Chichibu Textile Workshop Yokoyama Co., Ltd.
Founded in 1920, “Chichibu Orijuku Koubou Yokoyama” has developed a new technology! Patent pending for “Yanase Kasuri”, a 120-year-old Shin-Meisen silk fabric whose pattern stands out depending on the angle of the light. Selected for the 71st Saitama Prefectural Art Exhibition and started exhibiting
Chichibu Orijuku Kobo Yokoyama Co., Ltd. (Head office: Nagatoro-machi, Chichibu-gun, Saitama Prefecture; President: Daiki Yokoyama; https://www.yokoyama-koubou. com/ (hereafter referred to as Chichibu Orijuku Kobo Yokoyama) has recently invented and developed a new meisen silk fabric called “Yanase Kasuri”, which can be said to be a new technology for plain weave, in Chichibu Meisen, a traditional silk fabric in Saitama Prefecture. We would like to inform you that we have applied for a patent on the 24th. (Patent pending Patent application 2022-169737)
Furthermore, a kimono using this technology was selected for the 71st Saitama Prefecture Art Exhibition. Therefore, it will be unveiled for the first time at the above exhibition, which will be held until June 22, 2023.
[Image 1: https://prtimes.jp/i/110749/4/resize/d110749-4-283dc13c63e06499b01f-0.jpg&s3=110749-4-2391017673ab25d84bba3565ea597fee-1554×935.jpg] About the patented technology, New Meisen “Yanase Kasuri”
Chichibu Orijuku Koubou Yokoyama is a rare workshop that has been maintained so that all the processes of Meisen, which were originally divided into labor, can be produced consistently. The work process of Meisen goes through a process called seikei, which aligns the white threads, and then weaves the weft threads roughly in a zigzag pattern so that the bundles of threads aligned to the width of the roll do not shift. One of the characteristics of Meisen is that the warp threads are printed (*1) even after the temporary weaving.
And this time, we have applied research on the technology of traditional Isesaki Meisen combined kasuri (*2) and developed a new technology, Chichibu Meisen “Yanase kasuri”. This technology is patent pending, and Chichibu Meisen’s patent technology application is the first since 1903, when Mr. Sotaro Sakamoto obtained a patent technology for the technology of using textile printing on warp threads.
Shin-Meisen “Yanase Kasuri” is made by dyeing the warp and weft threads with different patterns one by one by stencil dyeing. It is characterized by a three-dimensional effect that stands out, a luster unique to silk, and an iridescent effect created by the angle of light and complementary colors. This technology was born as a piece worthy of a work of art, as the craftsmen hand weave each piece without sparing time and effort.
[Image 2: https://prtimes.jp/i/110749/4/resize/d110749-4-ec09a8eda3ad91438273-1.jpg&s3=110749-4-05b549b9e9874b43cc9c859590c9265d-1706×960.jpg] -Material video of Shin-Meisen “Yanase Kasuri” whose pattern changes depending on the angle-
[Video 2: https://prtimes.jp/api/movieim.php?url=www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcaUkVUNGGY] *1: Nassen means printing. At our workshop, we use traditional konnyaku glue and add dye to the stencils and hand-dye them. *2: Isesaki Meisen combined kasuri: A technique of weaving with Isesaki Meisen by attaching the same pattern to the warp and weft threads. It is also called Heiyouga-suri, a technique that takes time and effort to weave by hand while matching the patterns one by one. Chichibu Meisen, on the other hand, is a weaving technique in which the warp threads are patterned and the weft threads are plain threads of a single color without patterns. Many were machine woven for simplicity and relative simplicity to increase productivity. Future prospects
We will continue to create products with new ideas that are closely related to the daily lives of a wide range of generations, while valuing history and tradition, under the motto of “Making Meisen into everyday life”. In the future, we will focus on the following. Thoughts on handing down traditional crafts In the past, there were many excellent works and rolls of cloth, but today the craftsmen are rapidly losing their skills due to the aging of the craftsmen. Some are. We believe that it is our mission to read the technology from past rolls, restore it in a new form through trial and error, and pass it on to future generations.
Developed in various fields using highly artistic and patent-pending technology Originally, Meisen was supported by a detailed division of labor and the skills of many people, from design, engraving, warping to weaving. I was. Currently, the industrial structure based on the division of labor has declined and is no longer functioning. With the aging of craftsmen, the technology has been lost, and there are only a few weavers in Chichibu that manufacture Meisen. Meisen cannot be made even if any process is missing. Kobo Yokoyama’s works are highly valued as rare products from a rare workshop that can consistently weave almost all work processes. In addition, in this “Yanase Kasuri”, the pattern of plain and plain weave meisen can be seen
three-dimensionally, the glittering beetle effect of silk caused by the reflection of light, which is a feature of meisen, and the most distinctive feature is the vertical・It is a highly artistic technique that reproduces the visual effect of lenticular printing with hand-woven fabric, where the pattern on each side appears and disappears. In the future, we would like to take advantage of this technology and take on the challenge of creating various products beyond the realm of textiles.
