{"id":94226,"date":"2017-12-15T11:15:12","date_gmt":"2017-12-15T02:15:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/?post_type=feature&p=94226&lang=en"},"modified":"2020-09-04T13:13:51","modified_gmt":"2020-09-04T04:13:51","slug":"introducing-kurume-kasuri","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/en\/introducing-kurume-kasuri\/","title":{"rendered":"Introducing Kurume Kasuri"},"content":{"rendered":"

At first glance, kasuri<\/em> looks simple. It\u2019s a cotton fabric that comes in various shades of blue with recurring patterns in white. Next to the bright colors of a silk kimono<\/em>, you\u2019d be forgiven for thinking that this textile is, frankly, plain.<\/p>\n

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You\u2019d be mistaken. Behind kasuri\u2019s<\/em> modest appearance is a remarkable process that begins with raw cotton and indigo leaves, and ends with a handful of craftsmen and women applying skills honed over centuries.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ll find the first clue to kasuri<\/em>\u2019s hidden magic on the back of the fabric. Turn a piece over and you\u2019ll notice that the \u201cwrong\u201d side looks strikingly similar to the \u201cright\u201d side. That\u2019s because, unlike most of the patterned materials we wear today, kasuri<\/em>\u2019s designs aren\u2019t printed on after the fabric is made, but before.<\/p>\n

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While some workshops have opted to modernize production through mechanization, traditional kasuri<\/em> production is still practiced at a number of workshops in Kurume, Fukuoka Pref. With 23 manufacturers, Kurume is one of the largest remaining centers of kasuri<\/em> in Japan. Some of the workshops are open to visitors by arrangement \u2013 so you can see for yourself how a few bundles of thread become a touchable, wearable piece of Japanese heritage.<\/p>\n

Step 1: The pattern<\/strong>
\nTraditionally used to make everyday wear, Kurume kasuri<\/em> typically features simple designs: bold geometric shapes, for example, tiny diamonds, blocky flowers, or showers of thin lines that represent rain.<\/p>\n

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Much of the Kurume kasuri<\/em> produced today still incorporates the same patterns. Some manufacturers, though, have begun experimenting with new designs, from gingham checks to a surreal pattern of disembodied eyes and noses borrowed from Japanese dolls.<\/p>\n

These patterns are transferred onto what looks like a long strip of graph paper, where each tiny square represents a fraction of the finished fabric. Master tyers will use the layout to calculate exactly which part of each thread should be dyed, and which parts left white.<\/p>\n

Step 2: Tying <\/strong>
\nKurume kasuri<\/em> has always been made of cotton, just the thing for making durable, breathable clothes. The cotton arrives in Kurume in its natural creamy white color \u2013 the same that you see forming the pattern in the finished cloth.<\/p>\n

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When you\u2019re dyeing the thread, you need to cover up the parts that should remain white and leave out the parts that\u2019ll be colored blue. The traditional way of doing that is to gather cotton threads into bundles and stretch them out taut, line them up with the paper pattern and knot hemp around the parts you want to stay white.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a job for a specialist craftsman, who then hands the knotted bundles over to the next artisan \u2013 the dyer.<\/p>\n

Step 3: Dyeing <\/strong>
\nThe earliest kasuri<\/em> got its vibrant blue color from indigo \u2013 a natural dye made from the leaves of the indigofera<\/em> plant, which is native to the tropics. The most traditional of Kurume\u2019s manufacturers still use the same technique today.<\/p>\n

Indigo leaves are harvested, dried and fermented until they form a paste, which dyers brew up into a liquid that will ferment a second time. Each dyer\u2019s blend is different: part wood ash or seashells to make the mixture alkali, part starch syrup or sweet sake<\/em>.<\/p>\n

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Master dyers \u2013 it\u2019s traditionally a man\u2019s job \u2013 make several vats of dye with different concentrations of indigo, which they\u2019ll use for around six to eight months at a time. The mixture continues to ferment all the while, its color gradually fading over its lifespan. Experienced dyers can tell how far advanced the fermentation is by tasting a little of the liquid.<\/p>\n

Dyeing itself is an intense physical process that involves dipping a bundle of thread into the solution, wringing it out and beating it against the floor to expose each thread to oxygen, without which the color won\u2019t take. The process is repeated as many as 40 times to achieve the darkest blue-black.<\/p>\n

Other Kurume dyers have opted for the less labor-intensive \u2013 and expensive \u2013 alternative of chemical dyes and modern machines, which speeds up the process to a matter of minutes. It also creates the rainbow of colors in which contemporary kasuri<\/em> now comes.<\/p>\n

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Whichever process dyers use, the final step is rinsing and drying. It\u2019s this stage that creates one of Kurume\u2019s most memorable views: bundles of blue and white thread hanging outside in the sun, slung over bamboo poles or stretched out across the fields to their full length \u2013 nearly a kilometer.<\/p>\n

Step 4: Weaving<\/strong>
\nIf the dye house was originally men\u2019s domain, the weaving workshops were run by women. The work here is mind-blowingly intricate: first the bundles are separated out into hundreds of individual threads, then these are aligned and wrapped around wooden shuttles that the weaver will use to interweave the weft (across) threads with the warp (down) threads. Depending on the design, patterned weft threads will be woven with plain warp threads or vice versa, or, in the most complex versions, both weft and warp are patterned and must be matched up on the weaver\u2019s loom.<\/p>\n

