KANTO District-2

TATEYAMA TOZAN

1. Produced in Tateyama City, Chiba Prefecture.
2. Characteristics: A fabric woven with thin cotton threads dyed with plant dyes, having luster like silk as it is fulled; the designs are chic and fascinating.
3. Uses: Clothing, "Haori" coat, "Hakama".
4. History: Since it was imported from St. Thomas in India, it was first called "San Tome" but in later years called "Tozandome." Cotton fabrics woven with domestic cotton but looking exotic were loved much in Edo and its surrounding areas in the middle of the Edo Period(1600-1868). As they were loved by most people beyond the difference of classes and sexes, they were produced in many districts among which the one produced in Kawagoe(Saitama Prefecture) was popular.
A weaver, Mosuke Saito who studied the technique in Kawagoe moved toTateyama in 1890 and developed it and his descendents have been monopolizing its production till today.

The colors are indigo, light brown, grey, yellow, light blue, red, reddish brown, blackish red and the kinds of dyes are indigo "Yamamomo"(Myrica rubia), bark of "Shiinoki"(Castanopsis cuspidata), "Gobaishi"(Galla), "Yashabushi"(Corylus heterophylla). Only for the red color, a chemical dye is used.
After dying, the threads are dried in the sun. Woven fabrics are dipped for half an hour in lukewarm water to remove its harshness. They are beaten with fulling block on a paper spread on stone and then steamed for a finish.

TSUTSUGAKI ZOME

(p.73)

1. Produced in Choshi City, Chiba Prefecture. Takamatsu City, Kagawa Prefecture.
2. Characteristics: A simple method of dyeing with glue resistant. The glue is put in a cylinder made of paper and squeezed out from the tip. There are various designs including those eye-catching lines and outlines which can not be produced by stencils.
3.Uses: Bedding,"Noren", "Yutan"(oil cloth), "Tairyo bata"(good catch flag), "Maiwai"(good catch party clothes), wrapping cloths used at festivals, carp streamers, banners, advertisement curtains.
4. History: The dyeing method using glue resistant is applied in stencil dyeing and hand dyeing("Tsutsugaki Zome" and"Yuzen"). It was originated in China and brought to Japan via "Ryukyu"(Okinawa) or via Korea. "Kaga Zome" and "Yuzen Zome," in which the glue resistant method is used, appeared in Japan in the Genroku Era, while "Tsutsugaki Zome" was in use in Okinawa in the late 1560Õs. It is said that "Tsutsugaki Zome" was transmitted by traders to the districts on the coast line for fabrics of specific mode for fishermen.

Sketches are first drawn with "Aobana," juice of flowers of "Murasaki Tsuyukusa"(dayflower, Commeline communis) and glue, made of glutinous rice and rice bran, is used. Colored glue is also used.
A good catch flag in Choshi is dyed dynamically with several kinds of dyes by several dyers. Both designs and backgrounds are dyed with brushes. No plant dyes are used today only chemical dyes.

SHOAI BUSHU KON ORI

(p.74)

1. Produced in Sukage Hanyu City, Saitama Prefecture
2. Characteristics: Cotton fabric woven with indigo dyed threads. Warp and weft are usually dyed in indigo but warp is sometimes dyed in "Bengara"(red-ocher rouge or Indian red). It is also called "Bushu Aojima(blue stripes in Saitama).
3. Uses: Farming clothes, farming items
4.History: From old days plantations for cotton and indigo were popular and the production of indigo cotton started in 1780Õs. Today indigo dyeing and weaving is processed by the same factory. Modernization has replaced the dye vats with tanks and the composition of the dye itself by mixing indigo chemicals to the natural indigo.

CHICHIBU MEISEN

(p.74)

1. Produced in Chichibu City, Saitama Prefecture.
2. Characteristics: Silk fabric regarded as the forerunner of "Meisen"(common silk fabric), practically used because of well fixed color and strong quality, also called"Oni Chichibu." The way it is woven is called"Hogushi Ori." First, a cloth is temporarily woven and patterns are dyed(printed). Then the weft is drawn out and replaced with other threads to be woven again. Thus, it gives a unique splash pattern.
3. Uses: Clothing,"Tanzen", bedding.
4. History: The silk produced in Chichibu was used as lining cloth from old days. When "Meisen" was woven in the Meiji Period, they were loved and used in many districts in Japan. However, use of the Chichibu Meisen declined in the Showa Era when the need for such practical fabrics decreased.

MURAYAMA OSHIMA TSUMUGI

(p.75)

1. Produced in Musashi Murayama City, Tokyo.
2. Characteristics: "Tsumugi"(pongee) woven with threads dyed by the wood pattern method and printed, resembling "Oshima Tsumugi" in Kagoshima Prefecture, having many different designs. It is moderately priced, yet, designated as TokyoÕs "Intangible Cultural Property."
3. Uses: Clothing.
4. History: Cotton and indigo plantations and sericulture were popular in this district. Both "Tsumugi"(silk) and cotton cloths were woven in old days and "Murayama Kon Gasuri" was produced in late Edo to early Taisho Period. It was cotton fabric with splash patterns dyed in indigo.
Specialists were invited from Isesaki(Gunma Prefecture) in 1919 when the need for silk fabrics increased and the "Oshima Meisen" was produced."Murayama Oshima Kasuri" was widely marketed after delicate splash patterns were successfully produced by introducing the dyeing technique using wood patterns.
Thus, this area became famous as producing more silk fabrics than cotton fabrics and the name was changed to "Murayama Oshima Tsumugi."

