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Kimono Flea Market ICHIROYA's News Letter No.255.
Dear Customers & Friends
Hello from Japan! This is Kimono Flea Market ICHIROYA's News Letter No.255.
In this week, we will list some old 'Ise-Katagami', old stencil paper. Most customers may already know well about it, we will write about Ise-Katagami in the letter.
'Kata' means 'pattern', and 'gami(kami)' means 'paper', and top part 'Ise' means the name of district. You can know where it is in Japan with checking this map.
http://maps.google.co.jp/maps?hl=ja&ie=UTF8&q=%E4%BC%8A%E5%8B%A2&near=%E7%99%BD%E5%AD%90%E9%A7%85%EF%BC%88%E4%B8%89%E9%87%8D%EF%BC%89&fb=1&view=map&cd=1&ll=34.834284,136.587639&spn=0.224878,0.383835&z=11
It is in the middle of Japan, and the main product center of katagami for long time. Especially in Edo period(1603-1867), approx 99% of katagami were made in Ise and sent to all over Japan.
We found a very good web page, which introduces Ise Katagami. Unfortunately this page is written only in Japanese, but its contents is very interesting! We would like to add some English explanation about each page. If you read our description( brief of Japanese text ) and see the photos of link pages, you would be able to know how 'Ise-Katagami' was made.
Here is the top page of his Ise-Katagami. The author doesn't release his name, and he makes his pages to introduce the culture of Shirako district ( in Ise, main town of Ise production ). This Ise-katagami page is one of his rich pages.
http://www4.airnet.ne.jp/sakura/kata_contents.html
One of the typical kimono which was dyed with Ise-katagami is Kamishimo of samurai. First two photos are kamishimo from Edo period, and has incredibly fine dot pattern called 'Edo Komon'. To dye such fine Edo komon pattern, supreme Ise-katagami was needed. Approx 100 small dots are carved in 1 centimeter square! ( 0.3937 inch square!) Its pattern was hand carved incredibly precisely with strong emotional strength endurance.
Such Edo Komon kamishimos were looked plain blue, but with closer look, fine komon pattern can be seen. Each samurai clan had his own clan pattern, and with closer look, they could be known which clan they were belonged. In Edo period, samurai were prohibited to wear luxuriously, so they competed to show their financial power by wearing such micro komon pattern kimono.
Photos of lower part are the several such micro komon pattern samples.
http://www4.airnet.ne.jp/sakura/kata_f3.html
Material of katagami is washi(Japanese paper) and kakishibu. Washi is made of bark of 'kouzo' tree.
Washi of Ise-Katagami was made in Mino district. There were many product centers of washi in Japan, but Mino washi didn't include impure substance like fine sand. If micro sand was included, they would damage the blade of carving knife, and it would take long time to grind again.
Branch of kouzo is boiled up, and the bark is peeled, and is struck with wooden hammer. With these processes, bark is raveled and becomes fibers. Root of 'tororoaoi'(Abelmoschus) is added, and fibers, tororoaoi and water are blended and shook in 'sugeta'(woden mold), and fibers are mixed well and become beautiful paper. Water is removed, and dried in the sun, washi is completed.
There are photos of kouzo, flower and root of tororoaoi, scene of shaking sugeta and sun-drying here.
Such washi for katagami are sold in 'hitomaru' unit, which is 4800 papers. Each washi has equal thickness and weight as if it was made of sophisticated machine.
Couple of thin washis are pasted with 'kakishibu', and becomes 'katajigami' ( completed as the paper for katagami ). Kakishibu is made of 'shibu-gaki'(sour persimmon). Washi paper alone is weak against water, but kakishibu makes paper strong against water. In olden times, kakishibu paper was used as umbrella and rain coats. In this page, you can get the image of process of making 'kakishibu'.
http://www.nihon-kogeikai.com/SASAERU/SASAERU-101.html
After kakishibu was pasted, paper is smoked for a week and dried in sun. This process is repeated again, and it must be stocked more than 3 months before carving.
http://www4.airnet.ne.jp/sakura/kata_f4.html
'Eshi( painter ) paint design sheet, and passes it 'Horishi'( artisan who carves). 'Horishi' makes katagami, and passes it 'Someshi' ( dyer ). Each artisans have pride not to say impossible.
http://www4.airnet.ne.jp/sakura/kata_f5.html
(* We have some 'design sheet' in our site. It is the same kind of top photos of this page. Please search with word 'design sheet' at search window.)
