Home > KYOTO 京都府 > Kyotango 京丹後市 > Tango Chirimen Silk Kimono Fabrics 丹後ちりめん

Most viewed - Tango Chirimen Silk Kimono Fabrics 丹後ちりめん
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Visited a Tango chirimen company called Tayuh Textile Co., Ltd. (Tayuh Kigyo 田勇機業株式会社). 2104 viewshttp://www.tayuh.jp/
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Tayuh Textile Co.'s chirimen textile factory in Kyotango.2104 views
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Lobby of Tayuh Textile Co.1972 views
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Garden of Hosenju (蓬仙寿の庭), Kyotango, Kyoto92 viewshttp://www.tayuh.jp/
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Within Tayuh Kigyo's factory grounds, there's also the Garden of Hosenju (蓬仙寿の庭) designed by Shigemori Mirei (1896–1975 重森三玲), a famous Japanese garden designer.89 views
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Tamiya Raden (民谷螺鈿) had this stunning silk kimono on display for us. "Raden" means inlay (using shell, ivory, etc.). 62 viewsTypically, we think of lacquerware, but they do it on fabrics. This kimono took 2.5 years to make and is worth more than a Lamborghini or Rolls Royce.
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The kimono was woven with pearly shell pieces from five species of oysters. 51 viewsMight be hard to see which parts of the kimono are the shell inlay, but the shiny parts are not the shell pieces. Very glittery.
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Company president Tamiya Kyoji answered our many questions about this amazing kimono. 50 viewsHis father Tamiya Katsuichiro took two years to develop and invent a method to inlay shell pieces in fabrics and showed their first example on a kimono obi sash in 1977.
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The completed design on washi paper is then sliced into "threads" that will be woven into the fabric.46 views
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Pearly shells used in their fabrics.45 views
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It's a painstaking, time-consuming process.43 views
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First they attach the thin shell/pearly layers on a design on washi paper.42 views
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Working on an obi sash. 40 views
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Tango chirimen silk fabric maker Tamiya Raden (民谷螺鈿).39 views
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Tamiya Raden also makes kimono obi sashes.39 viewsThey also supply fabrics to world-famous luxury brands, but they can't brag about it because of a non-disclosure agreement.
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This is 3,000 silk cocoons. That's how much silk is needed to make silk fabric for one kimono. One cocoon has 1200–1500 meters of silk thread. 37 viewsSince Japan produces very little silk, most are imported from China and Brazil. The Tango region consumes about one-third of Japan's raw silk imports. We were told the quality of silk from China and Brazil is very good.
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Working on an obi sash. 37 views
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Another stop was a Tango chirimen wholesaler named Yoshimura Shouten (株式会社 吉村商店 峰山支店). 36 viewsFounded in 1830 and based in Kyoto city, this is their branch shop in in Mineyama, Kyotango.
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He showed us the finished product, a chirimen fabric with a woven design.35 views
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Chirimen fabric inspector uses a light box to carefully check for any defects and flaws in the material. Any defects in the material will reduce its value and the fabric (or kimono) will be sold for less.35 views
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Banner commemmorating the 300th anniversary of Tango chirimen in 2018.35 views
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Tayuh Kigyo's third-generation company president Tamoi Hayato (田茂井 勇人) first explained about their chirimen manufacturing process.34 viewsThese looping punch cards called "mon-gami" (紋紙) program the Jacquard loom to weave the design on the fabric. The holes in the punch cards tell the loom which threads are to be raised or not during the weaving process. These punch cards can be made by computer now.
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Tayuh Kigyo's company motto: "A company that boasts quality has a future."34 views
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This is a replica of an obi sash that was selected and worn by Empress Michiko recently for her birthday.34 viewsThe company is especially proud of this, but can't publicly brag about it. (The empress does not know who made the obi. She just liked the design.)
http://tamiya-raden.jp/
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Tayuh Kigyo's factory has 60 mechanized looms (50 of them are Jacquard looms).33 views
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Fascinating to watch. 33 views
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Seal of approval on chirimen fabric. 33 views
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First we saw Tayuh Textile Co.'s gift shop and showroom.32 views
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They are in this distinctive, traditional building rebuilt in 1930 after the big 1927 Tango earthquake.32 views
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Mineyama Branch Manager Yoshioka Hitoshi shows a PR poster of Bando Tamasaburo V posing with a Tango chirimen fabric in front of the shop's kura storehouse near where Yoshioka is standing.32 viewsTamasaburo V is one of the most famous and popular kabuki actors in Japan and Living National Treasure. He loves Tango chirimen fabrics and kabuki costumes also use Tango chirimen.
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Yoshimura Shouten also creates its own designs like this "Hollywood chirimen" prototype with the the likeness of Audrey Hepburn, Charlie Chaplin, and Marilyn Monroe.32 views
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Tayuh Textile Co. makes almost everything, from the silk threads to the fabrics. We toured their impressive factory. 31 viewsThese are spools of silk being made into threads.
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Inside Yoshimura Shouten. They have a small office space on the right, meeting room on the left, a fireproof kura storehouse in the back, and lots of floor space for textile merchandise.31 views
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He even waved goodbye to us!31 views
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Inside their kura storehouse.30 views
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Very noisy and very fast-moving. One employee monitors several looms.29 views
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Seal of approval on chirimen fabric. Although Yoshimura Shouten is mainly a wholesaler, they also sell fabrics to individuals.29 viewshttp://yoshimura-shouten.jp/
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This is a thread twister to twist the horizontal silk threads (weft) 3,000 to 4,000 times. 28 viewsThis is a key step and how chirimen gets its crimped surface. After being woven into the fabric, the highly twisted weft threads try to untwist, creating the crimping.
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