At Hitotsuya, we are seriously exploring the idea of “making natural dyeing a real profession.” What we are aiming for is not simply to work as traditional craft artists or handmade craft makers. Our goal is “natural dyeing as an industry.” To make that possible, however, we need a certain level of productivity and economic sustainability — in other words, we also have to think about cost.
At the same time, we also want to preserve the image and atmosphere that natural dyeing carries. For example, this includes the soft colors that come from natural dyes, and the quiet presence created by handwork. But balancing those qualities with “productivity” and “economic efficiency” is an extremely difficult challenge.
If we prioritize one thing, another seems to fall away. We thought about this problem again and again. Then we found a hint in the old machines from Japan’s Meiji period, which I saw at a museum.
During Japan’s Meiji period (1868–1912), the country pushed forward with rapid modernization under the slogan Shokusan Kogyo, meaning “to increase production and promote industry.” In a very short time, Japan developed infrastructure such as railways, roads, telephones, and postal systems. Based on this foundation, the government established model factories, especially in industries such as ironmaking and silk reeling, in an effort to modernize Japanese industry.
That may sound like a history textbook, and it can make Japan’s rush toward modernization feel rather bold and heroic. Of course, people may have different opinions about what happened and what it led to. But when I actually looked at machines from that time, they felt surprisingly simple and honest. If I were to compare them to musical instruments, I would say they had an almost “acoustic” quality.
They seemed to exist somewhere in the middle of the path from hand tools to machines. In particular, the machines related to silk thread and cotton thread had such human-like movements, and the things they produced carried such an atmosphere, that I instinctively felt, “This is exactly what can solve our problem!”
After that, I began searching for old machines almost like an enthusiast. At first, I thought that even if machines from the Meiji period were difficult to find, I might be able to locate machines made up until the middle of the Showa period — roughly the mid-20th century — if I searched online. But I was wrong. I made phone calls here and there, and even visited some places in person. Many people told me things like, “We were still making them until a few years ago, but the craftspeople are now elderly…” or “We can no longer even repair them because the parts are no longer available.” Even so, little by little, I have been collecting old machines — sometimes by finding them online, and sometimes by being introduced to people who are making restored versions.
This time, I would like to introduce a machine that winds thread from a skein onto a bobbin. It is truly something between a hand tool and a machine, and I find myself fascinated by its movements, which somehow still feel close to handwork. Please take a look.
Although this machine is made almost entirely of wood, it winds the thread onto the bobbin with remarkable accuracy. What surprised me most was the way the wound thread forms the shape shown in the photo below: the center of the bobbin is wound higher and thicker, while the upper and lower edges are wound lower and thinner. To think that this was achieved simply by making subtle differences in the grooves that guide the thread — honestly, it is truly astonishing.
This has become a rather long story, but Hitotsuya’s wish to make “natural dyeing as an industry” is connected to ideas that are often called “sustainable industry” or “the SDGs” today. It is somewhat ironic that one of the hints for this future was found in machines from the age of the Industrial Revolution — the very starting point of mass production and mass consumption.
Finally, at Hitotsuya, we will continue to challenge ourselves with new forms of making things through old machines. We will keep sharing our own approach to making things through Hitotsuya’s Activities. We would be grateful for your thoughts, advice, and encouragement.