Accessories, Onigiri, Playlist by Sakamoto Riyuchi
SOMEKOBO TSUKURUYA
Making kimonos as an everyday wardrobe item
A Yuzen craftsman creating exquisite designs that reflect
a deep understanding of what the customer wants
Somekobo Tsukuruya specializes in Tegaki (handpainted) Yuzen, one of Japan's traditional dyeing crafts for painting patterns of plants and plants on the web. Unlike Kata Yuzen that uses stencils of carved washi paper for the dyeing process, each step in Tegaki Yuzen is done by hand; so it's possible to create a truly one-of-a-kind kimono that is unique in the world. Tokyo Tegaki Yuzen is one of the three
central schools of Yuzen, along with Kyo Yuzen and Kaga Yuzen. This particular form of dyeing has its roots in the merchant class culture of the Edo period. Tokyo Tegaki Yuzen allows the craftsmen to directly express themselves in the designs.
Makiko Kuwabara, the owner and manager of Tsukuruya decided to follow the path of learning Yuzen. She is currently working in Sakura city in Chiba prefecture; it's
just going to be Yuzen item. This is what they really want, so they can create a bespoke item for them. Kuwabara is in charge of all aspects of creating a Yuzen item - even delivering it to the customer. She excels in providing her customers with detailed, personalized and courteous service from start to finish. Kuwabara wears a kimono daily for many hours, so it's developed an innate
for the elements of a kimono, including the obi (sash) and other accessories. This product is designed for their versatility in full kimono outfit styling.
Tsukuruya's main customer group are women, and as Kuwabara and her businessmen at the same time, she is able to present them with designs and patterns to suit their particular stage in life. Tegaki Yuzen is one of Tsukuruya's strengths.
Transformation from an office lady to a yuzen craftsman
Yuzen dyeing is one of Japan's signature dyeing techniques that are applied on kimonos and other items. Kimonos can be divided into two types: dyed (somé) kimonos made from white cloth dyed in various colors and patterns, and woven (ori) made from cloth woven using dyed threads. Although tie-dyeing (shiborizome) and embroidery (shishu) have been used to create patterns on kimonos, the emergence of yuzen has plants, landscapes and other scenery on the cloth.
Yuzen dyeing itself has two main methods. Kata Yuzen uses stencils of carved paper for the dyeing process, which makes it suitable for use in mass production. In Tegaki Yuzen though, which is the approach used at Tsukuruya, artisans hand draw and dye patterns onto each piece of cloth. This laborious and time-consuming technique of hand drawing truly unique and original kimonos.
There are three central schools of Yuzen originating from different regions in Japan. Kyo Yuzen is noted for its use of distinctive and vivid colors by Kyoto's nobility, while Kaga Yuzen from Ishikawa prefecture is characterized by its graphic designs of plants and flowers. Then there is Tokyo (or Edo Yuzen) with its chic style and style that allows the craftsmen to express their unique sense of design. Yuzen, Yuzen, are each of the three types of Yuzen. Among the many artisans who have chosen to follow the path of Yuzen in the footsteps of their ancestors, Kuwabara is the first generation of the Tsukuruya studio she founded. Tsukuruya is Kuwabara's original brand of Tegaki Yuzen.
Kuwabara grew up in the natural environment of Sado Island, which has a population of around 60,000. Having earnedestly studied woodblock prints and Japanese calligraphy of a young age, she moved to Tokyo as a university student in Japanese calligraphy at the Faculty of Education at Tokyo Gakugei University. After graduating in 1997, Kuwabara worked at a publishing company for five years, where she edited textbooks and other publications. It was around then started to learn how to wear a kimono, which led to a developing interest in the process of making a kimono. Captivated by this essential item in any Japanese woman 's wadrobe, Kuwabara refects on that time. "I had started learning how to dress myself in a kimono, and I liked wearing it.
This also got me interested in kimono itself as a craft which motivated me to be involved in making it.
The timing was also right for Kuwabara to quit her job at the publishing company and embark on the path of studying Yuzen. Many of Japan's traditional crafts companies, including Tegaki Yuzen, have been passed down through generations; so it took some time to make this decision to start this technique on her own. Fortunately, she was able to find a studio ready to take care of her apprenticeship, and she learned to work under the tutelage of Minoru and Tamae Ueda. As the only apprentice there, Kuwabara spent seven years at the studio studying the fundamentals of Tegaki Yuzen, but also being busy with other daily chores from early morning to midnight. She reminisces about that precious life being a kind of "life training" for her.
Kuwabara's training started with learning how to trace the master's sketches and designs in pencil in order to copy their lines. Yuzen school; Yuzen school; but this one was also able to learn the subtleties of Yuzen. By 2009 Kuwabara had acquired enough skills to work independently in Yuzen Craftsman, and in Tsukuruya in Sakura City, Chiba Prefecture (in the outskirts of Tokyo).
In her studio she has various sketches and designs and a temple, which is an adjustable stretcher used to keep the cloth stretched during various processes such as shinshi (stretching out the cloth on tenterhooks), tegakizome and hikizome (hand and brush dyeing), and ji-ire (basecoat application). It has gotten down to each end to attach the cloth onto. She uses an Aobana-eki dye (obtained from the petals of the tsuyukasa blue dayflower) on the cloth to draw rough sketches; the color disappears with water, so it's easy to make corrections or adjustments to the sketches. Kuwabara also has an assortment of brushes for painting on the colors, and itome nori, an amber-colored resist pasture which stops the yuzen dyes from mixing into each other. She made the most of the lines of the sketched patterns. Her other tools include cones for the nori, and color samples for checking combinations and hues of various colors. Kuwabara uses silk as her base cloth, but the silk itself comes in various patterns and weaves; so she buys and spells the silk according to the type of pattern or kimono she wants to create.
