Tie-dyeing has been practiced in Japan for over a thousand years and has been used to create patterns on court attire.
The tie-dyeing technique is called "Kanoko Shibori" because the tied pattern resembles the spots on a fawn. From the Muromachi period to the early Edo period, it flourished as a type of Tsujigahana dyeing, and in the mid-Edo period, Kanoko Shibori reached its peak. Since then, the intricate techniques have been steadily passed down through generations.

• Technology/techniques/raw materials

  Technology/techniques/raw materials

  Technology/techniques

  1. Use blue and white pigments for the underpainting.

   

  2. The grouping shall be by one of the following means:
  (1) In the case of Hikida Shibori, pinch the fabric with your fingertips, fold it into quarters, wrap the thread around it 3 to 7 times, and then tighten it.
  (2) For a single stitch, pinch the fabric with your fingertips, fold it into quarters, and tighten it twice.
  (3) In the case of umbrella-style tie-dyeing, the fabric should be tightened with flat stitching, and then "rolled up".
  (4) In the case of tie-dyeing a hat, after tightening with flat stitching, the dye-resistant portion shall be "wrapped in leather" and "rolled up".
  (5) When tying with stitching, flat stitching, folded stitching, or rolled stitching shall be used. In this case, the tied portion shall be tightened evenly.
  (6) In the case of uta-shibori, the uta-shibori stand shall be used to perform "winding up" and "winding down".
  (7) In the case of needle tie-dyeing, the thread is wound three to seven times using a needle tie-dyeing stand, and then tightened.
  (8) In the case of a single-needle tie, the tie should be tightened twice using a single-needle tie stand.

   

  3. When performing "color separation," one of the following methods shall be used:
  (1) In the case of tub dyeing, after tightening with flat stitching, the dye-resistant portion is sealed in a tub and dyed.
  (2) In the case of tie-dyeing using a board, the pattern board is placed between the folded layers of fabric, both ends are secured, and then the dyeing is performed.

   

  4. The dyeing method shall be manual immersion dyeing.

   

  raw materials

  1. The fabric shall be silk.

  2. The tying thread shall be silk, cotton, or hemp.

• Work scene

  Work scene

  The defining characteristics of "KYO Kanoko Shibori (Tie-dyeing)" lie in the exquisite precision of its tie-dyeing technique, such as "Hitta Shibori" and "Hitome Shibori," and the three-dimensional beauty created by the "dye-dividing" technique that produces vibrant, multi-colored fabrics. Furthermore, the patterns are expressed through combinations of these various tie-dyeing techniques, resulting in a unique warmth and richness that only handcrafted work can offer. While it varies depending on the item, the process from design to completion takes longer than with ordinary dyed fabrics. For fully tie-dyed kimonos, it can take about a year and a half from design to completion. For fully tie-dyed furisode kimonos, it's not uncommon for the process to exceed two years.

  Step 1: Composition and Design

  The composition and design are determined by the manufacturer and the artist. The artist then draws a preliminary sketch to ensure that the design fits the garment's length and body according to the composition.

  Step 2: Carving the preliminary design

  For the tie-dyeing process, small circles or thin lines are carved into a stencil based on the design, and then the stencil is cut out.

  Step 3: Printing the underpainting

  Using a pattern, the design is brushed onto the fabric. This design is designed so that the holes and lines in the pattern indicate the tying technique to be used, thus providing instructions for the processing method. In some cases, the design is drawn by hand without using a pattern.

  Step 4: Tightening and binding

   

  

   

  

  Step 5: Bleaching

  This process bleaches away the blue floral pattern and other stains from the underpainting printed on the fabric.

  Step 6: Dyeing

   

  

   

  

   

  

  工程7： 染色

  Since only one color can be dyed at a time, if you want to dye with multiple colors, you have to repeat the dyeing process for each color. Shibori dyeing involves dyeing fabric that has been treated with a special dye-resistant process called "tying," so the dyeing method used is "immersion dyeing," where the fabric is directly immersed in the dye solution.

  

  Step 8: Finishing with a softening agent.

  The fabric is widened by applying steam and working it by hand. The finish preserves the texture of the tie-dyeing process.