Values of SDGs to use carefully without consuming a single piece of fabric Silk fabrics are naturally derived, unlike chemical fibers. It is light, warm, and gentle on the skin. Kimono can be inherited from generation to generation by taking care of it. A characteristic of Meisen is that it is possible to create a reversible fabric by printing the warp threads (*1) and then inserting the weft threads into the fabric. It is said that in the olden days, when the front side of the kimono got damaged or dirty, the kimono was unwrapped and the kimono was remade on the back side and worn for a long time without waste. Although it is going against the mass production and consumption that have become convenient in modern times, on the contrary, we hope that information will steadily reach the hands of those who seek one-of-a-kind items, enjoy them with care, and those who are interested. , we will also continue to ingenuity.
Exhibition overview
The kimono of this release is exhibited at the 71st Saitama Prefecture Art Exhibition. Please take a look at the real thing.・Name: The 71st Saitama Prefecture Art Exhibition
・Venue: Prefectural Museum of Modern Art
・Duration: Until Thursday, June 22, 2023 *Closed on Mondays
・Opening hours: 10:00-17:30
・Organizers: Saitama Prefecture, Saitama Prefecture Board of Education, Saitama Prefecture Artists Association, Saitama Prefecture Arts and Culture Festival Executive Committee, Saitama Prefecture Art Exhibition Management Committee
・Admission fee: Free
・ URL: https://www.pref.saitama.lg.jp/f2216/geibunsai/kenten.html About Chichibu Meisen
Surrounded by mountains, the Chichibu area has long had a thriving sericulture industry. Futori, which was produced from silk thread and was established as a workwear for the common people, changed to Chichibu Meisen with the development of technology. With the development of “Nassen” (*1), in which warp threads are dyed and woven with patterns, kimono spread widely as fashionable clothing from the middle of the Meiji period to the beginning of the Showa era. Due to changes and other factors, the production volume has decreased significantly in recent years.
Under such circumstances, our company dares to preserve the history and traditional techniques of the Chichibu region by carefully producing products using Chichibu meisen, Nagatoro indigo dyeing, and vegetable dyeing, which are dyed and woven using traditional manufacturing methods. Weaving.
About Chichibu Textile Workshop Yokoyama Co., Ltd.
Founded in 1920. The founder, Tadayasu Yokoyama, established “Yokoyama Orimono”. We produced meisen textiles from before the war to the Showa era, and in 2016 we changed our company name to “Chichibu Orijuku Koubou Yokoyama Co., Ltd.” In the 30s of the Showa era (1955-1965), as the production of kimonos changed to western clothes, the production of rolled fabrics shifted to the production of bedding fabrics (futon fabrics). The second generation Keiji Yokoyama succeeded in developing acrylic prints in the latter half of the 40s of the Showa era in the midst of the changing times when textiles and bedding were declining. At Nishikawa Sangyo and Kyoto Kosugi, we worked on products such as zabuton covers and kotatsu racks for licensed items such as Yves Saint Laurent and Marimekko. In addition, he began to produce scarves dyed with plants and indigo dyes, which are permanently installed at Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi and other stores as a craftsmanship brand. He was one of the founders of “Chichibu Meisenkan” and has been working on the revival of Chichibu Meisen.
Currently, he is the third generation Daiki Yokoyama, and with the motto “Meisen for everyday life”, he explores new forms of “Chichibu Meisen”, a traditional craft of Saitama Prefecture that is close to the daily life of a wide range of generations, develops proposals, and commercializes it. In addition, we are also training successors as traditional craftsmen in order to leave the tradition and technology. In addition, every Friday, we hold a weaving class using an
old-fashioned hand loom from the Meiji era, and a weaving and dyeing experience class for the general public.
【Company Profile】
Company name: Chichibu Textile Workshop Yokoyama Co., Ltd.
Location: 1313-1 Yanase, Nagatoro-cho, Chichibu-gun, Saitama Prefecture TEL: 0494 (66) 0050 FAX: 0494 (66) 3829
Closed: Thursdays, irregular holidays
Business hours: 10:00-18:00
Website: https://www.yokoyama-koubou.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chichibuorijyuku.yokoyama/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KOUBOUYOKOYAMA *I started Twitter. Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/orijukuyokoyama/
Details about this release:
https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000004.000110749.html
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