“Inside the Itinerary” is a series of live conversations with the people who design and lead PRIOR's group journeys. This week, we’re going behind the scenes of Japan Through Craft, our upcoming journey running June 8–16, 2027.
In this edition, PRIOR Travel Designer Carlotta Panza is joined by on-the-ground experts Julia Rönnqvist Buzzetti and Erika Suzuki to walk through the itinerary, which includes kimono-dyeing in Tokyo and washi papermaking in Nagano, among other key stops.
In Japan, craft and culture are inextricably linked. Artisans known as shokunin spend lifetimes mastering techniques passed down for centuries. On this journey, several welcome the group into their coveted workshops, an opportunity rarely afforded to outsiders.
The trip is based in Tokyo, with two nights in a traditional ryokan in the mountains of Nagano. Stops include a visit to the ceramic studios of Hirotaka Tobimatsu and Kogoma Mayumi, a tasting at one of Japan's oldest confectioneries, lunch at a working wasabi farm, and an ikebana (flower arrangement) workshop at the Sogetsu School.
The trip is hosted by Julia Rönnqvist Buzzetti, an art historian and gallerist who has spent more than a decade researching Japan, and Erika Suzuki, a designer and curator with Italian and Japanese roots who splits her time between the two countries.
Tune in to hear Carlotta, Julia, and Erika talk about how the itinerary came together, provide background on the crafts and makers, and answer questions about the journey.