• Close-up

  Close-up

  From the hands of the craftsmen to the hands of the artisans. Kyoto Kanoko dyeing, imbued with their hearts.

  The beauty of three-dimensional dyeing created by tie-dyeing. Kyo-Kanoko is born as the skills and hearts of artisans are passed from the sketcher to the tie-dyeer, color-blocker, dyer, and finisher. Follow the hearts and skills of the artisans who embody Kanoko Shibori.

   

  I see my mother's heart reflected in the knotting of the Hikida Shibori dyeing.

  "I started learning by watching and imitating my mother's tie-dyeing" when I was 12 years old. Two years later, my mother passed away. Now one of the few remaining Hikida tie-dyeing artisans, Kazuyo Kawamoto's work is imbued with the techniques she inherited from her mother and her feelings for her mother. Her plump, round fingers pick up and tie each tiny polka dot that has been imprinted on the fabric. The loosely twisted silk thread is intricately wrapped around the fingers of her right hand, giving her a rhythm for tying. Even though she is not making knots, the tied piles are hard and uniformly raised, surprisingly firm considering the softness of the pure silk fabric. "Hikida tie-dyeing," also known as total tie-dyeing, is a large project that takes a year to complete. Until you get used to it, it is such hard work that your fingertips bleed. "No matter how much of a hurry I am, I can't tie two at once." When she first started learning, she said, "Even when I managed to tie one bead, that bead would get in the way and I couldn't tie the second one. After struggling to tie the second one, I couldn't tie the second layer." Ms. Kawamoto says she has "never been satisfied" with any of her work so far. The happiest moment was when she was asked, "Please come and see the kimono that your grandmother made for her granddaughter's coming-of-age ceremony, it's finished." When she saw it, it was the kimono that she had tied. She was so happy she was speechless. Apparently, once the tying is finished and the piece is out of her hands, the craftsman rarely gets to see the finished product. She could recognize it as her own work at a glance. It must have felt like she was seeing her long-lost child.

  

  He has a gentle personality. What thoughts must be on his mind while he is tying the Hikida Shibori dyeing? It almost seems as if, in the process of tying, he is encountering the "heart of his mother," who passed away when he was still a child, and tracing her inner feelings.

  "There is no technique that surpasses meticulousness" - the elegant gradation of dyed fabric.

  How long does it take to master the craft as a craftsman? "Things I thought I finally 'understood' after 10 years seem ridiculous now that I think about it. It's the same even after 20 years. It's always the same, isn't it? There's no end to it." This is Kazuyuki Yamagishi, the third generation of the family business of "dyeing and dividing the dyes." However, even though his father was his master, he says, "You only 'learn' the basics, and the rest is up to you." "If something isn't going well, you take a quick look at what your dad is doing, right? That's how you steal (the technique)." Kyoto's traditional crafts are characterized by division of labor. Each craftsman completes their assigned process with first-class skill. Even with division of labor, the painter considers the tie-dyeing, and the dye-divider considers the dyeing process. "I feel like you're not a full-fledged craftsman unless you can think ahead. You change the tie-dyeing method to make it dye beautifully, and you divide the dyes so that the colors stand out." However, "there are some things you just can't do no matter how hard you try. When that happens, it's disappointing. When you see the finished product, you think, 'Ah, I knew it.'" "I tell the artists what the result will be if they paint that kind of picture. That makes it easier for them to visualize the finished product." Information and thoughtfulness are conveyed through each and every strand of "Kanoko" fabric. "When people die out, the techniques die out. Knowledge (techniques) are something that accumulate. It's very difficult to revive something that has disappeared." He wants to pass on this skill and spirit to the fourth generation.

  • 

    Things that don't make money are fun! I'm researching the limits of dyeing techniques and prototyping a "fishing rod and fishing line design." My hobby of mountain climbing is also about taking one step at a time towards the summit. Both work and hobbies are battles against myself. I'm challenging things that I can't overcome no matter how hard I try.

  • 

    He says that no matter how many years he continues, there are still new discoveries to be made. He felt the pressure when his father became a traditional craftsman. He realized that he couldn't make anything that would bring shame to his father's reputation. He says that once or twice a year, he feels that it was worthwhile to do this job because the finished product exceeds his expectations.

