Special Program THE SPIRIT OF TOHOKU:

Exhibition

［BF Lobby］

- A map of the Tohoku Region by Katsumi Asaba
An original map hand-drawn by Katsumi Asaba, Art Director, for this program is displayed.

- Video projection "Festival in Tohoku"
A video introducing various festivals across Tohoku including Nebuta Matsuri (Aomori prefecture), Kanto Matsuri (Akita prefecture), Sendai Tanabata Matsuri (Miyagi prefecture) are projected.


［Gallery 1］

- Collaboration with People in Tohoku and Concepts Inspired by Tohoku from ISSEY MIYAKE Collections
In 1970, Issey Miyake started design work based in Tokyo. While he worked on the development of synthetic materials, he visited weaving shops around Japan in order to find durable, comfortable, and beautiful textiles that could only be made in the country. In the course of this quest, he also came across excellent handcrafts in various places.
He met many great manufacturers in Tohoku as well and collaborated with them to create pieces using Shiroishi Washi and homespun. Yamagata Knit and Pleats products are made by factories in Tohoku. In addition, he developed design concepts inspired by the spirit of making things in Tohoku. In order to introduce these efforts, work from ISSEY MIYAKE collections are exhibited.

110728 (LEFT) "SHOIKO" made of knit expressing Sakiori combinedwith fox fur. ISSEY MIYAKE, 1974　Photo: Noriaki Yokosuka
(CENTER) "KAMIKO" made of Shiroishi Washi. ISSEY MIYAKE, 1982 Photo: Eiichiro Sakata
(RIGHT) Plain-woven vest made of extra-thick flock silk yarn. ISSEY MIYAKE, 1983 (Production: Nakamura Kobo) Courtesy The Miyake Issey Foundation


［Gallery 2］

- Exhibits of "Clothing" in Tohoku
Traditional techniques of handcrafts passed down and refined for generations in Tohoku have paved the way for technologies that support our society today. We newly researched making things in the following nine locations for this program. Shown here are examples of making things related to "Clothing" including finished products as well as original photos of production processes, raw materials and textiles, and tools.

110728 Genshi-fu Kodai-ori Sankokan "Dewa no oriza"　(Yonezawa City, Yamagata Prefecture) /
Raw materials for weaving and clothes made of tree bark.
This resource center saves, studies, and restores various natural fabrics handed down through the ages.

110728 Showa Village (Onuma District, Fukushima Prefecture) /
Karamushi (ramie) fields in July and "Itoumi," meaning tearing Karamushi fibers by hand.
Showa village has the long history of supplying high-quality "Karamushi fibers" used for Ojiya Chijimi and Echigo Jofu textiles since olden days.

110728 Shiroishi-Washi Kobo (Shiroishi City, Miyagi Prefecture) /
Mrs. Mashiko Endo who runs the atelier and the process of drying paper.
This atelier produces hand-made Washi paper from Kajinoki (paper mulberry) that has long, strong fibers.

110728 Yurihonjo City (Akita Prefecture) /
Raw materials for Amasagi Zenmai-ori and yarn spinning.
The warp is silk and weft is floss silk spun with cotton from "Zenmai (Osmunda japonica)" or waterfowl down.

110728 Hirosaki Kogin Kenkyujo (Hirosaki City, Aomori Prefecture) /
Making of Koginzashi and a finished product.
Koginzashi is a kind of Sashiko done on linen cloths by stitching over odd numbered groups of yarn. Sashiko was devised in Edo period in order to reinforce clothes such as linen peasant clothing beforehand. It also serves as protection against the cold.

110728 Nanbusakiori-hozonkai (Towada City, Aomori Prefecture) /
Torn clothes used as weaving yarn and a view of a weaving site.
Sakiori technique was born from the wisdom of women who wanted to use up every last bit of precious cloths

110728 Nakamura Kobo (Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture) /
Hand spinning and hand weaving.
Homespun literally means yarn spun at home and refers to woolen cloth woven at home using hand spun yarn.

110728 KENLAND (Yamagata City, Yamagata Prefecture) /
Preparation of yarn and knitting by circular knitting machine.
In Yamagata prefecture, all production processes necessary for knit manufacturing from spinning and dyeing to knitting and sewing converge within the production area.

110728 POLITEX INDUSTRY (Shiroishi City, Miyagi Prefecture) /
Pleating on site and skilful manipulation.
The whole expression of clothes surprisingly differs depending on the shapes and the ways of pleating. Here again, handcraftsmanship plays a vital role.

- Video Projection "Making Things in TOHOKU"

-Exhibits from the collection of The Japan Folk Crafts Museum

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