From Thread Merchant to Hakata-ori Weaver

The history of Nishimura Orimono began as a thread merchant. The ancestor of the Nishimura family, the feudal lord from Nagasaki, Masuemon Nishimura, participated in Toyotomi Hideyoshi's division of Hakata in 1587 and received the "four sword diamond pattern" emblem for assisting merchant Sotan Kamiya.

"From the Sengoku period to the Edo period, we operated as thread merchants for a while, but due to the Edo shogunate's policies that aimed to prevent the outflow of gold and silver abroad, the import of silk threads became restricted. At that time, the head of the family, Gihei Nishimura, chose to change the direction of the business and started Hakata-ori. This was about 164 years ago."

Since then, the Nishimura family has woven the history of being Hakata-ori weavers, but it hasn’t always been smooth sailing.

"Now, the weaving machines are made of iron, but back then they were wooden, so during the Fukuoka air raid in 1945, both the building and the weaving machines were completely destroyed. It was my grandfather, the fourth-generation president, Masataro Nishimura, who rebuilt everything from scratch."

After several relocations from Hakata to Tenjin and then to Ohashi, they eventually established their headquarters in the current Chikushino City. In 1974, the demand for Hakata-ori peaked, and to my surprise, Hakata-ori obi were flying off the shelves as souvenirs. At that time, there were over 200 weaving companies.

"My grandfather drew inspiration from a ribbon weaving machine that was in Fukui Prefecture, and developed a machine that could weave two obis simultaneously, the first of its kind in Hakata. Production doubled, and sales surged significantly. It was a technique that seemed patentable, but I heard that my grandfather shared this technology with fellow artisans out of a desire to uplift the region together.

"In 1982, my father, Yoshio Nishimura, became president. Our company focused on producing men's obis and half-width obis, but as the kimono industry began to decline, we gradually transitioned into more decorative fields during this time.

"In addition to traditional flat textiles, we actively engaged in the development of patterned textiles, creating works that had not been attempted before, successfully connecting our tradition through changing times."

Design, Production, & Sales—Completed Internally

Soichiro got involved in the business in his late 20s. He worked as a company employee in Tokyo but returned to the company after the fifth-generation president, Yoshio, fell ill.

"Previously, I belonged to a large corporation and worked in a job related to overseas exports. Although I quit and came back, the experiences I had gained felt completely different in this very unique field of traditional crafts, and it was like speaking different languages. To be honest, I was perplexed at first.

"Being young, I felt anxious whenever things didn’t go well. I thought, 'This cannot continue,' and entered a school for Hakata-ori to learn from scratch.'

After about three years of training, I returned to Nishimura Orimono and took over. In the first few years as president, I pondered how to expand the market within the kimono industry, but the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic changed my perspective.

"When a significant drop in sales hit due to the pandemic, I thought, 'Let’s try anything.' This led me to actively collaborate with other industries, such as architecture and art. While kimono demand has been gradually declining, our performance in other areas has been on the rise to compensate for that."

The current number of weavers for Hakata-ori is around 36, with more than half being individual proprietors. Only about 7 companies continue to operate today.

"While it's a small region in terms of production, that has also become its strength. In larger production areas that rely on a division of labor, if a problem occurs in one of the processes, it can halt production altogether.

"On the other hand, in smaller regions like Hakata-ori, each weaver has historically had to manage most of the processes themselves. As a result, our company has also internalized design and dyeing, allowing us to complete all processes except for yarn production in-house."

When asked about his commitment to craftsmanship, Soichiro replied, "We strive to produce things that we can be proud of as Nishimura Orimono." To make beautiful and recognized objects, one must also cultivate their own "eye for craftsmanship." There was a serious attitude as they face Hakata-ori daily, determined to uphold the tradition that has continued for over 160 years.

Combining Traditional Silk Weaving & Art

The Nishijin-ori textiles from Kyoto is characterized by their vibrant, decorative textiles created with weft threads, whereas Hakata-ori, which weaves patterns using warp threads, prioritizes practicality. Traditionally used for samurai sashes, it is now commonly used for obis worn by Rakugo performers. Most of the obis used by Rakugo performers are produced by Nishimura Orimono.

Hakata-ori is created through seven processes: design, yarn dyeing, yarn pulling, warping, preparation, weaving, and finishing. At Nishimura Orimono, traditional craftsmen are positioned at each stage, applying the skills they have developed over time.

The designs produced by the company have captivated many, with past examples including the design for shopping bags by major cosmetic manufacturers. Who exactly are the people behind this work?

"Our company is well-regarded for its originality in designs, created by the designers in our design department.

"We are developing a series called 'R Line' that challenges the fusion of traditional silk weaving and art, in which we create artistically rich designs with a different theme each year. For instance, in the piece 'FLOWERS MAP _ East Asian,' we created an obi layout featuring flowers symbolizing nine countries and regions in East Asia, such as Japan's cherry blossoms and chrysanthemums, South Korea's mugunghwa, and China's peony, all arranged like a map.

"This obi conveys a prayer for world peace, reflecting on how wonderful it would be if we could recognize diversity without conflict, like flowers."

The design ideas are sourced from archives (past designs) and museum exhibitions. It seems they will continue to pave the way for new realms in traditional crafts.

Passing Down Traditional Crafts that Enrich Lives to the Next Generation

When I asked Soichiro about future prospects, he shared the following thoughts.

"I hope to organize the materials that have been handed down through history and create intellectual property from them. While the hard aspects are of course important, I also want to enrich the soft aspects. Moreover, I am considering establishing a place in Hakata Ward where people can view Hakata-ori."

Nishimura textile has not preserved Hakata-ori through a single lineage; rather, everyone involved in production has inherited the techniques. To maintain this heritage for the future, securing talent is essential, and he mentioned, "Ideally, connections will gradually form."

"In recent years, there have been various methods for securing talent, but we want to welcome those who are interested in textiles to join us. It would be wonderful to connect with individuals who discover us through a popup store, develop an interest, and say, 'I love textiles and want to be involved.'"

The world of crafts is profound, and it's quite challenging to understand everything in a lifetime. However, Soichiro states, "As one deepens their understanding through seeing and touching, life will become richer."

"The beauty of traditional crafts holds tremendous appeal. It truly feels like a blessing to be close to such things. It may sound grandiose, but Hakata-ori is my life itself, and I feel that I carry it with me as I live."

Nishimura Orimono keeps the tradition alive while opening up new possibilities for Hakata-ori. They will undoubtedly continue to preserve the history woven for over 160 years.