Expressing the Beauty of Maki-e in Textiles

Could you tell us about your business and its beginnings?

Tamiya Raden was primarily a workshop that made kimono obi. My father, Shoichiro Tamiya, the founder, developed Raden weaving around 1977 by incorporating shells to express Maki-e Raden craftsmanship in textiles. He utilized the traditional Nishijin weaving technique "hikibaku" after about two years of research. This created a new category called Raden weaving in the kimono industry. During my father's time, the business received orders as a processing center for Kyoto obi manufacturers and artists.

After graduating from university, I worked at an obi wholesaler in Kyoto for four years. Being the eldest son, I then returned home to take over the family business. I spent about ten years doing various odd jobs to learn the trade, but I always found the Raden weaving my father developed to have a unique charm and originality, seeing great potential for expansion abroad.

In 1996, a few years after returning home, I began selling original obi. The kimono market was beginning to stagnate at the end of the bubble era, a period I found myself returning to the family business. It was clear that relying solely on orders from Kyoto manufacturers and artists made business continuity challenging, so I took the opportunity to pivot towards crafting original products. Although we still handle processing work for Kyoto manufacturers, the share of original products is now significant.

Could you tell us about the opportunities and background of your overseas expansion?

We had the confidence in our quality, having supplied Raden woven obi to the Imperial Household. However, at the time, the strong image of Kyoto city, especially Nishijin, as the home of kimono made it difficult to produce original creations in Kyotango. We considered ways to differentiate and bring originality to our offerings.

At that time, in France, due to President Chirac, who was known for his affinity with Japan, a sumo event was held in Paris. This suddenly boosted sumo's popularity in France despite its decline, which also rekindled interest in sumo back in Japan. This led to the idea that if things like kimono and textiles became popular overseas, it might reignite their popularity in Japan as well. Simultaneously, there was exploration on how the unique techniques of Raden weaving could be promoted globally as materials that brands and designers could easily utilize. In 2006, as part of a Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry initiative called the "Japan Brand" project, volunteers from Tango organized exhibitions in Brussels and Paris. Since then, they have annually participated as a team made up of several textile workshops from Kyotango. Initially, due to the intriguing rarity and high quality of Raden textiles, they garnered a lot of attention. However, due to the high price and the narrow width of the kimono sash fabric, it wasn't commercially viable, and gradually attendance at the booths declined.

However, in 2011, they introduced a weaving machine that expanded the width of the fabric from 33cm (the width of a kimono sash) to about 1 meter. This major step led to the recognition of Raden weaving's unique techniques and beauty, and the company was invited to showcase at "Maison d'Excepion" in "Premiere Vision," one of the world's largest fashion material trade shows. This section showcases unique techniques and cutting-edge technology, symbolizing textiles from past to future. Following these exhibitions, Raden weaving became a feature in major fashion houses' collections at Paris collections, and they received continued orders from Paris collections, NY collections, Tokyo collections, and others.

For example, the Raden textile has been produced for high-brand collections' jackets, used for luxury watch brand dials, and incorporated into silk with leather woven material for long gloves and blousons, utilizing the Raden weaving method. Recently, at Dior's 2024-2025 Winter men's collection, the woven textile of gold-leaf techniques—the root of Raden weaving—was used.

Furthermore, a recent trend with major fashion houses is a return to craftsmanship and respect for traditional making methods, which seems to align with our manufacturing philosophy.

Can you tell us about the process from getting the idea to weave mother-of-pearl into the fabric, to developing Raden weaving?

Until my elementary school days, I lived by the seaside of Kyotango, where shells were familiar, and a series of coincidences led to the idea of Raden weaving.

When my father worked in Kyotango as a Nishijin weaver, a famous industry insider who collected rare textiles like those stored at the Shosoin gave us advice: "If you're going to work with textiles in Kyotango, eventually create your original style."

