Inheriting Edo Embroidery Nurtured by Samurai & the Common People

Please tell us about the history of Edo Embroidery.

Saito: Edo Embroidery originated in the Asuka period, arriving in Japan alongside Buddhist teachings and introducing embroidered Buddhist statues. People began decorating kimono and obi with embroidery. There are three major embroidery traditions—Kyoto, Kaga, and Edo. What sets Edo Embroidery apart is its dynamic, sharp color schemes preferred by samurai. The work uses silk threads, stitched onto silk or hemp fabrics.

The affluent embroidery styles were adored by samurai families and princesses, but after sumptuary laws were issued in the Edo period, it became popular among the common folk to adorn parts of their Yuzen kimono with embroidery, thus developing new decorative techniques.

Endo: Motifs have changed with the times, but the fundamental stitches and threads remain virtually unchanged. It’s truly a handcraft passed down for hundreds of years.

What led you, as sisters, to inherit the family business?

Saito: Takahashi Shishuten was founded by our father in 1968. Our mother became the second-generation head, and we are the third. When our father became ill, we both decided to dedicate ourselves to the craft and carry on the business together.

Endo: Generally, the one more skilled in design leads the conceptual work, while the other focuses on perfecting technical details. Handling communication and social media is also split between us. Rather than sticking to rigid roles, we flexibly cover for each other based on what’s needed at the time.