I went to Nishiwaki in search of Banshu-ori fabric scraps. Visiting tamaki niime Vol.1

We arrived in Nishiwaki City, the central point of Japan where 135 degrees east longitude and 35 degrees north latitude intersect.

Located in the center of Hyogo Prefecture and often called the "navel of Japan," Nishiwaki City is also known as the production center of Banshu-ori, a pre-dyed textile with a history of over 200 years. Blessed with rivers and abundant soft water suitable for dyeing, the weaving industry using pre-dyed yarns flourished in the area. Banshu-ori, which can express delicate patterns with depth by changing the combination of warp and weft threads, has been widely used not only in Japan but also in fabrics for top brands worldwide due to its beauty and high quality.

We infiltrated tamaki niime's lab, which was created on the site of a vast former dyeing factory.

Along with the post-war economic boom, the sales channels for Banshu-ori textiles expanded, and production reached its peak in the 60s. However, with the end of the bubble economy, the environment surrounding Banshu-ori became harsher, and more and more factories were forced to close. Tamaki Niime's lab was born in one such place. "Lab" means "research laboratory." While Banshu-ori textiles have become increasingly specialized for efficient production, Tamaki Niime deliberately avoids this division of labor and brings everything together in this one place. It is a place of free, creative, and consistent manufacturing where "experiments" are conducted every day. I wrote "infiltrating" in an exaggerated way, but actually anyone can visit if they make a reservation in advance! For more informationwebsite.

Power looms from the 1960s and rapier looms from the 1980s are still in use today.

Small batches, diverse designs, and one-of-a-kind creations. Without being constrained by productivity, they carefully use old machines to weave slowly and loosely, creating soft, airy fabrics. Because they value the individuality of the fabric, they change the weft thread color at intervals unthinkable in mass production, thoroughly pursuing creations that are always "one of a kind." They pursue the ideal fabric by using machine weaving that is as close to hand weaving as possible, which has a different texture from the conventional high-density woven Banshu-ori. As a result, the fabric became so soft that it was difficult to sew into shirts, so they decided to make it into a wrap instead, and that's how tamaki niime's shawls came to be—a story that sounds too good to be true.

Next time, we'll be featuring Tamaki Niime's designer and the village chief of Niime Village! We'll have an in-depth conversation with her about her passion for craftsmanship and the various activities that continue to expand organically.

(tamaki niime)
showroom
550-1 Hinomachi, Nishiwaki City, Hyogo Prefecture 677-0037
Open: 11:00-17:00
Closed: Monday and Tuesday
https://www.niime.jp/