Then around 1977, an acquaintance who was an insect enthusiast requested a weaving experiment with fragmented butterflies. Through trial and error, they finally managed to weave the butterfly’s wings, though they struggled with the body part. During this time, they coincidentally encountered Raden treasures at a Shoso-in exhibition, which sparked inspiration. The thought was, "If shells with beautiful light could be used for the butterfly's body, it could become a beautiful work," and "this might connect with a unique Kyotango textile," becoming a major catalyst for developing Raden weaving.

Typically, the foil-stamping process is divided among specialists, and when cutting the fabric, we rely on a cutting shop. However, cutting the hard shell would break the cutting machine's blades, so no one accepted the task. After searching extensively, they finally found a place in Kyoto willing to take on the job, allowing the research on Raden weaving to commence. There were many failures at first, figuring out how to add flexibility to brittle, hard materials like shells, by attaching them on gold-leaf foil with adhesives and coatings. Finally, after about two years of research, Raden weaving was completed.

Please explain the process and technical details of creating Raden weaving.

After grinding shells into thin plates, they are uniquely coated to prevent them from cracking. They are cut into the designed patterns and pasted onto Japanese paper colored with gold leaf, silver leaf, or lacquer. The shell-covered Japanese paper is cut into thin flat threads and woven as the weft. The warp is generally silk.

Adhering to the Japanese paper requires a certain degree of strength, and the viscosity and quality of the glue are crucial to prevent peeling. The adhesive strength changes with the base material used for pasting the shells or the season. Therefore, the glue mixture must be adjusted accordingly, making the adhesion technique and process complex. When the base material changes, repeated trials are necessary to ensure there's no peeling later. Choosing Japanese paper wisely is also vital since excessive tension can cause creases, brittleness, or curling. Our unique technology retains the characteristic hard quality of the shells while incorporating flexibility, allowing us to express the allure and beauty of Raden, as seen in lacquer maki-e, in textiles.

Our strength lies in our ability to develop in-house. Typically, "hakuya" that make leaf and "oriya" that weave fabric work separately. However, researching Raden weaving required us to acquire some hakuya techniques, and we have both hakuya and weaving workshop technologies. This enables us to create unique products by arranging various materials, such as using leather instead of Japanese paper.

What makes Raden weaving so captivating?

Just as many Raden works are found among the treasures of Shoso-in, the unique shimmer of shells has fascinated people for centuries, with the techniques cherished and passed down through time. Growing up by the seaside, I frequently collected shells during summer. Looking up from underwater, the glimmer of sunlight penetrating the sea resembled the shining quality of shells. Luminous materials often excite people, but shells have a certain calming glow, which is their unique charm.

During the late Heian to Kamakura periods, numerous fine Raden maki-e works adorned the interiors of temple buildings, lavishly illustrating the Pure Land ideal abundant during that era. The shell shimmer effectively expressed alternate worlds, I believe.

The Interplay Between Cutting-edge Innovation & Traditional Techniques

Your designs and material combinations are quite innovative. Are there any sources of inspiration or references you follow?

Big fashion houses present collection concepts almost like contemporary art. Through communication with them, I naturally encounter their refined concepts. Their pursuit of the latest trends, creative ideas, and manufacturing perspectives has influenced me. Occasionally, I receive specific requests from designers. For instance, "Can you weave cork?" I've engaged in developing new fabrics through such unique proposals and have reintroduced them into traditional products like obi sashes. Working with major overseas fashion houses has fostered mutual value enhancement.

For design inspiration, we draw on classic motifs from surviving kimono and obi patterns through the ages, screens, and Japanese paintings. Viewing Japan more objectively from abroad has led to incorporating Japanese aesthetics, kimono-specific expressions, and traditional patterns with modern interpretations.

With increased overseas work, I've sought to deeply understand "Japanese-ness" through elements like asymmetry, texture, shadow, and wabi-sabi. By reading works by influential Japanese figures like Tenshin Okakura, Daisetsu "Daisetz" Suzuki, Soetsu Yanagi, and Jun'ichiro Tanizaki, I glimpse common threads in what defines Japanese aesthetics. I aim to return to our roots and take on the challenge of producing creations that amaze experts deeply familiar with obi sashes.

