Ginza Motoji is a store that conveys the charm of Japanese clothing that is suitable for modern life, and has fans of all generations, regardless of gender. We are conducting innovative initiatives to help both those who are familiar with kimono and those who are new to kimono understand more deeply the charms of kimono and its material, silk. That is "Platinum Boy Story".

Rare silkworm “Platinum Boy”
Dream silk made only from male threads

``Platinum Boy'' refers to the finest, purely domestic silkworm seeds. It is named ``Boy'' because it is a male-only silkworm breed. The threads spewed by male silkworms, which do not lay eggs, are long and thin. As a result, it has a texture that does not wrinkle easily, and when worn, it feels light and has an elegant luster and supple drape.

Japan once prospered through its silk industry, which played a major role in modernization and enriched Japan. However, most of the silk used in kimono is now imported, and the domestic supply rate for purely domestically produced silk is about 37%. In an effort to increase the production of high-quality pure domestic silk products, research led by the Dainippon Sericulture Society took the lead over 2007 years, and the result was Platinum Boy, a domestic silkworm species in which only male silkworms hatch. . In the spring of XNUMX, Hiroaki Izumiji, CEO and CEO of Ginza Motoji, which has a unique philosophy and aesthetic for kimonos, was the first to commercialize the ``threads of dreams'' that were born in this way.

“From silkworms to kimonos”
The wearer can participate and learn about the production process on-site.
Experiential project

One way to fully express the charm of silk is through the ``Platinum Boy Story,'' a consumer-participation project in which the wearer of the kimono takes part in raising silkworms, and then dyes the kimono to their liking. This is a project unique to Ginza Motoji, which includes a tour where you can experience how the white fabric that you were involved in was dyed in a variety of ways, from Edo Komon to Yuzen dyeing, and how the kimono is completed.

The tour schedule for "Platinum Boy Story" is to experience spring cocoon sericulture at a sericulture farm in May to June (Ibaraki Prefecture), experience sericulture and observe silk weaving in September (Gunma Prefecture), and make chirimen in November to December. Participants will tour a weaving factory and experience Hatcho twisting (in Shiga Prefecture), and around March of the following year, the white fabric will be completed and handed out to the participants. After that, you decide on the dye you like, take it again, and have the kimono tailored. In the future, there are plans to add a trip to the dyeing site, allowing the students to experience the kimono making process and the craftsmanship of the craftsmen even more.

For almost a year, participants feed silkworms, participate in the process of turning cocoons into thread and weaving them into cloth, and create their own kimono while observing and experiencing the process. This is where the excitement and joy reflected in a single kimono is born. We welcomed Terumi Hagiwara, a fashion director who experienced the ``Platinum Boy Story,'' and together with Keita Izumiji, her girlfriend from Ginza Motoji, we talked about the charms of kimonos and platinum boys.

It begins with the silkworm and ends with the wearer.
Experience “kimono creation” with a story

Hagiwara:I participated in the “Platinum Boy Story” tour in 2015. I participated as a journalist and a kimono lover, as I had a series in a kimono magazine. Four years later, today's kimono is one that was born from this tour.

Izumiji:Today, most Japanese kimonos are made from imported silk. In the early Showa period, there were 221 million sericulture farmers in Japan, but now there are only about 350, and the number of silk mills has decreased dramatically. Against this background, male silkworms, the ``dream silkworms,'' were researched and developed. It has been known for a long time that the cocoons of male silkworms are superior, and some people have been researching them for decades.

Silkworms and silk textiles are important industries that supported Japan's modernization. With this background in mind, we started this project with the hope that by learning about the process that goes into making a single kimono, you would be able to learn about the wonders of Japanese silk and the craftsmanship that goes into making a kimono.

Hagiwara:The ``Platinum Boy Story'' cloths come with certificates that include the names of the silkworm breeder, the sericulture farmer, the silk maker, the weaver, the dyer, and finally, the customer who will be the owner of the kimono. It's the ultimate haute couture, where the story begins with a silkworm and ends with the wearer.

Izumiji:Our goal is to create products that show our customers' faces so that they can be worn with peace of mind. When I was in the fifth grade of elementary school, I remember asking my father (founder of Ginza Motoji), "What are kimonos made of?" At that time, my father closed the store for two weeks, raised silkworms in the store, and once every two days he brought in mulberry leaves from Gunma Prefecture to raise them and let the students of Taimei Elementary School, where I attended, see them. He did something drastic. First of all, I would like you to know what kimonos are made of and how they are made.

Hagiwara:That's a wonderful story.

Hagiwara:The tour to visit the people and work involved in sericulture and silk weaving was fun and felt like a field trip for adults. It took two years for something like this to be completed, and even the wait was exciting. You look at it from the perspective of an insect called a silkworm, and then you nurture it and it becomes a creature. Being able to share that long time and skill with the craftsmen made it even more memorable. This is truly sustainable manufacturing that is needed in this day and age.

Izumiji:I'm happy. It would be best if you could feel the story behind the kimono, which is not mass production or mass consumption. If traditional crafts are lost, they are over. Currently, fewer people are engaged in manual labor. That's why we create our tours with the hope that by actually meeting and touching the creators, you will have an opportunity to think about traditional crafts. We believe that shining a light on the creators will also help foster successors. I believe that the next 10 years will be a decisive year in order to create an environment where young craftsmen can make a decent living.

Hagiwara:If you come to Ginza Motoji, you can learn about the various traditions of kimono weaving and dyeing, as well as the innovative expressions of today's craftsmen. It also appeals to the younger generation who are about to start wearing kimonos. I feel that ``Platinum Boy Story'' is also a valuable initiative that offers a lot of fun in creating your own kimono through fresh discoveries and unknown experiences.

Izumiji:Kimono is truly a wearable craft. After a year of touring, we would like to create an opportunity for everyone to gather together, wear the kimonos we have tailored, and have fun while looking back on our visits to various places.

Hagiwara:I would love to have a gathering where everyone can wear Platinum Boy and talk about their memories from the tour. It's interesting and I'm looking forward to seeing how other people have made their kimonos. I hope this will be helpful and make you want to make it again. Thank you very much for your interesting talk today.

(Titles omitted)

Hagiwara Terumi
fashion director
Every season, we cover designer collections and haute couture from around the world, including Milan and Paris. She contributes articles and columns to fashion magazines. She serves as a seminar lecturer at universities and vocational schools, and as a design contest judge. She has a reputation for fashion proposals that bring elegance to life. She has also expanded her interest in kimonos, and plans and proposes ways to incorporate them into everyday life in the same way she does fashion.

Motoji Keita
Ginza Motoji 2nd generation
Studied fashion at university in London and returned to Japan. In 2009 she joined Ginza Motoji. She is always taking on new challenges, from developing original products to planning ``Platinum Boy Story'' where customers can experience the process of making kimonos. He visits creators all over the country and is working on various initiatives to spread what he has seen and heard with his own eyes to a younger audience.

"Ginza Motoji Japanese weaving and Japanese dyeing"
``Wori'' is a store specializing in pongee and weaving, stocking unique pongee from all over Japan, as well as masterpieces designated as important intangible cultural properties.We propose pongee that fits modern lifestyles and townscapes.
As a dyeing specialty store, ``Wazome'' proposes sophisticated dyed kimonos that are elegant and have colors and patterns that are appropriate for today. Platinum Boy is available at "Wazome".

For more information on "Platinum Boy Story", please visit the following website.
https://www.motoji.co.jp/challenge/platinumboy/

4-8-12 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
03-3538-7878 (Japanese weaving) Tel. 03-3535-3888 (Japanese dyeing)
www.motoji.co.jp