Bringing Hokusai back to the streets of Tokyo

Tag : Calico Fabric

A reproduction of a famous woodblock print "Red Mt. Fuji" byKatsushika Hokusai, one of the key ukiyo-e artists of the Edoperiod (1603-1867), appeared recently on a wall in Yahiro, SumidaWard, Tokyo, an area famed for its artisans and small factories.
The work was created by Ryuichi Nakajo, a craftsman skilled in Edokomon dyeing, a process used for dyeing kimono that originated inEdo (present-day Tokyo) during the Edo period.
Nakajo, 67, created the work in the hope it would attract touriststo the area, which is well known for its crafts, in anticipation ofthe completion of the 610-meter Tokyo Sky Tree tower in 2011, whichwill be Tokyo's tallest structure.
Nakajo plans to ask for cooperation from fellow craftspeople toassist him in making similar wall paintings that could be displayedin various places across the ward, so that even more tourists willinclude Sumida in their plans.
Nakajo has preserved dyeing techniques that date back to the Edoperiod. He won the Economy, Trade and Industry Minister's award atlast year's national komon-yuzen dyeing competition, hasparticipated in what has been dubbed the "small museum" movementpromoted by the Sumida Ward office and opened the Edo-Komon Museumin his dyeing factory Daimatsu Co. in Yahiro.
The "small museum" movement promotes the exhibition of traditionalcrafts at factories and shops.
Nakajo hit upon the idea of producing the wall art in time for thescheduled opening of Tokyo Sky Tree in the Oshiage district in theward.
"I think [the opening of the tower] is a golden opportunity forthis area," Nakajo said. "A lot of tourists will visit Tokyo SkyTree when it's completed in December 2011. I want to attracttourists to our town of craftworkers by installing wall paintingsat various location."
Nakajo chose Hokusai's "Gaifu Kaisei" piece, popularly known as"Aka Fuji (Red Mt. Fuji)," one of the most famous works from theEdo-era artist's series of woodblock prints known as "FugakuSanjurokkei" (36 scenes of Mt. Fuji) for the wall art, as Hokusaiwas born in Sumida Ward in 1760.
After first obtaining permission to reproduce the work from theward office, which owns the original, Nakajo made a digital copy ofthe painting on a huge piece of film and pasted it on a wall of hiscompany's warehouse.
Thirty years ago, Tokyo had about 50 dyeing factories, but thatfigure decreased over the decades, and today there are only 10 orso. Even Sumida Ward, regarded as a ward of craftspeople, has notescaped the factory closures.
Nakajo has made various efforts to preserve traditional dyeingtechniques.
Nine years ago, he concluded that his company could not survive ifit just waited for orders from wholesalers, so he and his wife,Kazuko, 61, started to produce silk shirts featuring designs usedon calico in the Edo period.
In 2001, he built a shop in his factory and started to sell hisproducts there. In 2002, he opened the Edo-Komon Museum in thefactory. He also offers a program at his factory that lets membersof the public have hands-on experience of fabric dyeing.
Three years ago, Nakajo began to produce kimono with prints fromHokusai's "Fugaku Sanjurokkei." His first kimono work featured the"Gaifu Kaisei" print. Since then he has created 10 kimonoincorporating Hokusai works. Creating kimono featuring Hokusaiprints has now become Nakajo's lifework, so when he decided to makethe wall print he immediately thought of "Gaifu Kaisei."
The ward has 24 "small museums" operated by craftworkers in theirstudios and it also has 21 factory-shops, where visitors can buyproducts directly from a factory.
Nakajo said he has even more plans involving Hokusai prints, "Iwant to get more people involved in making wall art so we cancreate enough prints for a sightseeing route along which prints canbe viewed."