Atsushi
The Story
Over 3,000 years ago in India, the chintz technique was developed by applying colorful and robust dyes to cotton fabrics, eventually exported to all parts of the world, including Japan.
The history of Tokyo Somekomon dates back to the Muromachi period. However, it was not until the Edo period, when kimono dyeing was introduced to samurai kimonos, that it began to develop in earnest. These techniques have been handed down since 1877, when the dyeing industry took root in Shinjuku, in order to utylize the clear waters of the Kanda River.
There are three sizes of katazome (stencil dyeing), with the komon pattern eventually used for kamishimo (formal dress worn by samurai when going to the castle or on other official duties). Komon patterns also include azure, shark, and kagome patterns, but each family had a specific pattern to use, and it was prohibited to use patterns from other families. By the middle of the Edo period, komon began to be used by the common people, and the patterns that had previously valued dignity were given a free and stylish sensibility.
However, after the Meiji era, the river became noticeably polluted, and dyeing companies moved up the Kanda River to Edogawabashi and Ochiai in search of water suitable for dyeing. Since then, many dyeing and related businesses have gathered in the watershed of the Kanda River and its tributary Myoshoji River, and as a local industry in Shinjuku, they have kept alive the old traditions.
Tomita Some Kogei was founded in 1914 by the third generation head Yuhei, when he moved their workshop up the Kanda River to present-day Waseda, inheriting Tokyo’s dyed komon techniques, as well as dyed Edo komon and Edo chintz. A friend of artist Chiyo Uno, he produced the Uno Chiyo Kozakura Kimono. The fourth generation head, Kōsuke was selected as a nationally designated “Contemporary Master Craftsman in 1949.
Atsushi was appointed the fifth and current generation head in 2006. He established the Sarakichi line in 2012, through which the traditional techniques have been transformed not only into Japanese clothing, but also neckties, scarves, handkerchiefs, and other items that suit modern lifestyles, while conveying the fashionable spirit that has continued since the Edo period.
The Craft
Edo komon originated from the pattern dyeing of samurai kimonos. Numerous designs have been created with fine patterns so fine that they appeared to be plain when viewed from a distance. The exotic patterns and austere hues that suit the Edo aesthetic are a popular fusion of beauty that transcends cultures.
The traditional techniques of Edo komon and chintz are directly applied to various miscellaneous goods. These techniques can be used for a wide array of materials.
The water quality in Tokyo, including the Kanda River, is hard water, so the iron contained in the water causes a chemical reaction before the dyeing process, resulting in slightly astringent colors with a “wabi” (calm) taste and “sabi” (dry) astringent colors unique to Edo chintz.
Colored starch is an important part of the dyeing process, as it determines the quality of the finished product. The colored starch is made by mixing glutinous rice flour and rice bran, steaming it, kneading it well, adding dye, and carefully making test dyes.
White fabric is pasted on a long board, a katagami placed on top of it. Only the carved-out areas of the katagami are dyed, with the pattern dyed on the fabric. After steaming the fabric, it is washed to remove glue and excess dye. Until 1963, the fabric was washed directly in the Kanda River that runs in front of the shop, but today, a water spray machine that draws water from underground is used.
Selected works
