The Beginning of Our Business was the Difficulty in Selling Textiles

Please tell us more about "Yaeyama Minsah-ori Weaving."

"Yaeyama Minsah-ori Weaving" is a kasuri weaving made from dyed cotton yarns into plain weave. It is woven in Ishigaki City and Taketomi Town and was designated as a national traditional craft in 1989, then referred to as "Yaeyama Minsah."

Okinawa has a variety of dyed textiles, but "Yaeyama Minsah-ori Weaving" is distinctive for its kasuri patterns of five and four motifs, incorporating tropical colors like red and blue.

This five and four kasuri pattern bears the meaning "forever," and was traditionally given by women to men as a token of engagement.

Since when has your company been involved with "Yaeyama Minsah-ori Weaving"?

Our company was founded in 1971 by my parents, just before Okinawa's return to Japanese administration. They envisioned that various businesses would start emerging in the islands due to the reversion, and decided to turn the weaving craft they had pursued into an industry.

As anticipated, the return of Okinawa led to a surge in tourists. We created souvenirs to meet the needs of visitors. Once the booms of honeymoon trips dwindled, the "Yaeyama Minsah-ori Weaving" slogan "forever" resonated as a perfect souvenir, becoming a particularly popular product.

I joined the company as the trend began to settle.

Did your parents engage in weaving even before founding the business?

Originally, they ran "Azami Sewing Shop (あざみ洋裁店)," selling clothes and accessories. At that time, someone involved in weaving Minsah sashes in Taketomi Island asked if they could sell their products.

Being from Taketomi Town, both parents were familiar with Minsah-ori weaving. Despite initial struggles with selling sashes, the experience captivated them and they began considering it as a business.

The desire to find a way to sell these traditional textiles and introduce them to the world was the catalyst for starting the business.

What are your company's strengths in crafting?

Instead of restricting these traditional sashes to their original purpose, we aimed to create items that could be used in daily life, leveraging their sturdy material for crafting small items. This approach to product manufacturing has been a notable strength for us since our founding.

Our main products include interior and fashion items, with shirts being a flagship product cherished by many as Okinawa's summer wear.

Through a fortunate connection, we created pieces for the Paris Collection in 2005. Although no orders were placed, the creations were well-received, and it became a driving force in our fashion endeavors—a valuable experience indeed.

Conveying Charm through Community Events

How long does it take to complete a Yaeyama Minsah-ori woven product?

Depending on the product, it takes about 1-2 months from dyeing the thread to weaving it. Furthermore, it takes another month for processing, so it requires about 2-3 months altogether to complete a product.
The Minsah-ori weaving pattern is created with the "warp," which requires the most effort and is carefully done.

While we also do plant dyeing, the main focus now is on dyeing with chemical dyes that provide durability for various lifestyle scenes. We are meticulous about the dyeing process to express high-quality textile colors.

Designs are created freely using computer software, drawing from motifs such as the sea, mountains, sky, and birds found in Yaeyama's natural environment.

Since our founding, we have employed a "piece-rate" system. We perform the preliminary work for fabric and bag making at our factory, while home-based workers, who have looms and sewing machines set up at their homes, handle weaving and processing. Once their task is complete, they bring the pieces back to us. Although approximately 100 staff members are involved in production, the number of artisans is on the decline. To address this, we are working to attract successors by highlighting the charm of the traditional crafts.

Specifically, what kind of promotion are you doing?

This year, we held several events. At the event held on May 4th (Minsah Day), we organized activities like sharing information about Yaeyama Minsah-ori weaving, special experiences, singing, dancing, drinking, and eating. As it is an annual event, I believe most of the residents of Ishigaki City are aware of it.
We also conducted a sewing experience event for adults. By distributing flyers within the community, we recruited about 20 participants, two of whom have expressed a desire to be involved in the work and are currently enthusiastic about it.

During summer vacation, we held a children's workshop. Simultaneously, while recruiting for the children's workshop, we disseminated information about weaving skill workshops, which are held annually starting around September. This effort successfully attracted participants. We use various events to recruit people to work with us.

You are involved in activities like donating a portion of sales to wildlife conservation and running a café. What is the background of these initiatives?

The designs of Yaeyama Minsah-ori weaving are based on the nature and geographical features of Ishigaki Island. Therefore, with the hope of preserving these landscapes "for eternity," we engage in activities like donating to conservation funds.

Also, as customers visiting the store decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic, we created a café where people could easily visit, see, and touch Yaeyama Minsah-ori weaving.

Lately, the number of inbound tourists has been increasing compared to before. Many of them arrive via cruise ships and airplanes. We use various translation tools to communicate with international visitors.

What is the driving force behind your various challenges?

The founder was innovative, undertaking various initiatives, and perhaps we have inherited that pioneering spirit.

Additionally, our company culture, based on "Let’s work together with Yuimaaru[2] (みんなでゆいまーるでやろう" and "Valuing communication with the community," also supports our event initiatives.

Reflecting "Okinawa’s Beauty" in Modern Craftsmanship

Your company's Instagram posts convey an effort to "support the Yaeyama Minsah-ori weaving industry." Could you tell us why you focus on such messaging?

We began using social media to showcase the characteristics and appeal of Minsah-ori weaving, and over time it evolved into the current, more robust style of communication.

These days, with so much information out there, the same old message doesn't resonate as much. We're continuously experimenting with new ways to communicate to effectively connect with everyone.

What challenges would you like to tackle in the future?

Okinawa has a wealth of traditional crafts and a diversity of perspectives, but each craft tends to preserve tradition in its own unique way, leaving little room for collaboration.

Recently, however, the concept of "craftsmanship that suits the times" seems to be gaining traction. If this idea spreads further, it could lead to exciting opportunities for the traditional crafts industry as a whole.

As a company, we are interested in collaborations. In the past, we have worked with people from the Paris Collection, and if opportunities arise, we'd love to challenge ourselves with individuals across various genres again.

We aim to create pieces that convey the "beauty of Japan" inherent in traditional crafts. We hope to establish a cultural legacy that continues through shared enthusiasm with our customers. It would be wonderful to connect the history of traditional crafts together with our customers.