An Unconventional Career and a Return to Craft as a 'Livelihood'

The history of Marumasa Orimono Workshop dates back to the chaotic post-war period. It began when Oshiro's grandparents married and started a yunoshi (steam finishing for textiles) business. His grandmother, who had moved to the area upon marriage, was already familiar with weaving from the time she was in fourth grade. At first, as part of the local division of labor, they took on contract work like winding warp threads for other workshops. Eventually, she started weaving herself. An order from a shop dealing in dance costumes was the catalyst that set them on the path to becoming a full-fledged weaving workshop.

Oshiro’s parents, the second generation, continued to protect the workshop while also dedicating their efforts to union activities and mentoring the next generation of artisans. But when Oshiro announced he wanted to take over the family business, the response was less than enthusiastic.

"When I came back from Tokyo at 29 and said I wanted to take over, my parents told me, 'Don't do it.' It was right after the Lehman Brothers collapse, and the entire industry was in a slump. The truth is, we couldn't make a living on the business alone. For about five years, I had to work a part-time job in the early morning before coming to the workshop in the afternoon."

So why did Oshiro, who had been at the forefront of fashion working in an Omotesando apparel shop, return to the world of traditional crafts? The answer lies in the memory of his grandmother, a figure he had looked up to since he was a child.

"In the five years I worked with my 'obaa' (grandmother) after coming home, I never once saw her lie down to rest," he says. "Even past the age of 85, when she got tired, she would just switch to a different task as a way of taking a break, her hands always busy. Seeing firsthand the grit that had allowed her to build a home and raise a family from nothing in the post-war era, it hit me: 'These people are doing this to live.' That’s when my mind was made up. I figured if I just worked relentlessly, I could make it work."

Before all the high-minded talk of tradition and culture, weaving is fundamentally a 'way to make a living.' Once he reconnected with that origin point, Oshiro's doubts disappeared. His challenge to fuse two worlds had begun: his sharp sense for 'what sells' and 'what makes people want to wear something,' honed in the apparel industry, and the masterful techniques passed down by his predecessors.

The Decline of Specialization and the Strategy of Mastering Every Step

The textile hub of Haebaru has traditionally thrived on a system of specialized labor. Specialized artisans would each handle a single stage—design, tying (kukuri), dyeing, weaving, and steam finishing (yunoshî)—to complete one bolt of fabric. While this was an efficient production system, it also carried the inherent risk of production grinding to a halt if a single link in the chain was broken due to an aging workforce and a lack of successors.

When Oshiro returned to his hometown, the industry was already at a turning point. Although he began his career in weaving, he felt a sense of urgency and chose the path of mastering every single process himself, from dyeing and tying to pattern design.

"Haebaru is a town built on specialization, but I felt that to survive in the future, you have to understand the entire process. For instance, if you outsource the dyeing, you're inevitably bound by existing colors and patterns. By handling the dye formulation yourself, you can experiment with subtle, nuanced colors and create unprecedented color schemes. Also, when commissioning other artisans, understanding the steps before and after allows for much more precise creative direction."

Today, the Marumasa Orimono workshop handles nearly every stage of production in-house. This is more than just a risk-mitigation strategy. By having a hand in the entire workflow, they have dramatically expanded their creative freedom and tightened their quality control.

Oshiro's workshop is filled with handmade tools. A tool for rubbing pigment onto the yarn is fashioned from a car's windshield wiper.

"There aren't specialized tools for sale, so we have no choice but to get resourceful and make them ourselves. Wooden ones are too light, making it hard to keep a steady hand, but the weight of the wiper is perfect. Even for tools once made from split bamboo, we have to find substitutes when the materials become unavailable. This constant adaptation to the times is the reality of our craft."

Updating Traditional Techniques

A key feature of Ryukyu Kasuri is the 'Miezun,' a collection of design books. During the Ryukyu Kingdom era, textiles were produced in various regions based on designs drawn by the royal court's painters. Oshiro is passionate about reinterpreting these classic patterns for a modern audience.

"Many Ryukyu Kasuri patterns don't actually have a deep meaning. It's said that when kasuri techniques arrived from Southeast Asia, they were instantly abstracted into geometric designs in Okinawa. For example, a pattern is called 'mayu-gara' (eyebrow pattern) because it looks like an eyebrow. The vast majority were named retroactively. Because there's no inherent meaning, they can be easily integrated into contemporary fashion as pure design elements."

Oshiro continues to take on challenges that align with modern lifestyles. One of these is his development of a unique dyeing method.

With the standard surikomi-zome (rub-in dyeing) method, paste is added to prevent the pigment from bleeding, which can sometimes result in the pattern's edges being too sharp. Inspired by the 'kumadori' (shading) technique of Bingata dyeing, Oshiro adopted a method that intentionally blurs the patterns. This successfully achieved the soft aesthetic of hand-tied kasuri using the more efficient rub-in dyeing process.

Additionally, he launched the new brand "marumasa.fab" in 2025. This solid-color-based lineup is aimed not just at traditional kimono fans, but also at a new generation who wants to enjoy kimono with the ease of Western apparel.

"Traditional kasuri patterns are wonderful, but it's also true that a kimono with an all-over pattern can be quite challenging to style. So, I decided to offer solid-colored kimonos that downplay patterns in favor of focusing on texture and color. My goal was to create a kimono you can wear like a suit—something that wouldn't look out of place in a Western-style clothing boutique."

The endeavor has been met with acclaim at exhibitions outside of Okinawa, including a gallery in Sapporo. By strengthening his technical foundation through the revival of classic patterns, he is simultaneously carving out new markets with a contemporary line. This two-pronged approach is the driving force behind Marumasa Orimono's success.

From "Craft" to "Industry": Building an Ecosystem to Power the Local Economy

Oshiro's vision extends far beyond his own company's bottom line.

"People call it a local industry, but right now, it's shrinking to a point where you can't really call it an 'industry' anymore. A weaving region can't survive on weavers alone. You need related businesses like yunoshi-ya (steam finishers), itomaki-ya (bobbin winders), and dogu-ya (tool makers) to form a complete production center. I remember when we ramped up our production, the owner of a steam finishing shop told me, 'We can make it through the New Year thanks to you.' That's when it hit me—if we push ourselves, we can create jobs for our community and earn their gratitude."

In the past, Haebaru was home to numerous related businesses that formed a mutually supportive ecosystem. But as production declined, many of these businesses were forced to shut down, leaving only a handful today.

"Think about a company town for a major auto manufacturer—every job is interconnected and keeps the economy turning. Our scale is different, of course, but that's the model we should aspire to. We need to boost our production capabilities, create jobs, and make sure everyone, including our partner businesses, can make a good living. Only then can we become a true 'industry' that the community genuinely needs."

To achieve this, weavers can't just create for their own satisfaction; they must adapt to the evolving needs and tastes of their customers.

"Lately, the traditional 'rules' of wearing kimono have started to relax. More people are enjoying them with the same casual feel as Western clothing, which is a fantastic trend. Instead of makers dictating, 'You must wear this specific kimono for this season,' we should offer suggestions that leave room for personal freedom and enjoyment. I'm convinced that constantly evolving with the times is the only path to survival."