Shôji Yamamura

Kurume Kasuri Yama-Ai

Textile worker

Artful weaves of Kasuri

Shôji is a Kurume Kasuri master
Over 30 steps are involved in weaving a fabric with this technique
His techniques are inherently linked to the region where he works

Shôji Yamamura is a fourth generation Kurume Kasuri artisan based in Kurume city in Fukuoka prefecture. A practical and popular clothing fabric among the Japanese since the late 1700s, Kasuri is woven with patterns made from cotton threads dyed with natural indigo after kukuri, the process of tying off sections to be kept undyed. While many workshops rely on machine weaving nowadays, Shôji’s atelier continues to carry out the entire process of kukuri, shoai (fermented dried indigo) dyeing, and weaving, all by hand. A fabric measuring 38 cm across and 13 m in length can take two to three months to finish. Shôji's pieces have a modern flair, ranging in colour gradients obtained from traditional indigo dyeing and herb-dyeing, and rich geometric patterns with a dynamic overall design. Kurume Kasuri remains an important intangible cultural property.

Interview

What is the relationship between your craft and the region?: The Yame and Chikugo regions are suitable to grow cotton and Tadeai (the raw material for indigo) and so cotton weaving flourished. At the end of the Edo period (1603-1868), Den Inoue, a female weaver invented Kurume Kasuri, and the craft continues to this day.
What do you love most about your work?: Expressing myself through the textile Kurume Kasuri. I love the transparency and colour of natural indigo, fermented and dyed dozens of times using traditional and natural local materials such as sukumo (fermented indigo leaves), wood ash, fu (dried wheat gluten), and shellfish ash.
What is a fact that is not known about your craft?: Many people know and use Kurume Kasuri, but the production process, such as how to bind the threads and reproduce the pattern on the cloth, is not generally known. I think it is important to share the technique behind Kurume Kasuri making with the public.
What message would you like to share with the world through your works?: There are various Kasuri weavers in Japan, but the reason Kurume Kasuri was born is because of its regional characteristics, and if we respect the importance of this fact, I think we can also appreciate the uniqueness of creations that come from various countries and regions.

Shôji Yamamura is a master artisan: he began his career in 1982 and he started teaching in 2002