nara's historic textile trade. The company says it was founded in 1863 and still weaves the cloth itself. At the retail shop, the tradition appears in contemporary forms such as cloths, handkerchiefs, bags and household pieces. A weaving session offers a more tactile introduction: visitors work a loom to make a tea mat, then take the finished piece home. The Nara Prefecture craft-experience listing, updated 29 May 2026, gives about 30 minutes and a maximum of two participants. This is a short, bookable introduction at the city shop, not a tour of the company's rural weaving workshop.
Understand what makes the cloth Nara sarashi
Okai describes itself as a Nara-sarashi weaver founded in 1863. Nara City explains that the cloth became a leading Nara product in the early Edo period, used for garments such as samurai kamishimo and for tea utensils such as chakin cloths. The city also documents the historical bleaching process, which involved washing, ash lye, extended sunlight exposure and repeated rinsing. Today's retail pieces are not all made by that historical process on site: the shop page says the company still weaves hemp Nara sarashi, while individual products may use different materials and techniques. Read the maker's label for the precise fabric and construction.
Make a tea mat on a hand-operated loom
The prefecture describes a tea-mat weaving experience using a loom threaded with warp threads and hand-spun hemp weft. Visitors beat the weft into place and take the completed mat home. The listed duration is about 30 minutes and the group limit is two people. The price is shown as ¥1,980 before tax, so ask the shop for the current tax-inclusive total and whether any changes to the experience or materials apply. This is a short making activity, not a full training course or a chance to weave a finished garment.
Reserve the time before you plan your route
The prefecture says the session start time must be arranged with the shop; the latest reception is listed as 17:00, while the retail shop's hours are 10:00–19:00. Booking can be made by telephone or in person, from one month ahead until the day before. Because only two participants are allowed and the shop must prepare the loom, do not assume a walk-in session is available. Call 0742-81-0026 to confirm the date, start time, language support, age suitability, payment method and cancellation terms. A prefectural guidebook says the maker's main workshop in Tawara can sometimes be visited by advance booking; that is a separate site and should not be confused with this town shop's 30-minute activity.
Browse the shop as a maker's collection
The operator's current online store groups products into cloths, towels, bags, tableware, accessories, fabrics, shrine-stamp books and Nara-sarashi. It also lists contemporary seasonal designs, including 2026 products. This breadth helps explain how a historic material can move from traditional tea cloths into daily-use objects. The web shop shows a changing catalogue, not guaranteed stock at the Nara retail counter; ask about a specific size, pattern or price before making a special trip. The direct shop's available payment methods may differ from the online checkout.
Find the city shop and allow for source differences
The address is 7-1 Hashimotocho. Nara Prefecture's experience listing estimates five minutes on foot from Kintetsu Nara Station and ten minutes from JR Nara Station; it lists no parking and describes the city store as open 10:00–19:00. Visit Nara's older directory lists the same hours but gives a conflicting 22-minute taxi estimate from JR Kyobate Station. That estimate is not useful for a visitor arriving at the central Nara stations, so follow the prefectural shop access instead and check a live map from your actual exit. Call ahead for the loom activity even if the shop is open.
What to look for
A living Nara-sarashi maker founded in 1863
About 30-minute tea-mat weaving activity, take-home piece included
A small appointment-led activity for up to two participants
Photo notes
No product or workshop images are licensed to MyNara. Ask before photographing the loom, staff or merchandise, and do not photograph other customers. Do not reuse images from the prefecture or operator's online shop without permission.
SEASONAL CALENDAR
Events connected with Mafu Okai: Weave Nara Sarashi Linen
These records are shared with MyNara’s event calendar, so dates and notices have one source. Recurring patterns are not confirmed dated editions; check the organizer’s latest guidance.
20th Arukunara Central Nara Stamp Rally (2026)
The 20th Arukunara campaign invites visitors to explore eight shopping streets between Kintetsu Nara and JR Nara. The official 2026 participant list names registered MyNara stops including Hotel New Wakasa, Kasuga Hotel, Hotel OBANA, Hotel Nikko Nara, Nara Washington Hotel Plaza, Asukaso, Sarusawa Pond Yoshidaya, Nara Guesthouse 3F, Kakinoha-zushi Tanaka, Cafe Fluke, Umasshu, Com Ngon, Sakura Burger, Kamaiki, Yamazakiya, Genkishin, Manshodo, Shubo Aya, Hiyori, Mafu Okai, Nakatanido, Mentoan, Nara Izumi Yusai, Manmando, Kaki no Senmon, Yatagarasu, Isshindo, Konjaku Kimono Akio, Salon Naramachi, Bambuno, Cherry's Spoon and LAMP BAR. A stamp is earned only when using a participating shop's service, buying something or dining there, while a stay earns two. Collect three stamps in the campaign booklet for one no-blank draw, up to three draws per booklet. The organizer lists more than 420 points and one booklet per person. The prize-draw goal is in front of Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten Sanjo on Sanjo-dori; it is not one of the Higashimuki shop venues. Confirm the official point list and each shop's opening before visiting. The 2026 edition ends November 9; no 2027 dates are confirmed.
Check organizer informationMake a day of it
Explore guides close to this map point, then check the actual route before travelling. Distances below are straight lines, not walking distances or travel times; map points may not be entrances.
Sources & editorial status
Original MyNara draft based on the linked sources. Sources reviewed 20 October 2026. Opening arrangements, prices and offers may change; use the operator's current information before travelling.
- Nara Prefecture — tea-mat weaving details, price before tax, booking, group limit, hours and access; updated 2026-05-29
- Okai Asa-fu Shoten — company history, Nara-sarashi identity and direct retail shop
- Nara City — Nara-sarashi history and traditional bleaching process
- Nara City — modern Okai Shoten workshop and company background
- Official Nara Travel Guide — address and older venue directory information