In fact of Oshima tsumugi now

Oshima tsumugi is one of the most difficult textile to make in the world though
Its a declining industry now.
It had been 10 million sales 30years ago.
Weaving women got a lot of money for the salary.
It was around 2 thousand dollar per 1 roll.
But now
Its around 2 handred dollar per 1 roll now.

Many people does not want to make Ooshima tsumugi.

Also people who engage to make Ooshima tsumugi is getting to be older.
Because Young people does not want to engage to make Ooshima tsumugi.
Even if people who engage to make it want to succeed this traditional technique,
No one was hand over by such as people cause small demand.

There are just a few people under 30 years old.

There are a lot of process to make Ooshima tsumugi.

1. Dyeing yarn( doro zome )
2. Making ikat ( shime bata )
3. Weaving thread

Each part of process has specialist.
So no one can make Ooshima tsumugi as one person.

Its a polytheism so its very strong system to keep doing Ooshim tsumugi though it does not has genius.

Dorozome park

I went to Dorozome park in Amami.
It is far 15min to use a car from where i live.

In the park there are many marsh.
A soil which in a marsh is red clay, like a power and has a lot of iron.
Iron in the soil makes fixing color in textile.
The iron content is the highest place this island than.
It will make a pure black in silk.
So its called "Black diamond".

photo by http://amami7.seesaa.net/article/119735412.html

About Shimebata

Shimebata is loom for to make double ikat.
It developed around 1907 in Amami island.
This is the special technique of Ooshima tsumugi to make difficult pattern ikat with beautiful and perfect.
Woop of silk is inserted between warp of cotton yarn
then It is weaved and bind hard by warp.
*warp of cotton yarn is just for to resist dye.
It needs strong power to make beautiful and clear ikat.

Finally It will make to resist printing when it will dye.

photo by http://tabikaratabi.pro.tok2.com/page145.html
http://www.amakara.jp/whats_ohshima/o_seihou.html

A principle of Ooshima tsumugi

There are many kind of Tsumugi textile in Japan.
also There are fake one too.
I can let you know How can you find real one out.

1. All of product must be 100% silk.
2. It must be a yarn dyeing from doro some and hand weaving.
3. It must be plane weave.
4. A splashed pattern is made by Shime bata( in which special weaving loom for dyeing )

If you can find Ooshima tsumugi which cover the principle 1~4
you can find this trademark of  on product.
Its called "Tikyu shirushi" means trademark of the Earth.
It promise you that is is a proof of high-end brand in Kimono textile.

If you will find similer trade mark
it means its include camical dyeing and machine weaving.

photo by http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/jyuzakenji/49949196.html

Pattern of Ooshima tsumugi

There is symbol of pattern of Ooshima tsumugi.

Those pattern is very popular.

1.Kikkou

This sharp express  a turtle. It symbolizes that people wishes long life.

2. Akina bara
This pattern express a bamboo basket.
It is very useful and helpful tool for them life.
And the red color express a rose.

3. Tatsugou
This pattern express "Sotetsu" which is cycas revolute and "Habu" is one of snake in the island.
"Sotetsu" is popular plants and "Habu" have putted people in awe of it.
Well,
Long time ago, People had to make a best Ooshima tsumugi for King.
In Tatsugo one designer was thinking how to make it.
One day, He saw Habu on Sotetsu under the moonlight.
It was beautiful and inspired him then He could create this design from inspiration.
People had named to cerebrate there for it.

photo by http://www.amamitumugi.com/hpgen/HPB/categories/50940.html

Doro zome (mudding)

Ooshima tsumugi has a special dyeing which is Doro some.


















*Ooshima tsumugi

"Doro" means soil, "some" means dyeing in japanese.
So it is mudding.

The soil in this island has many iron.
The plants is called "sharon bai" is for dyeing material.
Iron in the soil make deep color from "sharon bai"



1. Thread or fabric soak into the water with sharin bai
2. After to soak thread or fabric, it soaks into soil too.
3. Do again 1 and 2.

We have to do again so many time.








*doing doro some

Then we will be able to see a beautiful black as we call Doro some after many effort.

*photo from ume wake

http://sunandsnowand.com/dialy/?p=1959

About Kasuri

"Ooshima tsumugi is the high class sold pongee witch symbolizes Amamian history, pride and folklore culture from ancient times, about 1300 years ago."
text by Ooshima tsumugimura
photo is my teacher.

Ooshima tsumugi use the way "ikat" which came from Indonesia long time ago.
Old people had developed this way for japanese traditional style since it imported to Japan.

wiki:ikat
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ikat

Now Japan has many way of "ikat" as japanese traditional style.
and many place had created and developed ikat them own style, pattern, color and technique as Kimono textile.
We called it "Kasuri".
It is explained by wiki.

"Kasuri is a japanese word for fabric that has been woven with fibers dyed specifically to create patterns and images in the fabric. It is an ikattechnique. Kasuri is weft ikat; the warp threads can be a solid color or resist dyed as well, and the weft thread is resist-tied i a specific pattern and tied with indigo to form a picture when the cloth is woven. When the woven pattern creates an image it is referred to as picture kasuri or e-gasuri.

Japanese ikats are generally weft ikats or double ikats."

please check below.
you can see many variety of "Kasuri".

So Ooshima tsumugi is one of Kasuri.

Oshima Tsumugi

I have been learning to weave the Japanese traditional Kimono textile in southern island in Japan which is Oshima Tsumugi since I came back to Japan in April.
I d like to introduce Oshima Tsumugi little by little.

Japan has many kind of Kimono textile and there were long history.

Oshima Tsumugi is a kind of Japanese kimono.
You can see how look like that.
Please check below.