When carving, artisan piles 7, 8 'katajigami' and fixes, and carves with his own made carving knives. In olden times, disciple of 'horishi'(carving artisan) had to run errands and practice of sharpening and was not allowed to carve for first three years. He was ordered to sharpen the blade, and he showed completed knife, but his master broke the tip and said ' Not good. Do it again'. Even if the disciple made good work, master broke the tip and ordered to do the same thing. Artisan must keep the blade of knives in precisely same condition, so he had to practice till he became to be able to sharpen precisely equally.
There is the photos of two technique, 'tsuki-bori' and 'hiki-bori'. Very spiny knives are used, and paper is carved with 'tsuku' ( push ) or 'hiku'( draw ) action.
http://www4.airnet.ne.jp/sakura/kata_f6a.html
'Dougu-bori' uses various shape original knives. Artisan makes various shape tips with two blades - binds with copper threads and burns it. It can't be sharpened during the carving, because holes shape becomes uneven before and after sharpening. Skilled artisans were said to have more than 2000 knives for various kind of pattern. They out their faces on the knives, but they say they are carving with their whole bodies.
http://www4.airnet.ne.jp/sakura/kata_f6b.html
'Shima'(stripe) pattern is loved as very sophisticated pattern, but making shima pattern katagami is very difficult. The highest class shima pattern has 31 lines in 3 cm(1.18in) width - it is literally act of God.
Artisan has to divided 'katajigami' in two parts( for this process, kakishibu is pasted slight only this layer), and put them back and carves.
One famous carver said ' I prepare to carve before a week. Decline the visitors, and maintain bodily functions. Not drink water too much, and make not to go off to the toilet. And cut at a stroke.'
After carving, 'ito-ire'(thread nip) is done. Between the two layers(papers), thin thread is put and pasted with kakishibu again. This 'ito-ire' technique is also very difficult and need long trained skill.
In later age( Taisho era), 'sabarai' technique was devised, and recently elaborate and difficult 'ito-ire' becomes very rare. Artisan doesn't need to divide paper. After carving the paper, 'sha' ( roughly lattice-shaped fabric) is put and pasted with kaishibu.
http://www4.airnet.ne.jp/sakura/kata_f6c.html
'Kiri-boki' is made of only very small holes, which are carved by half-circle-shaped knife. Artisan turns the blade and cute each holes elaborately.
http://www4.airnet.ne.jp/sakura/kata_f6d.html
Usually one bolt( approx 12m-472in) is dyed with a katagami. However, the kimono photos of this page was dyed with 20 kinds of katagami.
http://www4.airnet.ne.jp/sakura/kata_f7.html
Recently demands of kimono is reducing, but katagami becomes to be used in various products. Not only lamp shade, but also for fusuma, glass plate and so on. And you must find other unique use in your life.
http://www4.airnet.ne.jp/sakura/kata_f8.html
Thank you very much to reading the end. Today we will list katagami, boy's kimono fabric, ranru/other cotton fabrics and antique items. About katagami, we will continue to list this week. ( And we already have some excellent katagami in stock ( please search by the words 'katagami'). We are very happy if you find your favorite among them!
Sincerely,
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
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Kimono Flea Market ICHIROYA's News Letter No.254
Dear Customers & Friends
Hello from Japan! This is Kimono Flea Market ICHIROYA's News Letter No.254.
Summer has come as usual, but the world seems to have difficulty which we couldn't think in last summer. Gas price climbed, stock market dropped, and we are worrying about world wide recession.
We Japanese experienced bubble economy burst and recession, and recently we seems to overcome it, but anxiety is growing again.
I also have serious consideration about our business and future of Japan.
