As part of its annual New Year's Festival, Isetan Mitsukoshi will be selling unique products that combine the culturally significant Ise Katagami with modern values at Isetan and major Mitsukoshi stores starting January 2, 2013. The products, carefully selected from the approximately 3,000 Ise Katagami stencils collected by Isetan in the 1950s and 1960s, will be used in a variety of items, including handbags and tights. These products exemplify the creation of new value by utilizing traditional Japanese techniques in modern fashion and lifestyle goods. Ise Katagami are dyeing stencils produced in Ise (present-day Suzuka City, Mie Prefecture). They have a long history and are also known as stencils used in Edo Komon (fine-patterned Edo patterns). During the Edo period, the Kishu Domain protected them as a specialty product. They gained their name from the fact that they were distributed nationwide by stencil merchants (Ise merchants) authorized by the domain. Characterized by delicate and elegant patterns, it was designated a traditional craft of Japan in 1983 (Showa 58). Its unique crafting method involves three to four sheets of sturdy washi paper glued together with persimmon tannins to create a thick layer, and skilled artisans hand-carve patterns and designs into them. Techniques vary depending on the type of carving knife used, and are classified as tsukibori (thrust carving), kiribori (spiral carving), dougubori (tool carving), and shimabori (striped carving). A wide variety of products will be available at Isetan Shinjuku Main Store, including "Genten" handbags and "Yasutoshi Ezumi" tights; at Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi Main Store, "Echizen Lacquer" placemats and "Kagami Crystal" Edo Kiriko rock glasses; and at Mitsukoshi Ginza, "IKIJI" T-shirts. "Japanese Katagami" (Japanese Pattern Papers) (published by Pie Books), which includes a DVD-ROM containing pattern images, will be available for pre-sale at Isetan Mitsukoshi starting January 2nd.