|
 Dear Customers & Friends
Hello from Japan! This is Kimono Flea Market ICHIROYA's News Letter No.181.
Last December, my mother Michiko had a surgery. The surgery succeeded better than we expected, and now she is alright in her home. Always we think our parents were still young, but it is no surprise that they are becoming 80 years old soon because I am getting 50's. Yuka's parents had some disease for these years, and my parents' turn seems to come. For these couple of years, my mother had AMD in one eye and we had been worrying mainly about her seeing, but we didn't imagine she might had other disease.While she was in the hospital last December, my father seemed not to be good. He was too worrying about her, and alone in their home, he seemed to fell very lonesome. Now my mother laughs and say that she seems to have to live longer than him anyway.
As I wrote in the previous news letters, now I am interested in 'asafu', 'bashofu', 'shifu' and other Japanese natural fiber fabrics, which were the main fabrics of ordinary people before mid Edo period(1603-1867). Those fabrics were not only hand woven, but also its fibers were also hand made.
To my mortification, only a few month ago, I came to know the word ' umu ', which indicates 'joint the long fibers like asa( there are several kinds of asa plants like 'choma','akaso' and 'taima'). When short fibers like cotton, tsumugi-silk or wool are made to threads, we call it 'tsumugu' which seems to the same meaning of English 'spin'. About 'umu', I can't find the English word in some dictionaries but from an internet site, I find a word 'ply-joining'. In Japan, the word 'umu' is becoming dead word - only the people who are interested in natural weaving fabric know this word. How about the word 'ply-joining'? Is it too technical jargon?
However, till Meiji period(1868-1912), ordinary women in rural district had to make asa-fu('fu' means fabric) or other natural fiber fabrics in their tough dairy life. Women took them from mountains and near their home, and 'umu' by themselves and wove them. They made their fabrics, half for themselves and rest half for getting some items. In the northern district, they got a couple of used cotton clothes in exchange for their one asa fabric. Girls had to learn how to 'umu' as fibers at first, and when they were 18 years old, they had to do whole processes by themselves. To weave a bolt of asa fabric, about couple of months were needed. People were not rich, and there were not covenient electronic products and every families had many children to be feed Women had to work all day along from very early morning to very late evening, if they had spare time they had to 'umu' or weave.
My mother was born in Showa 5(1931) and became adult just WWII ended. Her age was later than the age above, but she seemed to have similar mind to them. When I was a boy, she always were sewing kimono, which were ordered kimono retail store near our house. I heard that her work was always precise, and when the textiles were very expensive, she was named as sewer. However, sewing fee were not enough, and our family were not rich even though both parents worked.
At my boyhood, my grandmother ( mother of my father) lived with us. I don't know the reason, but my father was at outs with grandfather(my father's father), and he was gone before I reached the age of discretion. My grandmother was very healthy at her old age, and she worked as an superintendent near our house. She always smiled and liked to see me and my sister. I often went her caretaker's room and played at the vacant rooms.
Now I forget her year of birth, but she was born in ending Meiji period, and her life had to be more tough than us and my mother's. She was gone when I was about 25 years old. If she was still alive, I could ask her lots of things!
Anyway, in future I would like to offer some natural fiber fabrics at our site. There are many kinds of natural fiber fabrics all over Japan, but most of them are missing. Some survived, as luxury textiles. Their prices are similar to the car prices, but it is ineluctable because making them take a couple of months. However, if we get very old ones ( they are still expensive, not so high compared to brand new one) and make them pieces, we may be able to offer them comparatively affordable price. Hand 'umu' and hand woven textiles become less and less, and in Japan most of them will vanish barring a couple of exceptions. Before they vanish, we would like to convey their charm to our customers. They must be gone, while we feel they are still around and don't recognize their value, just same as my grandmother--she was gone when I really wanted to talk with her.
Thank you very much to read this newsletter to the end.
Today we will list some furisode, kimono, tea items and fabrics. We hope you can find your favorite among them.
Ichiro & Yuka Wada
Kimono Flea Market "ICHIROYA"
http://www.ichiroya.com
e-mail: info@ichiroya.com
address: Asia-shoji Bldg.301
1841-1 Nishi 1 chome
Wakamatsu cho
Tondabayashi city
Osaka 584-0025 JAPAN
TEL&FAX ****( international number ) - 81-721-23-5446
|