TAMA YUKI

(p.75)

1. Produced in Hachioji City, Akikawa City, Tokyo.
2. Characteristics: "Mon Omeshi"(silk crepe with patterns), having high crimps
3. Uses: Clothes for female.
4. History: HachiojiÕs long history of weaving has a record showing that 350 years ago it had produced some kinds of "Tsumugi". After the Edo Period, Hachioji has been known as the most famous site for producing fabrics in the Kanto District, the area covering several prefectures around Tokyo.
All the fabrics made were for the men at first, but those for the women were developed in the Taisho Period(1912-1926) when westernized clothes for the men became popular and the need for traditional clothes decreased. In 1926 silk serge was produced for the first time in Japan by the Jacquard pattern weaving machine. "Tama Yuki" was successfully developed in 1928 and since then, Hachioji has been the center of fabrics in Japan, mostly producing fabrics for use by women.
In the 30Õs of Showa(1955-64), silk-wool combined weave was a boom but today, "Tama Yuki" silk crepe is very highly re-evaluated.

KIHACHIJO

(p.76)

1.Produced in Hachijomachi Hachijojima, Tokyo.
2. Characteristics: Silk fabric dyed with plant dyes and with vertical and cross stripes, totally hand woven with threads dyed in 3 different colors: yellow, brown and black. Various kinds of stripes in various combinations of threads with various shades of colors. The fabric is light, tough and lustrous. The name "Kihachijo" means yellow fabric produced in the Hachijo Island but the name also covers those in other colors.
3. Uses: Clothing, "Hanten"(short coats), "Tanzen"(quilted kimonos), sashes, neckties, etc.
4. History: White plain silk was woven in the Heian Period and was used as a tribiue to the government as "Ki Tsumugi"(yellow pongee) in the Muromachi Period and as "Ki Tsumugi" or "Hachijo Jima"(Hachijo Stripes) in the Edo Period .
They were worn only by people in higher class such as feudal lords till the 1800-1830. The name "Kihachijo" appeared in the late Edo and early Meiji Periods when it was most popular.

"Hachijo Kariyasu"(Miscanthus tinctorius) is used to dye "Ki Hachijo", the bark of "Madami"(Tabunoki, Machilus thunbergii) for "Tobi Hachijo"(Brown Hachijo) and the bark of "Shiinoki"(Castanopsis cuspidata) for "Kuro Hachijo"(black Hachijo).
1. "Ki Zome"(yellow dyeing) for "Kihachijo"
a. Decoction comes from the water in which dried plants("Kariyasu") are boiled 4 or 5 hours.
b. Threads are dipped for a night in the hot decoction.
c. Threads are squeezed and dried in the sun next morning.
d. The above process is repeated about 15 times and the color is fixed in the mordant of ashes of "Tsubaki"(Camellia japonica) and "Sakaki"(Cleyera japonica).
2. "Kaba Zome"(Brown dyeing) for "Tobi Hachijo"
a. Finely cut bark of "Madami" are boiled for 6 to 7 hours to produce a decoction. Barks are taken out of the decoction and dried and burned to ashes.
b. Ashes are put into decoction to bubble and grow red.
c. The decoction is poured onto the threads and left for a night.
d. Next morning, threads are squeezed and dried in the sun.
e. The process above is repeated about 15 times and then the threads are put in the lye.The ashes in "Irori"(hearth) are used as the lye after they are solved in the water at a definite ash-water rate.
f. The process above is repeated several times.
3. "Kuro Zome"(Black dyeing) for "Kuro Hachijo"
a. Decoction is made after the dried bark of "Shiinoki" is boiled for 6 or 7 hours.
b. As in the "Ki Zome," thread dripping in the decoction is repeated about 15 times. Then the threads are dipped in muddy water in a marsh which contains iron. This is an iron mordant called "Numa Zuke"(marsh dipping).
c. After the threads are well soaked in the muddy water, the threads are washed in water and dried in the sun.
d. The above process of decoction dipping(5 or 6 times): marsh dipping; decoction dipping(1 or 2 times); again marsh dipping; is repeated in order to give color to the threads.

EDO KOMON

(p.78)

1. Produced in Katsushikaku, Tokyo
2. Characteristics: Stencil(paper pattern) dyeing. As the patterns are fine and of single color, the dyed fabrics look plain.
3. Uses: Clothing
4. History: "Edo Komon(fine patterns)" is said to be originated from fine patterns put on the warriorÕs formal dress called "Kamishimo," in the Edo Period . The fine patterns were first used in "Kamishimo" in the Muromachi Period and were widely used and developed as patterns during 1624-44 in the Edo Period.
It is called "Komon Gata"or "Kamishimo Komon" and each feudal lord monopolized his own pattern denoting his feudal government. In the middle of the Edo Period, however, the patterns were loved and widely used by common people and the patterns became finer and more diverse. The name "Edo Komon" was named in 1955 when Kosuke Komiya, who maintained the traditional technique, was designated as the "Important Intangible Cultural Property" in order to distinguish the Edo Komon from other multi-colored fine patterns.