Domestic consumption is reducing because of decrease in population, and the appreciation of the yen is giving the exporters a lot of trouble. President Bush made a declaration of maintenance of a strong dollar, however, in future, yuan, yen and other Asian currency must be cut down against US dollar. ( We must put higher prices at our items, if such thing happens. So let's hurry to buy our items! lol)
For long time, our Japanese manufacture have strong competitiveness, but now China is catching up with us, and already got ahead of us in some business. China is strong, not only for their cheap labor power, but also for their sophisticated method. Almost before we realizes it, every products are replaced with 'made in China' items.
A couple of days before, iPhone was released also in Japan, and become very popular. So except Nintendo, every innovative products are from United States and other Western countries.
Only few companies are in the leading group of the world, and most small and medium-sized enterprises suffer from low price challenge by China and appreciating yen.
So the key of survival strategy of Japan must be the concentration on our own ground. Nintendo is the bestest sample of it. They don't need to worry about yen rate and China's challenge.
And we are thinking what we can do, and what we should do in our business.
Big business like game industry is not our field. However, there must be not less competitive fields in Japan, which we don't know well.
We thing there is a good hint in Takae san's business. As some customers already know, he is making high-end bamboo bag in Ohita.
http://www.tourjartisan.com/tour/1/artifact.html
There are many bamboo artisans in Japan, and unfortunately their income and work reduces. Because many bamboo basket are imported from China, and their prices are way cheaper than Japanese artisan's one. Takae san says there are some bamboo product sellers, who sell 'China made ones' disguised as Japanese.
Takae san concentrates on bamboo bag, and we believe it is the main reason why his business goes very well. Making bag with thin bamboo is more difficult than making flower basket - it must be beautiful and at a time it must be strong enough to be used as bag. So imitating Takae san's bag is impossible especially for unskilled artisans in China.
In addition, flowers basket are seldom broken, so many old and antique bamboo basket remain in good condition. When he makes the basket, these old baskets also becomes competitors. Usually, the labor cost to make a new basket with same level to vintage basket is more expensive than market price of vintage basket. So the artisans must compete not only with Chinese artisans but also with past artisans, who don't demand payment by the hour.
However, vintage bamboo bag doesn't remain lot, and in addition, even if the old ones remain, there condition are not good because of usage. So vintage bamboo bag can't be found, and Take san's competitors are only present Japanese artisans, and he doesn't have strong rival.
His bag is very popular not only in Japan, but also has strong charm to foreign people. Last year, he had an exhibition in Milan (Italy), and his handicraft astonished Italian people and was well sold.
We are also selling his bag at our site, but we seems not to find enough efficient way to sell his bags abroad yet. There must be better method to sell his bags ---
So we must think more if we expand our business more ---
Thank you for reading to the end. Today we will list some men's haori, haori, fabric, bolts and antique items. Tomorrow, we will list supreme two Taisho haori -- they are incredibly beautiufl!
We wish you could find your favorite among them!
Sincerely,
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
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Kimono Flea Market ICHIROYA's News Letter No.253.
Dear Customers & Friends
Hello from Japan! This is Kimono Flea Market ICHIROYA's News Letter No.253.
It has been very hot here in Osaka for these days, as if mid summer suddenly has come. Do you enjoy early summer days?
Today we would write about 'ubudashi' - this theme is also proposed by a news letter reader.
'Ubu-dashi' is made of two words 'ubu'( the first) and 'dashi'( buy ), so the Japanese means the 'buying kimono/antique items from ordinary people, not from dealers or sellers.
Vintage kimono and antique sellers like us buy kimono and antique items continually, and sometimes they sell their unsold items at kimono/antique markets. In a manner, they exchange their items at markets for their customers. However, most sellers don't like such items. Primarily unsold items of other sellers are considered not to be sold at good prices. In addition, vintage kimono and antique collectors check many stores elaborately and often remember the items.
So sellers usually don't like such other sellers' unsold items, but most items at the market are such ones, and they are often hidden not to be noticed whose unsold items they are.
Sellers like and hope to win 'ubudashi' items on such reason. Now items of most kimono/antique dealer auctions' are above dealers' unsold items, but couple of 'ubudashi-ya'( 'ya' is same as YA of ICHIROYA, which means 'store' or 'seller') offer their items, and bidders' have different looks in theirs eyes. Items of 'ubudashi-ya' are different from others. Especially when they get their items from rich old family, many supreme items are offered at a time. Bidders bid in a frenzy and prices hit the ceiling.
