I went to visit the Ina Tsumugi workshop (Kubota Weaving and Dyeing Industry)
Visiting the Ina Tsumugi Weaver
Thank you for reading the article.
This is Sonehara from Kimono KUREHA.
Our store is located in Nagano Prefecture, a dyeing and weaving production area where hand-weaving culture thrives.
A distinctive feature of Ina is that many of the workshops dye their own threads made from plants, and the Ina Tsumugi weaver, Kubota Weaving and Dyeing Industry, which we will introduce here, is no exception.
In anticipation of the Ina Tsumugi Exhibition (Kimonoya Sonehara) to be held in July 2025, we had the opportunity to tour the workshop.
Dyed yarn hanging in the warping room
Kubota Weaving and Dyeing Industry is the only manufacturer of "Ina Tsumugi."
There are currently 10 weavers, and Ina Tsumugi is a fabric produced by artisans led by Mr. Kubota.
Even here in Nagano Prefecture, there are workshops that have been shutting down their machines in recent years, and it is not a given that production areas will continue, and there seems to be a constant ``battle'' going on within them.
Kubota Dyeing and Weaving Industry, run by the fourth-generation managing director, Takayuki Kubota, has a history of over 100 years. What is it about Ina Tsumugi that has been loved for so long? While it would be best to experience the fabric for yourself, we hope to convey some of its appeal.
The origins of stripes and checks
Ina Tsumugi is based on stripes and checks and is available in floral weaves and kasuri fabrics.
There is a wide range of designs, from colorful and modern to those with a folk art feel.
A characteristic of Ina Tsumugi is its designs that are an evolution of simple stripes and checks.
Those who have seen the Ina Tsumugi silk featured in "Utsukushii Kimono" from time to time may have been surprised by its freshness. For example, this Nagoya obi (sash) features authentic horizontal stripes and checkered patterns, but the combination and color scheme have been updated to create a modern look.
The roots of Ina Tsumugi can be seen in the basic stripes and checks.
Kubota Weaving and Dyeing Industry is located near Komagane Station on the JR Iida Line. Sandwiched between the Central and Southern Alps and bordering the Tenryu River, the Ina Valley has long been a thriving area for sericulture.
The relatively warm climate with little snow is ideal for mulberry growth, and the winds blowing down from the mountains make it difficult for the eggs of pests, the silkworms' natural enemies, to attach to the mulberry leaves.
It is only natural that areas with sericulture would also become dyed and woven textile production areas. Ina Tsumugi has a history dating back to the Edo period, when women of sericulture farmers would weave the cocoons they could not ship into bolts of cloth for their own use. The tradition of weaving with the silk floss spun directly from the cocoons remains intact today, and Ina Tsumugi weaves the weft thread with silk floss. Furthermore, Ina Tsumugi continues to carry on the tradition of stripes and checks, which were commonly woven at the time.
The unique texture begins with a single thread
The process of making thread begins with winding a skein of thread onto a bobbin.
The secret to the light texture of Ina Tsumugi lies in the way the thread is made.
Kubota Weaving and Dyeing Industry was founded as a yarn twisting business, and the workshop is equipped with machines for making yarn. Yarn twisting is the process of twisting the yarn, and there are not many workshops that can produce everything from twisting to weaving. In other words, they can make the yarn with the texture they want in-house.
Doubling machine
The warp threads used in Ina Tsumugi are loosely twisted.
The thread is very loosely twisted, which gives Ina Tsumugi its soft and light texture. The twisting process involves winding a large bundle of single threads onto a bobbin, combining the threads to create the desired thickness, and then twisting them together to create a skein for dyeing. The thread passes through four different machines, but this shows the company's uncompromising commitment to craftsmanship, which determines the texture of the thread.
Once the thread is completed, it is degummed (to remove excess protein from the silk thread) and then dyed.
The process leading up to hand weaving
Wood chips for dye
The benefits of nature in Ina Valley are not limited to mulberry trees.
The plants used for dyes are also collected from the neighborhood as much as possible. In particular, wild cherry blossoms and apples are delivered whole from the trees and chipped to use as dyes.
Other dyes used include logwood, cornflower, white birch, larch, walnut, chestnut, and Erman's birch.
The soft colors of plant dyes are the highlight of Ina Tsumugi, but plant dyes are merely a means to an end, and the final appearance of the woven fabric takes priority, so chemical dyes are also used in combination with the dyeing process.
The muted colors in the foreground are plant-dyed threads, while the vibrant colors in the background are chemically dyed threads.
Beautiful round warping machine
Warping is the process of deciding the arrangement of the warp threads on the loom. There are many bobbins lined up in the photo, but since Ina Tsumugi has 1,070 warp threads, the bobbins will need to be changed many times.
On the second floor of Kubota Weaving and Dyeing Industry, there were rows of looms.
Warp threads on a high-speed loom
All Ina Tsumugi silk is handwoven on high looms.
Depending on the weave pattern, the fabric is woven using either a hand-thrown shuttle or a pulled shuttle loom.
Complex weaves such as Hanaori and Kasuri are made on hand-thrown looms, which have many hand-thrown heddles (the parts that determine the pattern of the warp threads).
The Present State of Ina Tsumugi
Kubota Weaving and Dyeing Industry values texture and weaves the local culture into its products.
The kimono fabrics are for summer and single layer kimonos, and Nagoya obi are available in 9-inch and 8-inch sizes.
Ina Tsumugi silk suitable for single layer woven with Azumino wild silk thread 
Nagoya obi with vibrant woven patterns
Kimono fabric with a sophisticated design 
Tsumugi is fun to devise ways to sew.
Finally, I had a look at the design book.
This is many, many books...
I was amazed at the wide variety of weaving expressions.
Kubota Weaving and Dyeing Industry is the only manufacturer of Ina Tsumugi silk and has been selected as one of Nagano Prefecture's 100-year-old companies, "A Long-Established Company in Shinshu." However, their creativity never runs out.
While preserving this important culture, they are constantly updating Ina Tsumugi to create something new and modern.
The fresh colors and patterns have the warmth of tsumugi while allowing you to enjoy "adult fashion."
Exhibition schedule
An exhibition focusing on Ina Tsumugi will be held at our main store, Kimonoya Sonehara.
We will be borrowing a high-speed loom from Kubota Weaving and Dyeing Industry and holding a weaving experience at the venue.
We look forward to seeing you all.
"Ina Tsumugi Exhibition"
When
July 26th (Sat), 27th (Sunday), 28th (Monday), 2025
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
We have a limited staff, so we would appreciate it if you could let us know when you plan to visit.
Please contact us by phone (0266-22-4966) or via the official Kimono Kureha LINE below.
During the exhibition, we will also be accepting online business negotiations via our official LINE. Please feel free to contact us.
