The Choice to Inherit a 400-Year-Old Family Business

The history of Kiyohara Orimono dates back to the late Muromachi period. Although details of its founding are lost, ancient documents confirm that the Kiyohara family was involved in the textile business, and records show it was established as "Kiyohara Shoten" in the 6th year of the Meiji era (1873). Even after relocating from Omuro, Kyoto, to Shiga, they have continued to create textiles for prestigious occasions, including pieces for the Imperial Household, festival curtains for events across the country, and decorations for temples and shrines.

However, despite being a workshop passed down through generations, it’s not as if they have a grand, imposing storehouse. "We were a family that just kept surviving," laughs Kiyohara. Facing numerous economic waves, including wars and the collapse of the bubble economy, the family business has been carried on, relying solely on one belief: "the techniques are what must be preserved."

Kiyohara, who had a long career in the construction industry, originally had no intention of taking over the family business. He says his family didn't expect him to, either. However, when he began to feel the limits of what he could control at work, he found himself re-examining his family's trade. The workshop had no one to take over. If he joined, he could eventually run everything based on his own decisions. The moment he thought, "There's a future where I can do things my way," his interest in the world of crafts ignited all at once.

And so, he made the career change over a period of two years. Although he started with zero technical skills, he possessed a clear determination: "to take action for the sake of preservation."

Tsuzure-ori: A Craft That Answers Our Craving for Beauty

Tsuzure-ori is a technique passed down in Japan for 1,400 years, in which artisans use their own fingernails, filed into a sawtooth shape, to comb and pack the weft threads into place. By compacting the weft threads so tightly that the warp threads are completely hidden, this creates a unique, scale-like texture, enhancing the interplay of light and shadow and bringing out the vibrancy of the colors.

The technique also excels at creating curved lines. The artisan works with the design placed underneath the warp, reading it to determine "at which row to build up a color, and at which to transition." This "reading" of each individual thread is what determines the final quality of the work, making it a highly intellectual and sophisticated manual craft.

Regarding this technique, Kiyohara says, "Humans are creatures that can't let go of beauty."

Unlike food or tools, the concept of beauty isn't essential for survival. Yet, we buy flowers, go to see cherry blossoms, and stop to admire something beautiful. He believes that just as murals and decorations have existed since ancient times, humans have an innate desire for beauty.

For Kiyohara, who experienced an era when the demand for obi and stage curtains plummeted and the industry rapidly shrank, the question was what skills were truly worth saving. One of the answers was Tsuzure-ori, a "craft that answers the human desire for beauty."

"It might be like an endangered species, but it will never go extinct. As long as people seek beauty, craft will survive."

Creations from a Class-of-its-Own Technology

The hallmark of Kiyohara Orimono lies in its weaving structure that enables 'extreme density.' Compared to standard weaving, the weft threads are kept looser and beaten in forcefully, concealing the warp threads to create a vibrant surface. This is why their work is highly visible from a distance, making it ideal for the drapes on festival floats and portable shrines, as well as for decorations in shrines and temples.

When restoring the curtains for the Gion Festival, work can progress as slowly as a few millimeters a day. The weaving width exceeds two meters, and the color palette easily surpasses 100 shades. It's a level of complexity impossible for machine weaving.

The studio also continues to develop its own unique materials, such as creating thick threads for stage curtains (donchō) and plying multiple silk threads together to craft original color tones (nenshi). A prime example of their ingenuity is when they leveraged knowledge from the construction industry to draft their own plans for a wooden loom lying dormant in a warehouse, reviving it as a three-meter-wide machine.

"There are no blueprints or materials. But if we need them, we'll just make them."

Effortlessly blending traditional and modern techniques, they have continually expanded the studio's horizons.

Forging New Paths Through Global Brand Collaborations

A testament to Kiyohara Orimono's spirit of innovation is the massive tapestry on permanent display at a Uniqlo in Paris since 2021. The project came with an unprecedented challenge: to shred clothes collected in Uniqlo's recycling boxes, turn them into thread, and weave them into a new piece. Adding to the challenge was a request to "use recycled washi paper," which led them to collaborate with a paper manufacturer to develop the very concept of "recycled washi paper."

In recent years, collaborations with international designers have flourished. A diverse range of creators, including a Swiss textile designer and an American painter based in Kyoto, are drawn to Kiyohara Orimono's techniques, and a stream of new textile art is constantly emerging.

Their scope is steadily expanding to include art panels, rugs, and large-scale interior pieces.

"I'd always hoped to bring our work to an international audience. For even one of those dreams to come true is a huge deal," says Kiyohara.

Fostering the Next Generation, Spreading the Word, and the Future of Craft

For Kiyohara, it's crucial to share not just the techniques but the 'motivation' behind the work with his craftspeople.

He carefully explains, "Where will this piece be displayed, and what value will it hold?" After a project is finished, he shares photos and feedback. This helps the artisans truly understand the global impact of their work.

Engaging with children through workshops, nurturing young talent, and expanding into interior design—all these actions are aimed at building the 'studio's future.'

Looking ahead to next year, they are slated to restore festival decorations connected to a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. While their work on cultural properties often went uncredited in the past, this project will officially bear the 'Kiyohara Orimono' name.

He is now undertaking a project meant to last 200 years into the future. Despite the immense weight of this responsibility, Kiyohara's face is full of light.