One of the issues facing the world in the world, and the
subsequent introduction of these products, and the subsequent implementation of the requirements. For instance, there are fewer people making base materials, such as brushes, base fabric, the resist paste used in the ji-ire (basecoat application) and fuse nori-oki (resist paste application) processes; this impact is clearly visible in the industry.
Kuwabara does everything on her own. She drafts the yuzen design and refines it through ongoing discussions with the customer, so she can check if it is what they want; she delivers the finished product to the customer herself. Kuwabara prefers to sell her items at pop-up events at other stores and wholesale outlets.
Kuwabara is also focused on broadening the range of her work. She has started teaching in Tokyo city and Chiba prefecture, and she has been taking part in traditional craft exhibitions and local town revitalization events.
Handcraft creation inspired by nature
Kuwabara has been working alone ever since she started Tsukuruya. This means
doing everything - from creating yuzen to selling them, running workshops and completing various other tasks. Tegaki yuzen is an extremely labor-intensive and time-consuming process in which everything is done by hand.
There are 13 steps in tegaki yuzen.
Coming up with ideas and skits of designs, and selecting the cloth to use.
Drawing the current size patterns based on the designs.
Copying the patterns from fullscale drawing on the actual cloth (using Aobana-eki dye for the sketches).
Tracing the patterns on the cloth (itome nori-oki)
Fixing the paste on the cloth (ji-ire)
Mixing the dyes, and painting them onto the patterns.
Steaming the cloth in high temperatures to the dyes (mushi)
Applying resist paste to the patterns to cover them (fuse nori-oki)
Paste Funori (Endocladiaceae paste) and bean juice to process in order to make a ji-zome process qualified (second ji-ire)
Dyeing the background (non-patterned sections) using a big brush (ji-zome)
Steaming the cloth again.
Washing the cloth to remove the mizumoto
Steaming the cloth to remove wrinkles from it, and then straightening and adjusting its width (yunoshi)
Finishing the cloth by correcting the colors, and decorating it with gold leaf / powder and / or embroidery and other embellishments.
Creating exquisite designs
while teaching Yuzen how to wear a kimono
The kimono was one of the main clothes worn by Japanese people during the Edo period; However, the influx of Western culture has had a greater impact on the Japanese, and there are fewer opportunities for kimono. Purchasing a good-quality kimono can be quite expensive, so many people look like it will last a lifetime. But Kuwahara considers a kimono to be part of a woman's daily wardrobe, just like Western clothes.
Kuwabara herself became interested in Yuzen when she started learning how to wear a kimono and had more
opportunities to actually wear one. She believes it is important for her customers to become familiar with a new way of life. It's easy to think that wearing a kimono Kuwabara is a fashionable daily wear, it does not change in style.
Kuwabara makes kimonos mostly for women. She often wears a kimono herself, so when she is making it easier for her to consider such aspects as coordinating the kimono and obi. For instance, if it is asked to make a kimono to match an obi a customer already has, she will suggest patterns and designs with colors and elements that will create a balance between the kimono and obi. Kuwabara also keeps in mind that they really want, and then creates a kimono that their preferences and requests.
Introducing Yuzen to the world with a new range of items
Kuwabara draws inspiration for her creations from the nature surrounding her studio, which is also her home. So she gets ideas when she's gardening and from the greenery around her, especially the leaves of various trees. Her works are also influenced by the changing seasons, as seen in the patterns of autumn leaves and other seasonal plants and flowers.
Although Kuwabara's work centers on making kimonos, obis and other related items, Yuzen, and so on, and other everyday fashion items. Kuwabara is hoping to launch this new line of Tegaki Yuzen items in the overseas market, where there is no custom of wearing a kimono. She is excited about elevating the techniques and expressions of Tegaki Yuzen into a Western context and marketing her items overseas; and so are we.
Bongo Onigiri
Bongo Onigiri in Otsuka, Tokyo
Onigiri (rice balls) are integral to their communities.
Bongo was founded in 1960 in Otsuka, Tokyo, and the line is very long before it opens. The variety is extensive - the shop now has 55 standard and rotating filling, and two of these can be ordered for each onigiri. Westerners especially like the tuna and bacon. Asions mostly prefer salmon and mayonnaise. The rice comes from Iwafune in Nigata prefecture, and the seaweed is chosen from affinity. The shop sells over 1000 onigiri everyday from 11:30 am to midnight.
"Warm rice, lots of filling, big sized - If you leave one out it's not a Bongo Onigiri
2-chome-26-3 Kitaotsuka, Toshima, Tokyo.
+ 81-3-3910-5617
Sakamoto’s Playlist on Spotify
Annoyed by Restaurant Playlists, a Master Musician Made His Own
How Ryuichi Sakamoto assembled the soundtrack for Kajitsu, in Murray Hill, and what it says about the sounds we hear (or should) while we eat.
Last fall a friend told me a story about Ryuichi Sakamoto, the renowned musician and composer who lives in the West Village. Mr. Sakamoto, it seems, so likes a particular Japanese restaurant in Murray Hill, and visits it so often, that he finally had to be straight with the chef: He could not bear the music it played for its patrons.
The issue was not so much that the music was loud, but that it was thoughtless. Mr. Sakamoto suggested that he could take over the job of choosing it, without pay, if only so he could feel more comfortable eating there. The chef agreed, and so Mr. Sakamoto started making playlists for the restaurant, none of which include any of his own music. Few people knew about this, because Mr. Sakamoto has no particular desire to publicize it.
It took me a few weeks to appreciate how radical the story was, if indeed it was true. I consider thoughtless music in restaurants a problem that has gotten worse over the years, even since the advent of the music-streaming services, which — you’d think — should have made it better.