Sachi KITAGAWA's family business has been supplying fine woven silk for Japanese kimono to yuzen* dyers, stencil dyers, & other artisans for generations. Made in tan* (rolls), there are literally thousands of subtle, culturally and aesthetically significant weaving design variations of this white silk. 

* Yuzen 友禅. Dye applied with tiny brushes. Tan 反. Standard size for a kimono roll, generally 35 cm in width x 12 meters in length.

Though local production in the 1970s was about 11,000,000 tan per year, current annual production has dropped to just under 170,000 tan. The number of weaving design variations has dwindled, accordingly. In response to the changing market, Kitagawa has developed a line of panels, partitions and furniture made from woven or embroidered silk sandwiched between layers of glass or plexiglass. These can be seen in hotel lobbies, galleries, restaurants, and other architectural installations. 

Kitagawa has been active in revitalizing domestic silk production, an important part of Japan’s cultural history. Today less than one percent of the silk used in Japan is locally grown. By using domestic silk in her installation elements, Kitagawa is contributing to Japan’s cultural preservation.

Finally, by providing meaningful and challenging work for highly skilled master crafts people, Kitagawa is keeping rarefied dying and gold leaf techniques alive. 

Chinese immigrants introduced silk production to Japan in the 4th century and improved techniques in the 7th and 8th centuries. Silk weaving in Japan has been evolving in the ancient capital of Kyoto for the past 1,200 years ago.

KEYWORDS

• Warp -- the long threads on a loom

• Weft -- the shorter, cross-weave threads on a loom

• Tanmono -- a bolt of narrow-loomed fabric that is used to make kimono, 35-40 cm (14-16 in) x 12 m (13 yd) 

THREE BASIC WEAVES

1. Plain
2. Twill
3. Satin

PLAIN WEAVE includes chiffon, organza, percale and taffeta.

• Balanced plain weaves: the warp and weft are made of threads of the same weight (size) 

• Basketweave: a variation of plain weave in which two or more threads are bundled and then woven as one in the warp and weft, or both.

• Tsumugi (pongee): slub-woven silk, plain weave that is rough-surfaced, soft ,and drapey, softening further with age. 

• Chirimen (crepe) has a plain weave with a distinctive wrinkled and bumpy texture and appearance made up of highly twisted weft yarns, giving it a considerable suppleness, luster, and superior drape. The entire fabric is characterized by fine bumps and dips on the surface.

• Ichikoshi crepe: two weft yarns (one right twisting, one left twisting) are woven together. 

• Habutae. A flat and smooth plain-weave woven with raw yarns, with no ground pattern woven in it.

• Gauze weaves  includes sha, ro and ra gauzes using twisted warp yarn. Ro refers to a plain weave or twill weave fabric with interspersed horizontal weave stripes. Sha is a stiffer and crisper gauze than Ra. Ra combines twisted warp threads with a far more open weaving structure, creating patterns in the warp that appear similar to those seen in crochet and lace.

TWILL WEAVE  has a weaving pattern of diagonal parallel ribs with a good drape. It is made by passing the weft thread over one or more warp threads then under two or more warp threads and so on, with a "step," or offset, between rows to create the characteristic diagonal pattern. 

SATIN WEAVE is thick and lustrous with a heavy drape.

• Delaine (silk satin damask) is the silk that Sachi Kitagawa produces, made of warp and weft yarns, and is used for yuzen dyeing (painted with small brushes). It is thinner than crepe, but shiny, soft, and smooth to the touch.

• Jimon. The subtle pattern woven into the delaine and available in hundreds of styles. The pattern is woven uses different threads and weaving techniques. The pattern can be seen even on a plain white fabric, depending on the way light reflects off the fabric when it is viewed from an angle. Generally, fabrics with a jimon woven ground pattern are used for colored kimono. 

• Donsu. A satin weave with a clear pattern.

• Shuzu. A satin weave which is considered the basic weaving technique with a smooth texture and luster.