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Kurume\u2019s weavers use traditional narrow looms that produce cloth no wider than 40 cm: the width required for a Japanese kimono<\/em>. These looms are either entirely hand-operated, powered only by a foot pedal, or mechanized, so that the shuttle moves back and forth automatically. Either one requires constant attention from a skilled operator.<\/p>\n

Years are spent learning each craft but, however skillful, no weaver can match each thread perfectly. Tiny variations create a distinctive feature: slightly blurred edges to the patterns. A flaw, perhaps \u2013 but also one of Kurume kasuri<\/em>\u2019s charms.<\/p>\n

Kurume Kasuri Events – 2018<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Though Kurume kasuri<\/em> is rooted in tradition, it is used to make beautiful, everyday clothing. If we\u2019ve piqued your interest, then read on to learn where you can see kasuri<\/em> first hand. 2018 is a special year. It\u2019s the 150th memorial year of Ms. Den Inoue (1788-1869), the pioneer of Kurume kasuri<\/em>. At thirteen years of age she noticed a white spot on a discolored part of her clothes and came up with the idea for a woven fabric which became known as Kurume kasuri<\/em>. On her 150th memorial year there will be many special events including these.<\/p>\n

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21st Kurume Kasuri Ai (Indigo) \u2022 Ai (Love) \u2022 Deai (Meet) Festival \/ \u4e45\u7559\u7c73\u304b\u3059\u308a \u85cd\u30fb\u611b\u30fb\u3067\u9022\u3044\u30d5\u30a7\u30b9\u30c6\u30a3\u30d0\u30eb <\/strong>
\nA festival for kasuri<\/em> lovers with stalls selling the latest in kasuri<\/em> style. Workshops will display new and classic Kurume kasuri<\/em> items in the Kurume kasuri<\/em> fashion show. The largest Kurume kasuri<\/em> event in Japan. There will be a Den Inoue display too.
\n\u2022 3\/17 (Sat.), 3\/18 (Sun.)
\n\u2022 10:00~17:00
\n\u2022 Free entrance
\n\u2022 Jibasan Kurume
\n\u2022 5-8-5 Higashi-Aikawa, Kurume<\/a>
\n\u2022 0942-44-3701 (Kurume Kasuri Association)<\/p>\n

Den Inoue 150th Memorial Service \/ \u4e95\u4e0a\u4f1d\u5973 150\u56de\u6cd5\u8981<\/strong>
\nOpen to the public. A statue in honor of Ms. Den\u2019s achievements can be seen here where she is buried.
\n\u2022 4\/26 (Thu.)
\n\u2022 Tokuunji Temple
\n\u2022 66 Tera-machi, Kurume, Fukuoka<\/a><\/p>\n

Hirokawa Kasuri Matsuri \/ \u5e83\u5ddd\u304b\u3059\u308a\u796d<\/strong>
\nTwo days where you can buy Kurume kasuri<\/em> items at discounted prices and visit workshops on free buses. See and enjoy the Hirokawa area!
\n\u2022\u00a09\/15 (Sat.), 9\/16 (Sun.)
\n\u2022 Hirokawa Industry Exhibition Hall
\n\u2022 1164-6 Hiyoshi, Hirokawa-machi, Yame-gun, Fukuoka<\/a>
\n\u2022 0943-32-5555 (Hirokawa Tourism Association)<\/p>\n

Kasuri Home Visits in Chikugo \/ \u7d63\u306e\u91cc\u5de1\u308ain\u7b51\u5f8c<\/strong>
\nTwo weekends where Kurume kasuri<\/em> studios are opened to the public. Stroll through the studios, watch the craftsmen and explore kasuri<\/em>\u2019s tradition. Held every Jun. and Nov.
\n\u2022\u00a06\/2 (Sat.), 6\/3 (Sun.) and 11\/10 (Sat.), 11\/11 (Sun.)
\n\u2022 Headquarters: 730 Kumano, Chikugo, Fukuoka
\n\u2022 0942-53-4229 (Chikugo City Tourism Association)<\/p>\n

Kurume Kasuri Discovery Tour 2018 by Fukuoka Now<\/strong>
\nJoin Fukuoka Now\u2019s tour of Kurume kasuri workshops (and also visit a local sake brewery) on Feb. 3, 2018 – click here<\/a> to learn more and signup! English guide included.<\/p>\n

Original Text by Jess Phelan. Updated Dec. 2017.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

At first glance, kasuri<\/em> looks simple. It\u2019s a cotton fabric that comes in various shades of blue with recurring patterns in white. Next to the bright colors of a silk kimono, you\u2019d be forgiven for thinking that this textile is, frankly, plain. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":94227,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_locale":"en_US","_original_post":"94226","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[45],"tags":[5113],"class_list":["post-94226","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-culture","tag-flowers","location-kurume","en-US"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/DSC01243.jpg?fit=3936%2C2624&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/94226","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=94226"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/94226\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":135170,"href":"https:\/\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/94226\/revisions\/135170"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/94227"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=94226"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=94226"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=94226"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}