Kurume Kasuri textiles, dyed with authentic natural indigo, captivates with their unique texture. The intricate patterns created by the bound indigo dyeing process not only emit an earthy warmth but also become more beautiful with use.
Recognized as an important intangible cultural property of the nation, Kurume Kasuri has a history and tradition spanning over 200 years. 'Ikeda Kasuri Textile' in Chikugo City, Fukuoka Prefecture, has been preserving this tradition for about 100 years.
While Ikeda Kasuri Textile employs traditional indigo dyeing and hand-weaving techniques to produce Kurume Kasuri, they are also committed to adapting their craftsmanship to the changing times.
In this article, we conducted an interview with Daigo Ikeda, the fourth-generation owner of Ikeda Kasuri Textile. We delved into the manufacturing process of Kurume Kasuri practiced in Ikeda Kasuri Textile, the challenges they face, and their initiatives to pass down the tradition to future generations.
PROFILE
Daigo Ikeda
Daigo Ikeda, the fourth generation owner of the Kurume Kasuri workshop Ikeda Kasuri Textile, gained business experience at the mentaiko manufacturer Yamaya and worked in product development and quality/factory management at the towel manufacturing company, Izawa Towel Co., Ltd., before joining Ikeda Kasuri Textile. While valuing tradition, he is also actively engaged in new initiatives to carry the Kurume Kasuri tradition to the next generation.
Kurume Kasuri Crafted by Hand After Numerous Processes
Can you tell us about the origins of Ikeda Kasuri Textile and the woven textiles you produce?
Ikeda Kasuri Textile was established in 1919. Originally, my great-grandfather moved to the Chikugo area when he became an apprentice at a sake brewery in Shiroshima Town. At the time, the kasuri business was thriving, so he changed his apprenticeship from the sake brewery to the Kasuri business, learned a trade, and then became independent, leading to the birth of this workshop.Our workshop mainly produces textiles through indigo dyeing and hand weaving. There are hand-woven and machine-woven varieties of Kurume Kasuri, and the weaving process for each is slightly different. As a result, differences arise in the uniformity of patterns, density of fibers, and fabric strength (tearing resistance).
The beauty of hand-weaving is that it can express curves, thin lines, and meticulous patterns. The pattern becomes slightly uneven, which adds a unique flavor only found in hand-woven textiles. As you actually use it, the charm of hand-weaving, such as "maintaining strength, lacking uniformity, and having a good sense of play", becomes more evident.
Hand-woven machines come in two types: flying shuttle (nage-hi) and foot-operated machines; our workshop handles both.
Moreover, in general, weavers of hand-woven textiles tend to stick to indigo dyeing exclusively. However, our workshop uses common reactive dyes and colorfast dyes as well. Of course, we stick to indigo dyeing, but we are not obstinate about it. Nowadays, the demand is mostly for clothing, so the characteristic of our workshop is that we make items based on this demand.
Do you have any selection criteria or preferences for the yarn or the dye used for indigo dyeing?
We don't have any particular criteria for the thread, but we basically use spun yarn made in Japan. The count (thickness) of the yarn changes depending on the pattern we want to create or the item we want to make. The finer the pattern, the higher its reproducibility when using thinner yarn.We import sukumo (raw material for indigo dye) from Tokushima. The quantity and quality inevitably varies year by year, so we carefully stock up on good quality sukumo and store a 2-3 year supply.
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