Of course, we also are asked to buy kimono by ordinary people. However, such chances are about only once a month, because we don't have real store. We are not eager to do 'ubudashi', because 'ubudashi' business is not congenial to us. In previous times, we advertised to buy old and used kimono at internet, but most kimonos sent to us were disvalue. We offered higher prices than we could get profit, but every owners looked disappointed the prices. We understood that most kimonos which were brought by ordinary people were not valuable, but only a few times among 100 chances, very valuable items were included. However, at such rare lucky chances, we had not to offer good prices because we lost(or not get) money by most other transactions.
So we understood the essence of 'ubudashi' work was to disappoint the people and so we quit advertisement.
However, 'ubudashi-ya' san specialize in buying kimonos, and they have various unique method to buy kimonos at low prices and at a time please the owners.
For example, my friend always sells Western cloths to old women at around the entrance of supermarkets. He knows well about the taste of old women in rural district, and collects them and put very low prices to them. He is very handsome and dovelike man, and he soon makes friends with old women. When women buy his Western cloth, he makes the price lower than the price tags.
Customers feel delights very much. And in the next time or another occasion, he asks the customers whether they have old kimonos at their tansu. At that juncture, they like him very much and feel to owe something, so they are willing to sell their kimonos at very low prices even if very valuable kimonos are included in their kimonos.
As you must understand, his method is very sophisticated and every ones become happy.
Another famous 'ubudashi-ya' san also has very unique method. He is a house-wrecker, and he undertakes scrapping at very low prices, which competitors never offer. However, there is a condition in his offer - the price he offers includes the prices of all items which are left in the house(or often storehouse). He never checks the items precisely, and doesn't know how much value the items are. Most of owners also don't know the value of items, which were stored for long time by their ancestors. They are covered with thick dust and waste, and they feel to want cleaning everything up at a time.
Under such condition, he gets the scrapping of house at very low prices. He never gets profit by scrapping itself, and most items he got are also disvalue. However, in couple of times among hundred scrapping, he gets incredibly valuable antique items among them, and gets more than several million yen at that time. It is like winning the lottery, but difference point is that he MUST get great strike during hundred chances.
His method is also very sophisticated and he pleases every concerned parties. Other house-wreckers are not familiar with antique markets, and can not imitate his way. He is incredibly busy and always break the two or three houses in a day.
We know above stories, but there must be more unique method of 'ubudashi', which we don't know. Anyway, 'ubudashi' is not easy, and we always look forward to their new items.
Thank you for reading to the end. Today we will list some rare men's haori, obi, fabric, bolts and antique items. We are very happy if you could find your favorite among them!
Ichiro & Yuka Wada
Kimono Flea Market "ICHIROYA"
http://www.ichiroya.com
e-mail: info@ichiroya.com
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Kimono Flea Market ICHIROYA's News Letter No.252
Dear Customers & Friends
Hello from Japan! This is Kimono Flea Market ICHIROYA's News Letter No.251.
Also here in Japan, rising crude oil prices is making impact on our life. Prices of gasoline and food are rising, and especially it is crucial for fishermen - fuel cost rises way over the sales amount of fish catches. Near future, fish prices must rise more, and belt-conveyor sushi may become four-star meal. We hope the oil price will come down to previous level.
Today we will write about the prices of kimono and obi. We have selected this theme from a reader's advice. We already wrote about this theme, but it was almost four years ago, and now we have more interesting information about it.
The first thing is the price of kimono is determined by quantity of work.
For examples, Yukitsumugi and Miyako Jofu are made of hand spun threads, and are dyed before woven, and hand woven with making incredibly fine pattern. All process are elaborate and it takes more than 3 months to complete a kimono fabric ('tan'). Of course, skills are very difficult, and artisan must train their technique for long years. So the floor price of such valuable kimono textile must be more than three months compensation for the proficient artisan. As you must know, level of wages in Japan is not low - the average monthly pay of Japanese was 36400yen(approx 3000 USD) (2005), so three month's pay become 1,092,000 yen( approx 10000 USD). Its figure is only for the average person and not for very skilled artisans.
