“Maiwai,” a tradition hailing from Kamogawa in Chiba Prefecture, is a type of dyeing originally created for fishermen's celebratory garments to mark a bountiful catch.

It features auspicious motifs like cranes, turtles, and treasure ships, all depicted in vibrant colors.

Riki Suzuki, the fourth-generation head of Suzusen, once dreamed of a global career in the fashion industry. However, an unexpected encounter abroad inspired him to take over the family business. Today, these celebratory garments, born from the sea, are finding a new audience as fashion items.

“Kamogawa Maiwai Dyeing”: The Celebratory Garments for Fishermen's Bountiful Catches

Kamogawa is a town that has long flourished as a port in Chiba Prefecture's Sotobo region. A walk down Marine Road, where traditional shops still stand, leads you to the workshop of Kamogawa Maiwai-zome Suzusen, established in 1925.

Maiwai features auspicious designs such as cranes and turtles, pine-bamboo-plum combinations, and treasure ships, all depicted in vibrant colors. The tradition originated in the Edo period in Kujukuri, Chiba, as celebratory wear to mark a great catch. Fishermen would distribute Maiwai garments to express their gratitude to the sea.

“Maiwai spread to port towns across the nation, with local catches like fish being incorporated into the designs. Fishermen didn't hold a particularly high social status back then, so I think it's quite unusual for a dyeing craft to emerge from that community.”

When I asked why a dyeing craft for fishermen originated in Chiba's Sotobo region, Suzuki replied, “This is where it gets interesting.”

“It's said that in response to the Sumptuary Laws of the Edo period, painters from the Kano school who had lost their patrons made their way to the Boso Peninsula and began creating these vivid artworks.”

This development was further fueled by the growing demand in Edo for *hoshika*, a fertilizer made from dried sardines. This fertilizer was used to cultivate the cotton and indigo from which Maiwai garments were dyed.

“If the timing of any one of these events had been different, Maiwai might never have existed. When you think about it, it's pretty incredible, isn't it?”

A Chance Encounter in America with His Grandfather's Tairyo-bata

“Making Maiwai was just a part of everyday life,” says Suzuki, the fourth-generation head. He never imagined he would be the one to take over the family business.

“I studied English in the International Business program at my university. I wanted to work globally in the fashion industry, and I even had a job offer from a manufacturer. I was working part-time at one of their stores before I was due to start.”

However, just before his graduation, the passing of his grandfather—the second-generation head of the business—profoundly changed his perspective.

“I started to rethink what would happen to our family business, which has been passed down for generations, if I didn't inherit it. And the thought of it just fading away... that didn't feel right.”

He wondered if he should just go ahead and take the corporate job. Filled with uncertainty, Suzuki set off on a trip across America for his graduation. It was during a stop in Monterey, California, that he had a fateful encounter with his own roots.

“In a private museum, there it was—a *tairyo-bata* (a fisherman's banner) made by my late grandfather. I was completely stunned.”

But why was a *tairyo-bata* from Suzusen in America? The southern Boso Peninsula is also a major center for abalone fishing. A Japanese fisherman, after a poor season there, had moved to Monterey and found success in the local abalone industry. And his company, too, had adopted the Maiwai tradition.

“It felt like fate,” he recalls. “I had always wanted a global business career, but it occurred to me that it might be even more interesting to connect with the world through something I created myself. With that realization, I returned to Japan and decided to take over the family business.”

A Family Craft: All Hand-Dyed from Start to Finish

Kamogawa Maiwai-zome was originally produced through a division of labor among artisans. But today at Suzusen, the entire process is a family affair—from carving the paper stencils, applying the paste resist, adding the colors, and dyeing with indigo, all the way to sewing the bolts of fabric into happi coats and bags.

"You can't create a quality product if even one of these many steps is skipped. I learned by watching my father, the previous master, but it still took me a decade to master everything."

Suzuki showed us the coloring process, which he says is his specialty.

A stencil carved from shibugami (tanned paper) is placed on the fabric, and a paste made from glutinous rice is applied. Then, using a technique called iro-sashi (coloring), the design is painted on by layering a dye made from soybean juice (gojiru) and pigments.

"Maiwai doesn't use intermediate colors. Instead, we create beautiful gradients and shading by using a brush to blur the lines between dark and light colors."

After the many steps, the bolts of fabric are hung outside to dry. When I remarked, "It's such a lovely sight to see the fabric swaying in the sea breeze," Suzuki replied, "It can be surprisingly risky, you know."

"Bird droppings are acidic, so they can ruin the indigo dye. It’s pretty low-tech, but when birds get close, we have to wave our hands around to shoo them away."

From Fishermen’s Pride to Modern-Day Fashion Favorites

The custom of distributing Maiwai to celebrate a big catch faded out in the early Showa period. Suzusen has kept the tradition alive by adapting its techniques for items like festival happi coats, evolving with the times. Today, they continue to showcase the charm of Maiwai in new forms as fashion items, including T-shirts, tote bags, clutch bags, and sacoches.

"While it's important to preserve the traditional style, that alone limits our reach. We need to leverage our skills to start something new. We use traditional motifs while also creating more designs that are unique to a fishing town."

The item details also reflect Suzuki's own background in fashion. For instance, the sacoche has a denim backing because indigo-dyed fabric can bleed from sweat in the summer.

"We use selvedge denim woven on old-fashioned looms from Ihara City in Okayama Prefecture, a major denim hub. My starting point for any design is creating something I want to use myself. From there, I refine and tweak it to make it more user-friendly."

Recognizing the traditional patterns as fresh and new, a buyer from BEAMS collaborated with them to develop a clutch bag. Suzuki discusses the potential of Maiwai as a fashion statement.

"I don't just want to make accessories; I want to create apparel like jeans, too. It would be cool to pair them with a brightly designed sukajan (souvenir jacket), right?"

Carrying a Craft of Gratitude for the Sea into the Future

"I want to share the appeal of Maiwai," says Suzuki, highlighting the importance of creating workshops and hands-on experiences. He offers on-site workshops at places like elementary schools and sometimes even welcomes tourists from abroad.

"Kamogawa is a bit of a niche tourist spot; you probably wouldn't visit unless you're already quite familiar with Japan. We recently had a parent and child from Australia, who had been to Japan dozens of times, come and take a workshop."

When sharing the craft's appeal, Suzuki stresses the importance of conveying its historical background. He believes that understanding the meaning woven into the designs is key to appreciating their true beauty.

"The sea depicted in Maiwai is always calm. I believe this reflects the fishermen's prayers for a sea that is safe to venture out on."

We’ll leave you with some memorable words from Suzuki, who continues to tackle new challenges.

"We're facing the challenge of declining demand for traditional crafts. If we don't constantly put ourselves out there and figure out what customers want, the art form will just fade away. But in this day and age, if you take the initiative, you can find countless new markets. In that respect, I think we might be fortunate."

After the interview, I took a stroll along the Maebara-Yokosuka coast, just a short walk from the workshop. Nurtured in this fishing town, the dyed fabrics continue to evolve with the times, swaying in the sea breeze to this day.