THE ART AND CULTURE OF KAGA YUZEN

The kimono is a symbol of Japanese culture that is known all over the world.

At “Omiya-mairi”, people report the birth of their child, who wears a “hatsugi” (first kimono) to the local deity of the shrine, and pray for their healthy growth. At “Shichi-go-san”, parents pray for their three-, five- or seven-year old child’s health and happiness. A child’s kimono is adjusted to fit as he or she grows taller. Parents buy kimonos with patterns that reflect their wishes for their children.

At the coming-of-age ceremony, which is held for 20-year-olds in their home town, you can see young women wearing gorgeous long-sleeved kimonos. This type of kimono is worn by young women to look their best for special occasions.

The number of Western-style weddings has been increasing, but there are still many couples who wish to have a traditional Shinto-style wedding wearing a kimono. The bride changes from a wedding dress into a kimono at the wedding reception. Normally, the bride wears a gorgeous, colorful kimono, and the mothers of the bride and bridegroom wear a kurotomesode (black formal kimono) decorated beautifully at the bottom. Kurotomesode is the formal attire for married women. 

The subdued colors of Kaga-gosai, or five Kaga colors (dark crimson, yellow ocher, green, indigo, and purple) are used as the base colors for Kaga Yuzen. Elements from nature such as flowers, birds and landscapes are depicted realistically as decoration. Embroidery and gold leaf are rarely used for Kaga Yuzen kimonos; dyeing is the main form of embellishment.

The technique of color gradation is used in Yuzen dyeing to emphasize the realism of the designs.

“Mushi-kui,” a technique used to depict dead leaves and create vermicular designs, is particular to Kaga Yuzen dyeing. It makes the expression vivid as the focal point of the design.

Kyoto Yuzen is characterized by large, clear pictures in bright colors, which can be distinguished at a distance. The classical and geometrical patterns used as motifs give the impression of a gorgeous woven fabric, and sometimes embroidery and gold leaf are used for decoration.

Hanging scrolls are one of the traditional Japanese types of paintings. The picture is protected by layers of paper on the back, and framed by gorgeous woven fabric applied around the edges of the scroll. The scroll can be rolled up when not in use. In the late Edo Period, many simplified dyed scrolls were produced. As shown in the figure, both the picture and the woven decoration were dyed. Many such scrolls were produced in the Kaga region. A dyed scroll depicting a statue of the Goddess of Mercy, which was produced by Kaga’s Tarodaya dyeing company, is housed in a temple in distant Tokushima Prefecture.

Rice paste made of steamed rice powder is squeezed from a tube to draw lines according to the sketch. This process, called “Itome-nori,” creates a barrier that prevents dyestuffs from spreading to other areas. The white lines that appear after the rice paste is washed out of the cloth complement the color and pattern of the kimono and give a sense of perspective to the design. This process greatly influences the appearance of the finished kimono.

Yuzen artists not only follow the traditional style of the region, but also adopt new designs that meet the needs of the times. Contemporary artists produce Yuzen kimonos with new designs while preserving traditional Yuzen dyeing techniques and the beauty of pictures drawn by hand.