Nagaita Chūgata

The design here shows chrysanthemum flowers swirling in eddies of flowing water. The large-scale pattern typifies yukata designs. Details on the dyeing technique will be explained later, but for nagaita chūgata paste is applied through the stencil matching up the design on both sides of the cloth. In this way, the dye cannot penetrate the areas of the cloth caught between the paste layers, resulting in the white standing out clearly against the dyed area.

In the Edo period after the spread of cotton cultivation and also the rise of public baths in the cities, nagaita chūgata yukata became common as bathrobes, as relaxed summer wear, and as festival raiment. The chic designs with their large pictorial motifs dyed in white and blue were the great love of the Edo dandies.

The production of nagaita chūgata involves a series of processes: a paper stencil is placed on white fabric, resist paste is applied to the cloth through the stencil holes with a spatula, the stenciled fabric is immersed in a dye vat made from special Awa-prefecture fermented natural indigo. During the Edo period, every area had indigo dyehouses (konya) for dyeing threads and fabric. Nagaita chūgata, on the other hand, was centered in Edo and done at indigo dyehouses specializing in fabric dyeing. As is evident from the name Kanda Konya-cho, the Kanda district of Edo was known particularly for its yukata dyeing production. 

The stencil paper (katagami) used for stencil dyeing is the same as is used even now by the artisans in Shiroko and Jike villages of Ise area to make Ise katagami. This specially prepared stencil paper is made from handmade Japanese washi paper treated with fermented persimmon tannin (kakishibu) to make it water resistant. It has been carved using “piercing cut” (tsukibori) technique with a pattern of cranes and waves. The stencil paper is soaked in water over night to allow it to expand and lie flat on the cloth. Any remaining water on the surface of the stencil will dilute the paste, so it is carefully wiped away.

Paste is spread over the stencil paper placed on the fabric, which has been stretched out  flat on a long nagaita board. Using a spatula with pointed edge (deba bera) the stenciling involves carefully spreading the paste evenly over entire stencil paper. The fabric in the lower right section of the photo has already been pasted. The artisan advances along the cloth matching the stencil edges to make a continuous pattern. 

Before dyeing it in indigo, the pasted cloth is soaked in water (mizushimi or mizujimi). This enhances the absorption, as well as adding weight to the fabric so that is sinks into the indigo vat more smoothly.