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Nishijin Textile Art and Craft
Asagi's Technique

Technique 1: Design Technique 1: Design

For Nishijin-ori, a type of pre-dyed patterned woven fabric, this is the most important step. The design is drawn by the designer at the actual size of the obi (sash).

Technique 2: Creation of patterned designs Technique 2: Creation of patterned designs

A blueprint for weaving. Enlarge the design and trace it onto graph paper.

Technique 3: Pattern Design Technique 3: Pattern Design

The pattern design required for a single maru obi (a type of formal kimono sash) measures approximately 15 meters vertically and 1.8 meters horizontally. Each square is colored separately to indicate the weave structure.

Technique 4: Selecting raw silk Technique 4: Selecting raw silk

Select yarn that suits the design. Carefully consider the texture, thickness, and other factors to find the right twisted yarn for your project.
*Twisted yarn is a type of yarn made by twisting together several fine strands of raw silk.

Technique 5: Scouring/Thread dyeing Technique 5: Scouring/Thread dyeing

The process involves removing dirt and oil from the raw silk to bring out its natural suppleness. The threads are then hand-dyed to match the pattern design.

Technique 6: Warping Technique 6: Warping

First, the dyed threads are wound onto a bobbin to be used as warp threads.
Next, many spools of thread are lined up and wound onto a large drum again.

Technique 7: Thread winding and bobbin winding Technique 7: Thread winding and bobbin winding

The dyed weft threads are wound onto a bobbin for easier handling.
Then, it is wound onto a tube to be put into the shuttle.

Technique 8: Weaving Technique 8: Weaving

Operating a 1800-thread jacquard loom for obi weaving requires the skill of a highly experienced weaver.

Asagi Nishijin Textile Art & Craft's technique, "1800-kuchiori" (1800-kuchiori weaving)...

Textiles are created by overlapping warp and weft threads, which form the woven pattern.
If the number of points where the warp and weft threads intersect is 400 relative to the width of the obi (approximately 30 cm), it is called a 400-point intersection; if it is 900, it is called a 900-point intersection; and if it is 1800, it is called an 1800-point intersection.
The intersection points are represented on graph paper with 1mm squares, which constitutes a crest pattern (a design blueprint for a textile).
Typical Nishijin textiles are woven using 400, 600, or 900-count jacquard weaves, and the more squares there are in a horizontal row of the pattern, the finer the weave can be.You.
While dyeing techniques such as Yuzen and Sarasa allow for delicate expressions in kimono, it was said that woven fabrics, due to their structure, make it difficult to express curves and therefore impossible to achieve delicate expressions.
However, thanks to recent advancements in weaving technology, it has become possible to create three-dimensional, picture-perfect designs by utilizing 1800-thread jacquard looms, which boast four to nine times the fineness of typical Nishijin weaving.

Comparison diagram of woven pattern designs from 400 to 1800 threads.

How Nishijin weaving is made

One of the characteristics of Nishijin weaving is that there are numerous processes involved before reaching the final stage of weaving, and each of these processes is carried out independently by different specialists. More than 20 specialized companies are involved, including designers, pattern paper makers, yarn twisters, yarn dyers, and warp preparers, before a single piece of work is finally completed.

Nishijin is a special place where a highly sophisticated division of labor has been established, and it is a refined textile production area where traditional craftspeople from various fields and master craftsmen from Kyoto showcase their masterful skills.

Diagram illustrating the process of creating Nishijin weaving. Diagram illustrating the process of creating Nishijin weaving.