The unparalleled dyeing and weaving of Kihachijo is produced with a great deal of time and effort. What is the secret behind the beautiful Kihachijo, woven with wisdom and skill, and embracing the natural environment of this remote island? Part two of an interview with the Yamashita couple, who run a Kihachijo workshop on Hachijojima.

--Shifting gears a bit, what kind of reaction has Kihachijo received overseas?

In France, there is the "Natural Dyes and Pigments Conference," a global conference on natural plant dyes. Homare and his wife attended, and on the trip we took the Paris subway wearing kimonos. On the subway, we met a boy, and an elderly woman who was with us pointed to my kimono and said, "This is a kimono." The boy then looked wide-eyed and asked, "Japonais?" I replied, "Oui," but couldn't say the rest of the sentence in French... I was really disappointed, thinking that maybe if I had been able to tell the child, "This is dyed with grasses or tree bark," he might have become interested. It's important to properly communicate the beauty of the craft.

--Plant dyeing is also found overseas, but is it different from Japanese plant dyeing?

Plant dyeing overseas involves extracting extracts from wood chips, like regular chemical dyes. It's different from the simmering method used in Japanese plant dyeing. Also, because clothing is dyed overseas, it's often washed and thrown away if it becomes damaged. But in Japan, kimonos are dyed, so people think about carefully passing it on to the next generation. So even the dyeing technique itself is different from dyeing overseas.

--It would be great if we could share Japan's wonderful culture, such as the plant dyeing technique for Kihachijo and the delicate weaving techniques, with people overseas. Besides, we live in an age where people overseas will recognize the quality of our products if we can communicate it properly.

I really believe that. When I explain the process of making Kihachijo to people from overseas, they are truly amazed. Every year on the last Sunday of October, we hold an event called "Kihachi in Ginza," where we walk around Ginza wearing Kihachijo. Ginza is home to many foreigners, so they all pay attention.

--I just had the opportunity to see a kimono dyed and woven entirely with thread spun from Tensan, a natural silkworm. The translucent bluish green is beautiful. It has such depth and expression that it's hard to believe it was made from a single material, and the colors and patterns are so vividly etched in my memory.

Since Tensan silkworms live outside, when a bird passes nearby, they stop their mouths from spitting thread. Then, they spit thread from a different place, so even though the cocoon is so large, you don't get much thread. Spinning the thread requires a lot of effort, as it cannot be pulled long. And when it comes to dyeing, the dyeing process must be repeated nearly 30 times to achieve the desired color using Tensan silk.

- The thread is difficult to spin, it's difficult to produce a large quantity, and dyeing is also labor-intensive. Why do people choose to dye and weave with Tensan silk, despite all the time and effort?

One reason is that Kihachijo silk is originally dyed 15 or 20 times, so 30 times doesn't make much difference. It's long been said that Tensan silk doesn't dye well, but that's only what people who usually dye in one go think. Asking someone who usually dyes in one go to dye 30 times wouldn't work. It's certainly labor-intensive and difficult to dye, but with repeated dyeing, it will.

- It's precisely because they're willing to go to all the trouble that they can produce the beautiful colors and patterns that only Kihachijo silk can produce. But do you still find it a hassle?

(After thinking for a moment)...No, it's not a hassle. It's not a hassle. In the end, I like it. If the thread was troublesome and required a lot of work, I would feel like, "What would happen if I didn't weave it?" (laughs).

--Homare-san, you also repeat the process of dyeing the thread with plants and drying it in the sun every day. You grow the plants you use for dyeing, harvest them, and dye them with new dyes every day. You also do all the lye for the mordant by hand, don't you?

What we do isn't at all a highly skilled job, so we do it casually. Other than that, it's a matter of taking it as it comes. Since we work with nature, a lot of the results are accidental. It's all about getting your hands moving and trying things out.

--I see. Is it the same with weaving, Fumiko?

It's the same with weaving. When there's an expression I want to express, I painstakingly calculate the weaving. It's not a hassle. If you weave in different ways, it will take on many different expressions. Accepting what is given to you and adding ingenuity. That is Kihachijo.

[Editor's Note]
Today, the sounds of Kihachijo being woven can be heard echoing across Hachijojima. Aside from dyeing and weaving techniques, Kihachijo was born from accepting the natural environment of this remote island and inheriting the skills and spirit of our ancestors. When you see its beauty with your own eyes, you are simply drawn in by its depth. There you can see the strength and dignity of the real thing. Kihachijo Meyu Kobo accepts tours at any time. We hope you will come and experience the scent of the silk threads swaying in the sun and feel the powerful sound reverberating from the loom.

【Kihachijo Meyu Kobo】
2542 Nakanogo, Hachijo-machi, Hachijojima, Tokyo
Tel: 04996-7-0411

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