Koshu Warrior Banners and Carp Streamers are banners for Tango no Sekku (the Boys' Festival) that are hand-dyed in Minami-Alps City, Yamanashi Prefecture. They are said to have originated when the hata-sashimono (battle flags) and fukinagashi (streamers) that fluttered over battlefields in the Sengoku (Warring States) period came to be raised as banners celebrating the festival in the latter half of the Edo period. In Yamanashi, musha nobori (warrior banners) have been raised in the hope that children will grow up strong like Lord Takeda Shingen. Carrying on their production is Inoue Dyeworks in Furuichiba, Minami-Alps City, which began with indigo dyeing at the end of the Edo period. Using hon-zome (authentic hand dyeing), in which outlines are drawn on cotton cloth with paste and pigments and dyes are layered on, the workshop dyes brave warriors and carp in vivid colors. Everything is done by hand, and it is said to take more than two weeks to complete a banner. In 1994 (Heisei 6), they were designated a Yamanashi Prefecture Designated Local Traditional Craft. In recent years, small carp streamers that can be displayed indoors have also been made.
Origin
Koshu Warrior Banners trace their roots to the hata-sashimono and fukinagashi of the Sengoku period. These flags, which fluttered over battlefields in the pursuit of peace throughout the land, came to be raised as banners celebrating Tango no Sekku in the latter half of the Edo period. In Yamanashi, with its ties to Takeda Shingen, the custom took root of raising banners dyed with warrior pictures in the hope that boys would grow up strong and sturdy like Lord Shingen.
History
Inoue Dyeworks was founded at the end of the Edo period, tracing back to the indigo dyeing begun by the first-generation head, 井上品兵衛. The second generation, Bunzaemon, laid its foundations, and around 1860, at the end of the Edo period, Bunzaemon incorporated warrior banners and carp streamers into the traditional dyeing techniques. In the time of the fourth generation, Magotaro, the shop grew to employ dozens of craftsmen. After the fifth generation, Yutaka, and the sixth generation, Toyohiko, the banners were designated a Yamanashi Prefecture Designated Local Traditional Craft in 1994 (Heisei 6). Today the seventh generation, Inoue (井上展弘), carries on the techniques.
Features
Koshu Warrior Banners and Carp Streamers use 100 percent cotton fabric and are dyed entirely by hand. The outlines of the underdrawing are drawn with a paste made by kneading glutinous rice flour and rice bran, and gojiru (soybean liquid) is applied before colors are layered on, so the figures of the warriors stand out three-dimensionally. Inoue Dyeworks is known for its own 'Inoue Bokashi,' in which colors are layered softly. The designs, such as the Battle of Kawanakajima and Fuji no Makigari (the great hunt at the foot of Mt. Fuji), use underdrawings handed down through the generations.
Techniques
Nori-oki (Paste Resist Application)
A process in which paste, made by blending glutinous rice flour and rice bran and repeatedly steaming and kneading it to adjust its stickiness, is applied with a brush along the underdrawing. The areas covered with paste do not take up color and remain as outlines. It is regarded as an especially important process that determines the quality of the banner.
Inoue Bokashi (Inoue Gradation)
A distinctive coloring method unique to Inoue Dyeworks, applied at the dyeing stage when colors are layered on after gojiru has been applied. By softly blurring the shades of color, it gives depth to the dyed figures of warriors and carp. It is a form of expression handed down by generations of craftsmen.
Materials Used
Production Process
- 1
Paste Making
Glutinous rice flour and rice bran are kneaded and steamed, then kneaded further to make the paste.
- 2
Scouring, Transferring the Underdrawing and Nori-oki
The cloth is scoured, the underdrawing is transferred, and outlines are drawn with paste.
- 3
Gojiru Application, Dyeing and Color Fixing
Gojiru is applied, colors are layered on, and the colors are fixed.
- 4
Washing and Drying
The paste is washed off and the cloth is hung to dry. In the past, the washing was done on the riverbank.
- 5
Tailoring
For carp streamers, the cut cloth is sewn together; for warrior banners, decorations are added to finish them.
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Artisans & Workshops
井上染物店（七代目 井上展弘）
A dyeworks in Furuichiba, Minami-Alps City, founded at the end of the Edo period. The seventh generation, Mr. Inoue, became a dyeing craftsman upon graduating from university in 2004 and had to work independently before finishing the apprenticeship because Inoue's father fell ill. In addition to warrior banners and carp streamers, the workshop also dyes shrine banners, noren curtains and tenugui hand towels.
Official site →How to Buy
- 井上染物店 (Hand-Dyed Koshu Warrior Banners)
- The 5-ken size, 9 m long and 90 cm wide, is popular, and there are also mini banners 1 m 60 cm long and name banners. The designs are the Battle of Kawanakajima and Fuji no Makigari. Names or family crests can be added for an extra charge. Open from 9:00 to 17:00; closed on Wednesdays and Sundays (Wednesdays only from February to April).Where to buy →PR
- 井上染物店 (Hand-Dyed Koshu Carp Streamers)
- In addition to standard sets from 3 ken to 1.5 ken for flying on a pole, there are balcony and garden sets, garland sets, and 65 cm compact and indoor sets. The most popular is the 2.5-ken set. Names or family crests can be added to the fukinagashi streamer for an extra charge.Where to buy →PR
- 井上染物店 (Mini Carp Streamers chiccoi)
- Small carp streamers 30 cm long, based on the concept of 'cotton×colorful×compact.' They are hand-dyed in 100 percent cotton and easy to display indoors. They can be purchased from around 4,400 yen per fish.Where to buy →PR
FAQ
Q. What designs are there for warrior banners?
A. The representative designs of Inoue Dyeworks' warrior banners are the 'Battle of Kawanakajima,' fought between Takeda Shingen and Uesugi Kenshin, and 'Fuji no Makigari,' the hunt held by Minamoto no Yoritomo. The Kawanakajima design carries the wish for a dignified life, and the Fuji no Makigari design the wish to be granted courage.
Q. What is the difference between 'hon-zome' and printed banners?
A. Hon-zome is a dyeing method in which craftsmen layer colors by hand onto cotton cloth whose outlines have been drawn in paste. Because everything from paste application to washing and tailoring is done by hand, a single banner can take more than two weeks. The color gradations and the vigor of the brushwork show the character unique to handwork.