1. Paper pattern carving.
Ise Katagami, produced in Suzuka City in Mie Prefecture, is used as a stencil pattern.
a. Paper pattern making. First, several handmade papers are pasted and layered with persimmon astringent in such a way as the grain of the paper crossed with one another,(the process is called "Kami Zuke"). After being kept untouched for a few days to increase the stickiness of the persimmon astringent, the layered paper is dried in the sun. After that, they are kept in a cellar or in a room, making it an unshrinkable and water resistant paper pattern.
b. Carving the pattern. The number of paper patterns required for a design is determined by the pattern and the carving method to be used. In general, 7 or 8 pattern papers are used. They are carved on a draft pattern placed on them. There are 4 kinds of carving techniques.
(1) "Kiri(gimlet) Bori(carving)"
A method of carving perforations by grinding a small gimlet shaped in a half circle.
(2) "Tsuki(pushing) Bori"
A method of carving a line by pricking forward the tip of a knife.
(3) "Hiki(pulling) Bori"
A method of carving a line by pulling the tip of a knife along a steel ruler put between 2 points.
(4) "Dogu(tool) Bori"
A method of carving patterns by sticking perpendicularly a knife, which has a section of the pattern, on paper.
There is a way to reinforce paper patterns by inserting several thin silk threads between 2 paper patterns when they are put together with persimmon astringent. It is called "Itoire"(thread insertion).
2. Dyeing
(1) "Hikinori"(glue application)
"Namanori," rice glue made from sticky rice is pasted thin and even on a long wooden plate and dried in the sun. It is repeated several times.
(2) "Jibari"(cloth stretching)
A cloth is moistened and stretched on a wooden plate after it is moistened with water and brushed evenly.
(3) "Katazuke"(pattern application)
A paper patten is put on the cloth and the resistant pasted with bamboo spatula to cover all details of the patterns.
(4) "Jizome"(cloth dyeing)
The paste blended with dye is applied with a spatula all over the pattern. The action is called "Shigoki." After that, the dyed cloth is taken off from the plate and sawdust is sprinkled over it to prevent the glue from shifting in the steaming.
(5) "Mushi"(steaming)
The cloth is steamed in high temperature so that the dyed color is obtained and fixed on the cloth.
(6) "Mizumoto"(washing)
When the cloth is cooled, the glue is washed off in the water.
(7) "Yunoshi"(hot water stretching)
After dipping in hot water, the cloth is dried and stretched.
(8) "Jinaoshi"(retouching)
The uneven parts of the patterns are retouched with a brush.

NAGAITA CHUGATA

(p.81)

1. Produced in Katsushikaku, Tokyo.
2. Characteristics: A kind of stencil dyeing, using a "Nagaita"(long plate) to dye indigo cotton fabrics for use for"Yukata,"an informal kimono for summer. "Chugata"(middle size) denotes the size of patterns, ranging between "Daimon"(large pattern) and "Komon"(fine patterns). This dyeing method is traditional from the Edo Period. Also called "Edo Chugata" or "Nagaita Honzome Chugata."
3. Uses: "Yukata".
4. History:"Edo Chugata" is a traditional technique and was widely used for"Yukata" for the common people in the Edo Period. In the end of 1890Õs, however, most cloths for "Yukata"started being dyed with chemical dyes and the need for "Edo Chugata" dwindled gradually.
As the trend continued in the Showa Period(1926-1989), a company to preserve "Nagaita Chugata" was established with the cooperation of the government and enterprises.
In 1955, both Teikichi Matsubara and Kotaro Shimizu were designated as men of "Important Intangible Cultural Property." The technique has been maintained since then.

1. "Jibari"(cloth stretching).
"Himenori"(rice glue) is applied on "Nagaita"(long wooden plate) made of "Momi"(fir, Abies firma) the size of 650 cm long and 45 cm wide. When the glue is dried, the plate is moistened with a watered brush. One half of the total length(1,200 cm) of the rolled cloth is placed on the plate with the remaining cloth in the roll attached to the end of the plate.
2. "Katazuke"(pattern applying)
A stencil paper is put on the cloth and a resistant glue is applied on it with a spatula. The process is also applied on the reverse side of the cloth with special care so that the patterns on both sides are not shifted.
3. "Gojiru Biki"("Gojiru" applying)
"Gojiru" is applied to the cloth and then dried. "Gojiru" is a liquid containing soy-bean which was ground. It is used here for pre-dyeing("Shita Zome".)
4. Dyeing
A tenter, applied at the end of the cloth, is used as a handle to dip the cloth quietly into the indigo vat. The cloth is dried in the air. The work is repeated several times.
5. "Mizumoto"(washing)
The cloth is washed in water to completely remove the resistant glue and then dried.

Last modified:10-December-1997