”Yuzen” that Quickly Spread in Popularity
”Chiso” was established 450 years ago in 1555. This was even before Yuzen technology that Chiso specializes in currently, had been developed. Yuzen dyeing technology was developed in the middle of the Edo period, and quickly became popular with so many various designs. Later Chiso, then named ”Chikiriya Sozaemonke” incorporated this skill and stabilized its popularity.
Kimono of High Artistic Quality and Practicality
However, the story doesn’t end there. In the Meiji era, they had developed their own style called the Kamogawa dye. They had succeeded in mass manufacturing and thus lowering the costs and most of all, have been able to spread the beauty of Yuzen kimonos. Chiso has had great Japanese artists such as Kishi Chikudo and Imao Keinen to sketch the drafts and have created highly artistic Yuzen kimonos. The idea has been handed down and now every year artistic Yuzen is created by collaboration. They exhibit their Yuzen in Paris Expo and are well known globally. This is not just to exhibit ”Japanese Traditional Culture” as they have been creating new styles more acceptable globally, such as Yuzen dyed on velvet or Yuzen dyed textile made into dresses, etc. Their pride of their 450 years’ history plus their challenging spirit in innovation. Their eyes look into the future with tradition from the past.
