Joshu Takasaki Chusen Tenugui are cotton hand towels dyed using chusen, a hand-poured dyeing technique passed down in Takasaki, Gunma Prefecture. Chusen was developed in Japan during the Meiji era (1868-1912) to mass-produce tenugui: a stencil is used to apply a resist paste to the fabric, several dozen layers of cloth are stacked together, and dye is then poured over the stack so that both the front and back of every layer are dyed at once. This process gives the cloth a distinctive softness with natural bleeding and gradation not found in single-sided printed tenugui, and produces a fabric whose pattern is identical on both sides. In Takasaki, dye workshops such as Nakamura Some Kojo, founded in 1897, have carried this technique forward, and the area remains the only production site in Gunma Prefecture that still preserves the chusen technique today, designated a Gunma Prefecture Furusato Traditional Craft.
Origin
Chusen is a dyeing technique developed in the Meiji era to mass-produce tenugui. A resist paste is applied to the fabric through a stencil so that dye penetrates only the areas meant to be colored, and several dozen layers of fabric are then stacked and dyed together by pouring dye over them. This technique spread to Takasaki, an area with a thriving dyeing industry, and took root locally, with Nakamura Some Kojo founded there in 1897.
History
In Takasaki, dye workshops such as Nakamura Some Kojo have passed the chusen technique, born in the Meiji era, down through generations. Nakamura Some Kojo originally produced everyday dyed items such as noren curtains, happi coats, and aprons, and became a corporation in 1953, continuing its business ever since. Today the fourth generation leads the workshop in carrying on the tradition, and it holds certification as a Gunma Prefecture Furusato Traditional Craftsperson as the only remaining producer of chusen in Gunma Prefecture.
Features
The defining feature of chusen is that dye is poured over dozens of stacked layers of fabric, dyeing the front and back of the cloth simultaneously in a single process. This technique produces natural bleeding and gradation not seen in machine printing, resulting in fabric with no distinction between front and back. Because the dye penetrates to the core of the fibers, the texture improves with use, giving the tenugui a notably soft feel. The finished look depends on the stencil, the resist paste, and the artisan's hand-controlled pouring of the dye.
Techniques
Chusen (hand-poured dyeing technique)
A technique in which resist paste is applied to fabric through a stencil, dozens of layers of the fabric are stacked, and dye is then poured over the stack to dye it all at once. Because the front and back of the cloth are dyed simultaneously, the finished tenugui has no distinction between front and back.
Materials Used
Production Process
- 1
Stencil carving
A stencil is carved based on the tenugui's design. The mold used to apply paste along the outline of the pattern is crafted with precision down to the smallest detail.
- 2
Paste application (resist)
The stencil is placed on the fabric, and resist paste is applied to all areas outside the pattern. Dye cannot penetrate the pasted areas, which remain white and form the design.
- 3
Chusen dyeing
Dozens of layers of pasted fabric are stacked, and dye is poured over them from a narrow-spouted kettle so it soaks through all at once. This is the central process, dyeing the front and back of the cloth simultaneously.
- 4
Rinsing
Excess dye and paste are carefully washed away with water. This step fixes the distinctive texture of chusen, including its bleeding and gradation.
- 5
Drying and cutting
The washed fabric is dried in the sun or with a dryer, then cut to the required length to finish each individual tenugui.
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Artisans & Workshops
中村染工場
A dye workshop in Tokiwa-cho, Takasaki, founded in 1897. Its third- and fourth-generation artisans are certified Gunma Prefecture Furusato Traditional Craftspeople, and it continues to dye tenugui as the only chusen workshop remaining in Gunma.
Official site →How to Buy
- 中村染工場
- Tenugui can be purchased directly at the shop in Tokiwa-cho, Takasaki, and a selection of items is also sold at 'E-Site Takasaki Gunma Iroha' inside JR Takasaki Station.Where to buy →PR