[Applications Closed] 2026 Internship Program [Accommodation/Dyeing & Apparel/Art Production]

Applications for 2026 are now closed. Thank you for your many applications. Applications for 2027 will open in January.

Itoshiro Apparel is recruiting interns year-round starting from 2026. The scope of available tasks will be expanded this year.

Currently recruiting for: Mid-April to Mid-May, August, September
*Other months will primarily involve work other than indigo and botanical dyeing.

1. Those interested in dyeing and clothing production
2. Those interested in tasks related to guesthouse management (managing "Sukeshichi," a whole-house rental, and "KIITOS" guesthouse)
3. Those interested in creating art using antique folk implements (Artist category NEW)

This program is recommended for people who:

・Want to experience life in the countryside
・Have free time and want to stay and work in a nature-rich area for a certain period
・Want to run a share house, guesthouse, or inn in a mountain village
・Want to try indigo dyeing or botanical dyeing (April-September only)
・Are interested in and want to experience working in the apparel industry
・Are active as an artist and want to try creating artworks while living in the countryside

For those interested in work related to indigo dyeing or botanical dyeing, positions are available from April to the end of September.
For those interested in work related to lodging, meals, apparel production, or artist activities, positions are available year-round.

Work related to indigo dyeing includes a wide range of tasks such as indigo preparation, vat management, dyeing support, inspection of dyed clothes, weeding indigo fields, and harvesting. Botanical dyeing is seasonal and involves collecting plants, dyeing, and inspecting products.

For lodging, you will be in charge of a series of operational tasks, starting from cultivating vegetables needed for meals (from May) to cleaning the facilities and handling check-ins and check-outs. However, as the guesthouses "KIITOS" and "Sukeshichi" only opened in November 2025, visitor numbers are still low, so the extent of the work required is yet unknown. If you have extra time and are interested, you may also assist with other tasks such as dyeing or apparel.

This is the first year we are accepting artists. Our guesthouse "Sukeshichi," which we started in 2025, has many old folk implements. We would like you to create art using these items.

This illustration uses an old box found at Sukeshichi as a painting frame. We will discuss and decide what kind of artwork you will create and how you will spend your time.

The members of Itoshiro Apparel are cheerful, warm, and friendly, so please feel at ease. There is a richness to be felt precisely because it is an inconvenient, remote place deep in the mountains where there is nothing.

If you are interested, please read the following guidelines carefully and apply using this application form.

Period: Year-round
Internship period: Minimum 3 weeks~
Job description:
1. Work related to the apparel business, such as indigo dyeing, indigo vat maintenance, indigo field work, inspection of clothing and fabrics, and botanical dyeing.
2. Work related to the accommodation business, such as cleaning, meal provision, check-in, and check-out at the guesthouse.
3. Artist category: Creating art using antique folk implements.
4. Interested in multiple categories.
*Please check one of options 1 to 3 on the application form.

・Working hours: 9:00 - 17:00 (2 days off per week)

・Accommodation: Male interns will stay in a share house on the second floor of the Itoshiro Apparel office, and female interns will stay at Guesthouse KIITOS (accommodation and utilities will be covered by us. Please bring your own consumables and food. Kitchen, toilet, and bath are shared, and each intern will have a private room).

・Salary: None

・Decision process: We will review your "Statement of Purpose" on the application form, and if we feel that an internship in Itoshiro would be mutually beneficial, we will contact you by email. This will be followed by an online interview, after which a final decision will be made.

・Capacity: Maximum of 2 people at any given time (we may not be able to accommodate your preferred period)

・Application period: Applications will close once capacity is reached (typically closes around February)

・We are looking for individuals who are:
Physically and mentally healthy, proactive in communication, thorough with cleaning, and serious about their work.

Examples of past interns:
・Students who participated during their breaks
・Individuals who participated between job changes
・Those who wanted to experience life in nature in Itoshiro
・Individuals who aspire to start their own indigo dyeing business
・Those who wanted to gain experience in a manufacturing environment
・Those who hoped to work in the apparel industry in the future

●Seasonal work during summer

April: Indigo fermentation, sowing indigo and marigold seeds
May: Full-scale indigo dyeing begins, preparing indigo fields
June: Planting indigo seedlings, indigo dyeing
July: Indigo dyeing
Early August: First harvest and drying of indigo
Early September: Second harvest and drying of indigo
End of September: Indigo dyeing concludes
Early October - End of October: Cleaning indigo vats, preparing sukumo (indigo compost), botanical dyeing

●Example of a daily schedule

9:00 Office/share house cleaning
9:30 Morning meeting
10:00- Start work (e.g., indigo dyeing, indigo field work)
12:00 Lunch break
13:00- Inspection of indigo-dyed fabric
16:00- Indigo field work
17:00 End of day

＊Important Notes
We will reply to your email from info@itoshiro.org within one week. If you do not receive a response after one week, please contact us at 0575-86-3808 (weekdays 10:00-17:00).

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