The only remaining wide-width Western-style silk jacquard fabric factory in Japan
In Komatsu City, Ishikawa Prefecture, we have the long-width Western-style silk jacquard fabric factory, Japan's last. This is the only factory in Japan that uses a wide silk jacquard loom, with a width of 150 cm. Looms from the 1960s are still in operation today, and rare fabrics are being woven by skilled craftsmen.
Precision technology required by 10,000 warp threads
The most difficult thing to do with silk jacquard weaving is to set more than 10,000 warp threads on the loom. Each thread of silk thread, which is thinner than the hair, must be placed in an accurate position by hand, and slight deviations are not permitted.
This task requires advanced skills and concentration, and can only be performed by a few skilled craftsmen in Japan. It uses about 1.4 times more silk than regular fabrics, and the unevenness caused by the jacquard weave creates a three-dimensional, high-quality finish.
A collection of craftsmanship skills from all over Japan
To complete the fabric, multiple local expertise is required:
- Silk jacquard weave
- Coloring using post-dyeing techniques
- Sewing
In particular, "post-dyeing" in Yonezawa City, Yamagata Prefecture is an advanced technique in which the fabric is weaved and then dyed, achieving a deeper color that is different from yarn-dyeing.
The inheritance of rare technologies and their value
Currently, the factory in Japan that handles post-dyed silk jacquard fabrics is in Ishikawa Prefecture.Ogura FabricsThe factory is effectively the last. In the 1960s, parts of the looms were difficult to procure, and the number of craftsmen who could acquire this complex technique is decreasing year by year.
As import prices rise due to the weak yen, attention is being paid once again to the high-quality manufacturing in Japan. In today's increasingly mechanized, quality born from manual production has a value that cannot be achieved through mass production.
One-of-a-kind beauty in your hands
This fan made from rare silk jacquard fabric may certainly be expensive. However, the three-dimensional beauty created by 10,000 warp threads, the deep colors caused by post-dyeing, and the quality that combines the craftsmanship of all over Japan are something you will never find anywhere else.
The unevenness of the jacquard weave creates a different beauty with each fan opening. This will go beyond just practical products, as a crystallization of traditional Japanese techniques, and as a cultural heritage that should be passed down to the next generation, so you will be able to realize its value.
Because it is a technology that is losing its meaning, there is a special beauty that can only be obtained now.
Ogura Fabrics Monsa silk fan (white/black) [in paulownia box]