The elegant Kyo Yuzen kimono is made using both hand-painted and die-dyed techniques. Among these, stencil dyeing uses many paper patterns cut out with delicate patterns and layers of color to create a beautiful world. Many people only see the finished product after it has been dyed, but the star of this article is the craftsman of the pattern. This is Takeshi Nishimura, a craftsman at Nishimura Yuzen Sculpture Shop, who has honed his excellent technique by specializing in Kyo Yuzen pattern carving.

I want to preserve Yuzen sculpture, which has fewer opportunities to be used.

When I visited the workshop, I was immediately struck by Mr. Nishimura's warm personality. However, when it comes to work, he looks like a different person as he approaches the light box (a work desk with a built-in light). You can feel the extraordinary concentration and spirit here as well.

According to Nishimura, the technique of Yuzen carving is said to have begun 400 or 500 years ago. On the other hand, in modern society where opportunities to wear kimonos are decreasing, there are fewer opportunities to utilize the skills of Yuzen carving. Furthermore, with the rise of technologies such as silk screen and inkjet printing, Yuzen carvings have become expensive, and there are fewer opportunities to communicate their quality.

``Either give up on the trends of the world, or not.This is a technology that has been around for 400 or 500 years, so even if it can't be spread right away, I want to make it useful to people,'' says Nishimura.

Overcoming adversity by changing materials

After receiving advice from those around him, Nishimura came up with the idea of ​​carving on different materials, such as leather and wood sheets, rather than paper. ``I will carve anything I can carve.I want to use my skills to pass down the art of Yuzen carving.''

Such enthusiasm led Yuzen carving to the next stage. Through trial and error, they created small leather goods and lighting equipment using wood sheets. Some items include items unique to modern times, such as tablet cases.

If people all over the world learn about the technology, new ideas will be added one after another, asking, ``Maybe we can do something like this?'' Nishimura feels that by intersecting new sensibilities with his own skills, he will be able to survive the waves of the times and continue to exist.

Shugendo is essential for creation.

What was surprising during our conversation was that Mr. Nishimura was a Shugendo. Since his father's time, he has continued to pursue Shugendo and continues to climb mountains. Shugendo is a belief in mountains.

"Even if a tree always stands in the same spot, its green color and amount of leaves will vary depending on the time of year. The same goes for the expression of flowers."

By training your mind and body in nature and actually seeing and feeling the delicate changes in nature, you can create richer expressions even in a single plant sculpture. In addition, Shugendo is essential for work, as it allows us to re-evaluate our daily lives and improve our mental health.

The reason why you can feel various atmospheres such as spirit and gentleness in his works is due not only to his mastery of sculptural skills, but also to his mental training and excellent powers of observation. Mr. Nishimura's Yuzen carving techniques have evolved to blend into modern life, and will continue to spread to the wider world.