Deep in Yamagata's mountains, rural artisans pull on history's threads

Uesugi Yozan was a very young leader with a very big problem.

When the ninth daimyo of the Yonezawa Domain (modern-day Yamagata Prefecture) assumed leadership in 1767 at the tender age of 16, Uesugi (1751-1822) inherited a fiefdom mired in poverty as the result of extravagant spending and poor management. Fortunately for his subjects, Uesugi was wise beyond his years. Leading by example, he wasted no time in implementing measures to tighten belts and generate new income streams.

Uesugi invited skilled weavers from Kyoto to share their knowledge with the local people. The women of Yonezawa were encouraged to learn to weave as a way to bring in much-needed funds and began producing linen fabrics made from the locally grown karamushi (ramie nettle) plant.

Sericulture had already been established in Yonezawa, and Uesugi further developed the cultivation of silkworms to support the burgeoning weaving industry. Over the next few decades, Yonezawa’s textile production gradually shifted from a focus on linen to high-quality silk fabrics, which were made into clothing for the samurai class such as men’s hakama trousers and kamishimo (over-vests) and sold around Japan.

Yonezawa subsequently established itself as a major center for the production of textiles with the region’s techniques and styles becoming collectively known as Yonezawa-ori (Yonezawa woven wares). The efforts of citizens helped to turn things around, and the Yonezawa domain’s debt was fully paid off not long after Uesugi’s death in 1822.

Building on legacy

From a peak of more than 600 firms in its heyday during the Taisho Era (1912-26), Yonezawa, Yamagata Prefecture, today hosts 28 companies honoring the weaving traditions handed down through the generations while also keeping pace with contemporary lifestyles and evolving trends.

Many Yonezawa textile firms make frequent use of safflower dye, a symbol of the region known across Japan. | COURTESY OF NITTA TEXTILE ART INC.

One of these firms is Nitta Textile Art Inc., which specializes in the production of silk fabrics through an integrated production system whereby both the dyeing and weaving processes are handled in-house. Descended from Yonezawa’s samurai class, the Nitta family has been operating their workshop for five generations with Gentaro Nitta and his wife, Mayumi, currently at the helm. Gentaro’s grandparents, Shuji and Tomiko Nitta, were instrumental in bringing traditional safflower dyeing techniques back to Yonezawa.

The safflower, or benihana, is the official flower of Yamagata Prefecture and has become synonymous with Yonezawa-ori. It’s thought that the flowers came to Japan around 1,800 years ago via the Silk Road, and by the mid-Edo Period (1603-1868), benihana were being cultivated as a cash crop in the Yonezawa region. The vibrant red dye extracted from the petals of the safflower was once valued for dyeing kimono fabric after Yonezwa’s weaving industry took off, but gradually fell out of favor following the Meiji Restoration of 1868 and the subsequent increase in imported synthetic dye.

Fortunately, knowledge of the safflower dyeing process returned to Yonezawa through a fortuitous encounter in 1963 between the Nittas and Takao Suzuki, a local schoolteacher. Suzuki was conducting his own research on the safflower and invited the couple to work with him, igniting their passion to perfect the dyeing techniques and implement them into weaving.

The Nitta family continues to uphold these techniques today, using safflowers grown in the prefecture. After harvesting the flowers, farm workers first wash the petals and leave them to ferment naturally for two to three days before forming them into small balls. Next, they press the balls between straw mats with their bare feet to create flat “cakes” for easy transportation. Upon arrival at the company's workshop, the staff reconstitute the cakes in water, repeatedly overlaying the safflower dyes and other pigments to create a myriad of shades. These techniques are incorporated into such products as Nitta’s signature benihana tsumugi, a fabric made with spun silk thread for kimono.

Expanding reach

Hailing from Wakayama Prefecture, Mayumi Nitta entered the world of Yonezawa-ori after marriage. However, she had already developed an appreciation for traditional Japanese crafts through her previous work at Hosoo, a textile firm in Kyoto founded in 1688.

Named after one of the Yonezawa area's most influential daimyo lords, Yozando carries on that legacy with modern-focused products. | COURTESY OF YOZANDO FABRIC & CAFE

“Perhaps it was fate that I happened to marry into a family with connections to the same industry where I could make the most of my past experience,” she says.

Nitta Textile Art’s employees range from veterans who have honed their skills for decades to newcomers motivated to learn and contribute their youthful enthusiasm.

While her company specializes in silk products, Nitta notes that one of the charms of Yonezawa-ori, or “Yone-ori,” is the wide range of materials that are available.

“When you look at the weavers in the area, they utilize different yarns according to their needs and designs, such as cotton, hemp or synthetic fibers,” Nitta says. “I believe that one of the attractions of visiting Yonezawa is the variety of fabrics you can encounter here.”

Fresh twists

Like Nitta, Michiko Yamakuchi married into one of Yonezawa’s weaving families, who run Yamakuchi Orimono. The Toyama Prefecture native draws on her background in fashion design to add modern functionality to traditional style, taking Yonezawa-ori in new directions. Yamakuchi runs Yozando Fabric & Cafe, showcasing original fabrics and accessories woven and dyed in the family’s nearby textile factory.

After opening her shop 10 years ago, Yamakuchi then added a cafe to encourage repeat visits and create an appealing destination for both local residents and visitors. Sustainability is very important to Yamakuchi, who has repurposed parts from old looms and bobbins as furnishings in the cafe. The business is housed in a 100-year-old building, and an adjacent warehouse has been turned into a roastery for her coffee beans.

Yozando’s signature line is Yone-ori Komon, a set of 16 woven fabric designs inspired by classic Japanese patterns and colors that were traditionally used in kimono fabric but designed to be versatile for contemporary consumers.

At Yozando Fabric & Cafe the goal is not just to produce high-quality woven goods but to provide customers a relaxing environment that encourages repeat visits. | COURTESY OF YOZANDO FABRIC & CAFE

“Some ideas come from social trends, with one example being the introduction of our azuma-bukuro when stores started charging for plastic bags,” she notes, referring to a style of bag that first appeared in the Edo Period and were created by sewing together pieces of traditional furoshiki (cloth used for wrapping items).

Yozando is in the process of expanding into the overseas market, starting with Italy, France, the United Kingdom and Taiwan, which Yamakuchi hopes will continue to raise awareness and appreciation for Yonezawa-ori.

“I would like people to be able to enjoy Yone-ori as part of their everyday life,” she says.

The name of Yamakuchi’s business, Yozando, is a tribute to the man who established Yonezawa-ori, Uesugi Yozan. No doubt the daimyo would be gratified by the ongoing efforts of the current residents of his former domain to keep his vision alive.