   

  I put the colors I envisioned in my heart into the "shibori" technique.

  Hiroshi Kawamoto is a dyer. He became an apprentice at the age of 17, saying, "I want to acquire the skills." There were many dye shops specializing in black dyeing, plain dyeing, and Yuzen dyeing near his childhood home, but he insisted on "Kanoko Shibori" (fawn spot tie-dyeing). "Tie-dyeing has something that other fabrics don't have. Unlike dyeing that is only on a flat surface, the fabric itself is three-dimensional and has an indescribable charm." That's what attracted Kawamoto. He uses the "immersion dyeing method," which allows him to dye only one color at a time. Even when a color is specified, he says, "I always strive to produce a better color (a color with depth and luster) than the color book (color sample)." The skill of a dyer near the final stage takes on the skills of all the processes and craftsmen involved up to that point. "You can't just say, 'I'm not quite sure,' and make corrections. Dyeing involves immersing the fabric in liquid, so you have to carefully match the colors starting from lighter shades." Not a moment's carelessness is allowed. Everything is decided in an instant—that's the difficulty of dyeing. "For the first five years of my apprenticeship, all I was allowed to do was chop wood for the dyeing vat, and there was a time when I ran away. I didn't know why I had come here. But to be honest, I think my master was worried because it was such a big project. He was entrusting me with an entire bolt of kanoko fabric." He has stood in the workshop for 50 years, where it is hot and humid in the summer from the steam of the vat and freezing cold in the winter. He only failed once. He dyed too much. He dyed all the way through to the white background of the tie-dye. The dye company had changed the ingredients of the dye under the same product name and product number. He says he still keeps it with him to remind himself of that mistake.

  • 

    Checking for any entanglement. The first dyeing is done with a slightly lighter color. "The areas where the tie-dyeing creates a three-dimensional intersecting pattern tend to get caught in the fabric and remain undyed," so this is checked. "No other dye shop in Kyoto goes to this much trouble," is a well-established reputation.

  • 

    The first soak. While looking at the color specification slips, he adjusts the color in the pot. "I start by adjusting it until it's a little too light. In my case, I usually get it right with about 7 or 8 colors." He can only check the color in natural indoor light during the day. It's a race against time.

   

  Craftsman Profile

  Kazuyo Kawamoto

  (Kawamoto Kazuyo)
  Born January 19, 1941. Master of KYO Kanoko Shibori (Tie-dyeing) style tie-dyeing). Certified Traditional Craftsman.

  Kazuyuki Yamagishi

  (Yamagishi Kazuyuki)
  Born February 9, 1949. Specialist KYO Kanoko Shibori (Tie-dyeing) Shibori dyeing. Certified Traditional Craftsman. Executive Member of the Kyoto Kanoko Promotion Cooperative Association.

  Hiroshi Kawamoto

  (Hiroshi Kawamoto)
  Born March 26, 1929. KYO Kanoko Shibori (Tie-dyeing) Shibori dyer. Traditional craftsman. Recipient of the Order of the Sacred Treasure, 7th Class, Blue Paulownia Leaf. Vice Chairman of the Kyoto Kanoko Traditional Craftsmen's Association.

  Anecdotes

  Kyoto Kanoko looks great even in a living room with hardwood floors.

  Even though many people love kimonos, opportunities to wear them are decreasing. If you don't have opportunities to wear them, one option is to incorporate them into your daily life. This compact, foldable interior piece can be used as a screen or to divide a corner. Recently, many new products have been developed that make the most of the texture of Kyo-Kanoko fabric. Both Kyo-Kanoko and the screen are distinctly Japanese, yet for some reason, they look great in a living room with hardwood floors. This is also perfect for today's housing situation, where Japanese-style rooms are becoming less common.

  This noren (traditional Japanese curtain) is boldly designed. The white tie-dye dots seem to emit light. While it is a traditional Kyoto Kanoko tie-dye, tapestries and noren feature innovative and playful designs like this. Despite the abstract design, the colors and tie-dyeing evoke a sense of light and wind. We see many dyed accessories, but there is a unique charm to KYO Kanoko Shibori (Tie-dyeing). The noren swaying in the wind gives the flat fabric a three-dimensional effect.