Tateyama Tozan is a cotton textile in which fine cotton threads are dyed with plant dyes such as indigo and yamamomo (Japanese bayberry) bark and woven into stylish striped patterns. It traces its roots to a striped fabric called 'tōzandome,' brought from India in the Momoyama period, which was beloved by ordinary townspeople in the Edo period as a fashionable kimono fabric. Production in Tateyama began in the early Meiji era, when the first-generation Saitō Mosuke learned the technique from Kawagoe Tozan artisans at a vocational training center in Tokyo and, in 1890, moved to Tateyama to set up his own workshop. Since then the technique has been passed down solely within the Saitō family, from one generation to the next, making it a rare traditional textile nationwide with no other line of successors. Extremely fine 40- to 80-count cotton threads are dyed by artisans who check the dye concentration by tasting it on the tongue, then carefully plain-woven on a high-warp loom (takabata), before a final process of pounding the cloth with a wooden mallet, called 'kinuta-uchi,' gives the fabric its distinctive sheen and supple feel. Today, fourth-generation weaver Saitō Yūji alone carries on the entire process at his workshop in Nagasuka, Tateyama City.
Origin
Tozan weaving takes its name from 'tōzandome,' a striped cotton fabric brought from the Santhome region of India in the early modern period, later shortened to 'tozan.' It became popular among townspeople in the Edo period as a fashionable pattern, but production in Tateyama did not begin until the Meiji era. Tateyama Tozan is said to have originated when the first-generation Saitō Mosuke learned dyeing and weaving techniques from Kawagoe Tozan artisans at a vocational training center in Kuramae, Tokyo, and moved to Tateyama in 1890 (Meiji 23) to set up a workshop.
History
Within the Saitō family, the technique has been passed down secretly from one generation to the next, never taught outside the family. In 1970, the third-generation brothers were together designated as holders of Chiba Prefecture Intangible Cultural Property. In 1972, the craft was selected by the Agency for Cultural Affairs as an 'Intangible Cultural Property Requiring Documentation,' and in 1984 it became a Chiba Prefecture-designated Traditional Craft. Today, fourth-generation weaver Saitō Yūji, certified as a holder of prefecture-designated Intangible Cultural Property in 2008, continues to preserve the technique as its sole successor at his workshop in Nagasuka, Tateyama City.
Features
Its greatest characteristic lies in the dyeing. Using plant dyes such as indigo, yamamomo bark, areca nut, and alder nut, artisans judge the dye concentration by taste rather than by measuring with a scale, taking a small amount of the dye into the mouth — for this reason, it is said that they avoid smoking and other stimulants before and after dyeing. The striped patterns, woven with extremely fine 40- to 80-count cotton threads, are delicate yet bold; after being carefully plain-woven on a takabata loom, the fabric undergoes 'kinuta-uchi,' pounding with a wooden mallet, which gives it its distinctive sheen and supple feel.
Materials Used
Production Process
- 1
Thread dyeing
Using plant dyes such as indigo, yamamomo bark, areca nut, and alder nut, artisans dye the thread by judging the dye concentration by taste, taking a small amount into the mouth rather than using a scale or other instrument — a technique unique to Tateyama Tozan.
- 2
Weaving
The extremely fine 40- to 80-count cotton thread, once dyed, is set on a takabata loom and carefully hand-woven in plain weave, with the weaver judging the many stripes as the work progresses.
- 3
Kinuta-uchi (fulling)
The finished bolt of cloth is pounded with a wooden mallet in a process called 'kinuta-uchi,' which gives the fabric a distinctive sheen and supple feel, adding refinement as a kimono material.
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Artisans & Workshops
齋藤裕司（4代目）
The fourth-generation weaver, continuing the workshop that first-generation Saitō Mosuke opened in Tateyama in 1890. At his workshop in Nagasuka, Tateyama City, he handles the entire process alone, from dyeing to weaving to finishing, and was certified as a holder of Chiba Prefecture-designated Intangible Cultural Property in 2008.
How to Buy
- 齋藤家工房（館山市長須賀）
- The main way to obtain Tateyama Tozan is through direct sales from the workshop, which handles bolts of cloth only; inquiries from the general public are also accepted. Demand is high, and it is not unusual to wait two to three years between placing an order and receiving the finished, tailored piece.