*The text-to-speech feature is generated by AI, so there may be errors in the reading.
"Hakata-ori" textiles are meticulously woven on warp threads to create patterns. They are characterized by their durability and comfortable tightening, and have traditionally been widely used as men’s obi belts.
In Fukuoka, a weaver has been passing down the history of Hakata-ori for over 160 years. It is the oldest Hakata-ori textile maker, nishimura orimono. The emblem used as the company's logo is one granted by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, boasting a history of over 430 years.
What path has the company walked to continue this tradition until today? We spoke with the sixth-generation president, Soichiro Nishimura, about their journey, the allure of Hakata-ori, and future prospects.
PROFILE
Soichiro Nishimura
1977: Born in Fukuoka Prefecture, joined Mitsubishi Heavy Industries after graduating from university 2005: Joined Nishimura Orimono and underwent training at the Hakata-ori skill training school, 2016: Became the sixth president of Nishimura Orimono
From Thread Merchant to Hakata-ori Weaver
The history of Nishimura Orimono began as a thread merchant. The ancestor of the Nishimura family, the feudal lord from Nagasaki, Masuemon Nishimura, participated in Toyotomi Hideyoshi's division of Hakata in 1587 and received the "four sword diamond pattern" emblem for assisting merchant Sotan Kamiya.
"From the Sengoku period to the Edo period, we operated as thread merchants for a while, but due to the Edo shogunate's policies that aimed to prevent the outflow of gold and silver abroad, the import of silk threads became restricted. At that time, the head of the family, Gihei Nishimura, chose to change the direction of the business and started Hakata-ori. This was about 164 years ago."
Since then, the Nishimura family has woven the history of being Hakata-ori weavers, but it hasn’t always been smooth sailing.
"Now, the weaving machines are made of iron, but back then they were wooden, so during the Fukuoka air raid in 1945, both the building and the weaving machines were completely destroyed. It was my grandfather, the fourth-generation president, Masataro Nishimura, who rebuilt everything from scratch."
Share Article
Copied to Clipboard
This website uses cookies to enhance user experience and to analyze performance and traffic. For further information please read our Cookie Policy.