In addition, distributive cost is added on it. Usually kimono textiles made by artisans are bought by 'sanchidonya'( wholesaler in product district), and are sent to 'shouhichidonya'( wholesaler in consuming region), and department stores and kimono retailers buy them from 'shuhichidonya'. These three sellers put their margin on the prices, and final retail prices are determined. As a result they become very expensive as you imagine.
Some dyed textile like Kaga yuzen and Bingata, are also expensive, and prices are mostly determined by the quality and quantity of yuzen dyeing works. Very skilled famous dyer's work is more expensive than younger dyer's work, of course, and in addition if there are works by a same dyer, 'omoi'(heavier) design is more expensive. It is simply because dyeing heavy pattern takes much time than lighter pattern. Department stores sold many brand-name dyer's work during the years of the asset-inflated economy, and many of them had comparatively light pattern on them.
During the bubble period(1868-1991), retail prices were incredibly high. Incredibly high prices were put not only on the valuable kimono as above, but also on usual kimonos. I worked for a department store then, so I didn't experienced it, but we are often astonished to find an old price tag which are put to kimono fabrics. They seem to be the dead stock of kimono retailers from around the bubble period - the figures on tags have too much zero - the prices are more than 10 times expensive than moderate prices. It was the time of phantasmal party - rich people who had land and stocks noticed that their asset increase million and ten million yen only in a few months. People didn't know the bubble would blow out, and are willing to pay incredible money to jewel and kimonos.
Bubble ended, and kimono market shrank. To sell the kimono as much as possible, some kimono chain stores had to do hard-sell. They invited potential customers to their sales event, and pressured them to buy with installment sale. Recently revisions to laws was done, and such hard-installment-sell was prohibited, and some major kimono chain stores became bankrupt.
What we would like to write is retailer's cost had been very expensive, and it had been a reason to make the kimono prices expensive. Even during bubble period, much money was not paid to artisans, and after the bubble period, money was used for selling cost. When we used kimono retailers find too expensive retailer's remained price tag, we often laugh and say ' This kimono had to be sold with free travel ticket to Hawaii'.
About the quality, which determine the price, we must write another point. Just same as other manufacturing business, kimono makers also have promoted mechanization and foreign production. As it is now, middle class and lower class kimonos are made of Chinese silk, dyed in China(or machine printed) and sewn in China or Vietnam. So the prices are different between Chinese and Japanese silk, hand dyed with yuzen technique and machine printed, hand sewn in Japan and in China and so on.
Recently, a stamp/mark was made, which guarantees that its silk is made in Japan. It is very strange, but we must wonder where it is from even about most traditional Japanese item - kimono.
By the way, prices of kimono determined with above factors, and next, we would like to write about our used/vintage kimonos.
Of course, main factor is quality of kimono same as brand new kimono. Especially when the kimono is in very good condition, and has enough size(most of vintage kimono are too small for modern Japanese) and can be worn, its price is determined by the same scale as brand new kimono.
However, used and vintage kimono are bought by other demands.
Used and vintage kimono are used as handicraft material. There are many quilters also here in Japan, and doll making is very popular, and doll makers buy vintage kimono fabrics. They likes chirimen and kinsha(fine crepe silk) fabrics, which has comparatively small pattern, because doll's kimono is small and patterns must match to it. Such kinds of chirimen and kinsha silk were used as material of juban(undergarment) before WWII, and it doesn't remain so much, so good design chirimen and kinsha silk juban are very expensive.
Many Japanese people also make their original Western style cloths with vintage and used kimono. Such people also buy various kinds of used/vintage kimono as material. Most popular silk for cloth material have been Oshima Tsumugi.
Another people who buy vintage/used kimono is collectors. There are various collectors both in Japan and foreign countries, and prices of collector's items are determined mainly by scarcity and conditions. It is the same as other all collectibles and fine arts.
Thank you for reading to the end.
Today we will list some yuzen katagami, contemporary uchikake(most of them are 98USD), haori, bolts and antique items. We hope you could find your favorite among them!
Have a nice weekend!
Sincerely,
Ichiro & Yuka Wada
Kimono Flea Market "ICHIROYA"
http://www.ichiroya.com
e-mail: info@ichiroya.com
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