Edo Komon by Yuichi Hirose (Workshop Report)
Edo Komon: Yuichi Hirose Exhibition
Finding beauty in the small and detailed may be one of the defining characteristics of Japanese beauty. A huge amount of time and effort is spent to create patterns that are so intricate that they appear solid color from a distance.
Kimono Shop Sonehara (Kimono Kureha) holds special exhibitions several times a year (sometimes twice a year). For these exhibitions, we visit production areas and workshops, and invite artists to participate.
The first event of 2024 will feature Hirose Yuichi, the fourth generation owner of Hirose Dyeing Factory, who is also active in the Japan Crafts Council.
He was selected for the 2022 Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition for the fourth time and has become a full member of the Japan Crafts Council, so we are very pleased to be able to hold an exhibition at this time when he is so active.
Yuichi Hirose will be in attendance during the exhibition. We hope you will be able to experience the beauty of the Edo Komon dyed by Hirose while listening to him talk directly about his work.
"Edo Komon: Yuichi Hirose Exhibition"
When
February 23rd (Friday) - 25th (Sunday), 2024
10:00 - 18:00 (until 17:00 on the last day)
place
Kimono Shop Sonehara
2-5-21 Minamimiya, Okaya City, Nagano Prefecture
0266-22-4966
Reservation
Profile of Yuichi Hirose
Born in Shinjuku, Tokyo in 1978
2000 Sydney Olympics windsurfing training athlete
2002: Joined Hirose Dyeing Factory
2014 Selected for the 54th Eastern Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition / Selected for the 61st Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition
2022: Selected for the 69th Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition (4th time) Certified as a full member of the Japan Crafts Association
Yuichi Hirose Instagram @yuichi.hirose
Hirose Dyeing Factory Website
https://komonhirose.co.jp/index.html
Mr. Hirose is the fourth generation of the Hirose Dye Factory, which has been in business for over 100 years. He is an athlete who was selected as an Olympic athlete in windsurfing during his university days. He joined the Hirose Dye Factory immediately after graduating.
Edo Komon
Edo Komon is often mentioned as a convenient kimono to make, and I'm sure there are some of you who already own one.
The stencils are made by layering Japanese paper, and the artisan carves out the designs by hand using a carving knife. These delicate and intricately designed stencils are like a challenge to the next dyeing artisan who will take over the baton.
Yuichi Hirose and other dyeing artisans archive the patterns and combine them with their own colors to dye bolts of fabric.
Below is an introduction along with images from our visit to Hirose Dyeing Factory in December 2023.
Two-piece type
A distinctive feature of Hirose Yuichi's work is the two-piece komon pattern, which uses two overlapping stencils.
Selected works at the 67th Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition and the two-piece komon kimono fabric "Houndstooth"
This piece is made by layering two different stencils and gluing them together to create a single pattern.
It is physically impossible to use a single piece of pattern paper to glue the outline while leaving the black houndstooth pattern intact.
Repeating the stencils and joining them together, and simply aligning the seams and applying glue so they are not noticeable, requires skilled technique, but simply layering them again requires twice the gluing process.
This makes me realize how difficult it is to belong to an organization like the Japan Kogei Association and continue to exhibit your work. In addition to your daily work, you also have to challenge yourself to create "works" that will impress the judges.
Regarding this, he said that he selected a two-piece mold that had been lying dormant among his vast collection of patterns (which he had not started working on because it was difficult to make) and began production.
Until Hirose presented this work, it seems that the general understanding of Nimaigata was that it had the advantage of being able to dye a greater number of colors. The sophisticated, single-color Nimaigata Komon can be said to be a reevaluation of its value, based on the current environment and the vast archives (history) of the Hirose Dyeing Factory.
We were shown some of the pattern storage. It must have taken a long time to think about what to dye and how to create pieces with new value.
This piece also combines two different stencils, with a shark print and intersecting stripes.
dyeing area
We had the opportunity to observe the process of applying glue (katatsugi).
A tense moment as the flow of the delicate patterns is perfectly aligned.
A row of planks lined up on the ceiling of the dyeing room.
"A good board makes a good piece of work."
The long boards are made from a single piece of fir tree, measuring 13 meters. The condition and appearance of each board varies from one to another. The secret of a "good board" is a secret shared not only by Mr. Hirose but also by the craftsmen, and they will not tell anyone about it or lend it out.
The long boards are sanded and maintained by Mr. Hirose himself, and are also quite a pain to wash (in the water area inside the dyeing factory). First of all, we asked him why he chose to use a natural material such as a single plank of fir tree.
That's because it can be moistened.
Before joining the stencils, the board is sprayed with water and the roll of fabric is firmly attached and fixed in place. As a preliminary step to the technique, a base is needed to prevent the fabric from moving. By absorbing moisture, the stencils, which are made of washi paper, fit together precisely and are less likely to deteriorate. The natural properties of wood, which absorbs moisture and breathes, make it suitable for dyeing.
Pattern
We were also given a lot of information about patterns, which are a valuable asset for dyers.
"Ise Katagami" striped carving by Hiroshi Kodama, a holder of an Important Intangible Cultural Property (Living National Treasure), this is a manjiku stencil.
It is said that every master has one particularly excellent piece of the same style in every 20 to 30 pieces.
Stencils can only be dyed a limited number of times and will eventually become damaged.
Hirose says that he keeps the patterns and does not use them all himself in order to pass them on to future generations.
A stencil of the shark pattern.
Hirose's works range from technically intricate two-piece pieces to unique and cute pieces.
color
Both resist dyeing and color dyeing require a glue made from glutinous rice, so the process involves steaming a large amount of glutinous rice.
The state of the color paste and the color that is obtained after dyeing and steaming to fix the color are different. We asked about the difficulty of achieving the desired color, as the color also changes depending on the environment, such as temperature and humidity.
Hirose's specialty color, "blue," is a Goku Shippo Edo Komon pattern.
Click here for the schedule of the "Edo Komon Hirose Yuichi Exhibition"
We hope you enjoy Hirose's small patterns with their attractive colors and patterns.
Mr. Hirose will be at the venue during the event.
When
February 23rd (Friday) - 25th (Sunday), 2024
10:00 - 18:00 (until 17:00 on the last day)
place
Kimono Shop Sonehara
2-5-21 Minamimiya, Okaya City, Nagano Prefecture
0266-22-4966
Reservation
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