As the demand for kimonos declines, what do you think are the industry's challenges, and what do you consider necessary to address these issues?

Firstly, in the kimono industry, with a shrinking market, manufacturers at the supply chain's upstream are significantly strained. The disappearance of diverse specialty threads and materials, weaving machines, and tools, along with the lack of successor artisans, is reducing usable techniques. This situation creates a vicious cycle that hinders the creation of diverse and attractive products, thereby exacerbating the decline in demand. To sustain traditional kimono techniques, it is necessary to repurpose technology to transform decreasing demand positively and find opportunities that lead to new business.

In the textile industry, manufacturing has been shifting from developed countries to nations with lower labor costs. In Japan, the rapid shift of textiles overseas has been progressing since around 2000, drastically reducing domestic textile production. One potential new market for the techniques used in the kimono industry is the luxury market, one of the world's growth sectors. However, luxury products are not daily essentials, so innovative applications of techniques and the creation of new values demanded by consumers and target markets are required. It is essential to reassess assets like history and technology, clearly identify one's strengths, and possess the ability to connect this awareness to business opportunities.

Building Global Standards

Please share your thoughts and feelings about PR activities and branding in the textile industry for global transmission.

Tea ceremonies are said to have created value not only in the practice of drinking tea but also as a comprehensive art form, and they are appreciated worldwide as a representative Japanese culture. Japan, where such culture thrives, is a country with strong branding power at this fundamental level. In the past, Japan likely had a high awareness of creating standards in various fields globally, but now, that seems to be fading. It feels that adopting the value standards of the Western world alone is insufficient; a proactive approach to establishing one's standards and recognizing the excellence of Japanese traditions and culture, fostering pride, and creating a standard with uniquely Japanese content and methods are required. While I haven't yet come up with a concrete answer, utilizing easily accessible social media and the web extensively to reaffirm our strengths and conduct branding and transmission seems essential.

Kyotango is famous as the production area of Tango Chirimen, but are there activities that connect collaboration among the region’s weavers or lead to regional revitalization?

The Tango Textile Industrial Association exists, and regional collaboration has historically been present. Weaving workshops that once only focused on fabric production have started producing original products, and activities like craft tourism, which lead to regional revitalization, are becoming more prevalent. With the increase in inbound demand as a catalyst, there is hope for regional upliftment as a whole.

Concerning regional revitalization, branding that clarifies the purpose and target, and strategic PR focusing on presentation and communication methods are vital. Meeting various people abroad has allowed me to think from more diverse perspectives than before. Although it is possible to instantly obtain information via social media and the web, the actual experience of meeting and interacting with people is truly valuable. Recently, activities are underway to create mechanisms for creators, artists, and designers from around the world to gather in Tango.

Additionally, the number of tourists in the Kyotango area has recently increased, and efforts are being made to conduct studio tours targeting inbound tourists in collaboration with local government. Kyotango, about a 3-hour train ride from Kyoto city, offers a beautiful original landscape of Japan and is rich in food. Collaborating with local governments and volunteers, I hope to share awareness and progress in a positive direction, even slowly.

What innovations or new technologies are you planning to pursue in the future? Also, could you share your future outlook?

To differentiate ourselves from others, we want to actively incorporate cutting-edge elements in our unique originality, enhance that technology, and sustain it. To achieve this, we aim to strengthen the system to focus more on research related to textiles. We have some connections born from our experiences interacting with professors and students from European art universities like the Royal College of Art and Central Saint Martins, and from our sales activities in Europe so far. Utilizing these, we wish to delve into textiles by accepting interns and participating in academic collaborations. Such activities will lay the foundation for new creations and may lead to significant innovations and the creation of new value. We plan to create a creation platform that fosters interactions with diverse people related to textiles, generating advanced and intriguing things and experiences. Like how San Sebastián in Spain became globally famous as a gastronomic city and attracted people, we dream that one day our workshop, and by extension this region, will develop into a place where textile creators, designers, and artists from around the world gather, and where creation is born.