Wada dyeing factory

2024年4月16日 23:11

Wada dyeing factory was founded in Hamamatsu, Japan in 1951 and has been dyeing "Enshu Sosogi Zome (Hamamatsu Chusen)" for three generations.　
Enshu Sosogi dyeing (Hamamatsu chusen), a dyeing technique, is a traditional craft of the Enshu, Japan.　
While inheriting traditional craftsmanship, we create Enshu Sosogi dyeing (Hamamatsu chusen) items that are suitable for various lifestyle scenes and make your daily life brighter and more comfortable.

What is Enshu Sosogi Zome cloth used for?

The length of the Chusen cloth is about 20 to 25m. You can cut the cloth to the required length and use it according to the purpose. It is used not only to dry one’s hands or face, but also for wrapping an item, cleaning, decoration, fashion accessory. It can be used for a wide variety of purposes.

Yukata

“Yukata” is casual cotton kimono. The Yukata has become a popular way of dressing for summer festivals. It is also worn in hot spring (Onsen) town and Ryokan etc. as a bathrobe.

Tenugui

“Tenugui” is Japan's traditional hand towel. It is a rectangular piece of cloth with a length of 1m. It is used not only to dry one’s hands or face, but also for wrapping an item, cleaning, decoration, fashion accessory. Tenugui is also used for kendo. Tenugui can be used for a wide variety of purposes.

Enshu Sosogi Zome (Hamamatsu Chusen)

“Enshu Sosogi Zome” uses “Chusen” method. The “Chusen” is dyeing technique unique to Japan. It was invented in the Meiji era and means “Pouring dye” from kettle onto the fabric. Using the method of Chusen, artisans outline designs with a resistant paste and then pour dye onto the cloth. The dye bleeds through the fabric, so multiple layers of cloth can be produced with the same design. The material of the cloth dyed by Chusen is mainly cotton.

What are features of Enshu Sosogi Zome (Hamamatsu Chusen)?

Here are some features of Chusen. Chusen is characterized by multicolored dyeing with a profound touch created by an ombre effect of dye bleeding. The Chusen-dyed cloth has no front and back, because each strand of cotton is dyed all the way through. So, the cloth does not become hard and has excellent water absorption and quick drying properties. The width of the fabric is also characteristic. We use a narrow plain weave fabric called “kohaba” with a width of about 35 cm to 40 cm. It's the perfect width to make a kimono without waste.

How to dye?

Chusen is dyed by skilled craftsmen.

1. Place the Katagami (stencil paper) on the fabric and spread a resistant paste. Then, the fabric is folded and layered. Repeat this process. The place where the resistant paste is put is not dyed.

2. Place the fabric on the dyeing table. Pour the dye with a Yakan (kettle) from the top. Turn the fabric over and do the same process again. When dyeing multiple colors at the same time, make a bank with the resistant paste so that the dyes do not mix. When creating a blur (gradation), pour two colors of dye in one place at the same time.