Look at the heart of the flower and you will understand what is real.
Interview with Ichirindo's Owner: A Commitment to Materials and Craftsmanship
Selecting high-quality materials and utilizing techniques that bring out their full potential. While this may sound simple, achieving both without compromise in tsumami zaiku is surprisingly difficult.
This time, we delve into the core of Ichirindo's craftsmanship. We ask the owner about the types of materials and techniques used to transform them into flowers.
Everything Begins with the Fabric
Ichirindo's commitment starts with the materials. The main material used is an ultra-thin habutae silk woven in the Kawamata region of Fukushima Prefecture, known as "Kawamata habutae." The owner states, "Tsumami zaiku can be made from various materials, including cloth and chirimen. However, above all, we prioritize the fabric. To put it extremely, I believe that the quality of the finished product is almost entirely determined by the fabric."
Why such a strong emphasis on fabric? The answer lies in the very nature of tsumami zaiku as a handicraft.
Weaving Wet Threads Overnight – The Effort of "Nureyoko"
Kawamata habutae is special because it is woven using a technique called "Nureyoko" (wet weft).
The weft threads are thoroughly wetted overnight and then woven while still damp. This is a painstaking process that requires more than just a little effort. However, the fabric woven in this way becomes supple and dense, with tightly packed fibers that resist distortion both vertically and horizontally.
"Tsumami zaiku is a craft where small pieces of fabric are precisely pinched with fingertips to form shapes. Therefore, if the fabric itself has distortions or quirks, even the most skilled artisan cannot create a perfectly formed flower. A non-distorting fabric – that is the starting point for everything."
Kawamata habutae's brilliance lies in its ability to combine seemingly contradictory properties: being ultra-thin and delicate, yet possessing definite firmness.
Kawamata Silk Recognized by Global Fashion Houses
This "Nureyoko silk" from Kawamata is not only recognized in Japan but also by prestigious fashion houses in Europe as a high-quality material. Due to its light and beautiful texture, it is also known as "airy silk."
Ichirindo uses fabric woven by Konno Kigyo-jo, a Kawamata weaving mill.
"Choosing cheaper fabric would reduce costs. However, that wouldn't result in an Ichirindo flower. We are uncompromising about using reliable fabric from a trusted weaving mill."
Good flowers come from good fabric. Ichirindo's craftsmanship begins with this unwavering principle.
The Reason for Using "Starch Paste" Instead of Adhesive
After selecting good fabric, the next step is the technique for shaping it into a flower. Here, too, Ichirindo's commitment is evident.
To secure the petals, traditional starch paste is used. While most tsumami zaiku today are made with easy-to-use adhesives (bonds), Ichirindo deliberately upholds the time-consuming Edo-period technique.
"Bond adheres only to the surface where the fabric meets. However, starch paste penetrates the fabric."
Starch paste, containing moisture, permeates the fibers, adhering to the fabric across a surface – in other words, three-dimensionally. Because it provides support over a wide area rather than just at points, petals are less likely to detach, and the beauty is maintained for longer. While it requires more effort, the reliability of the craftsmanship is significantly different.
You Can Spot the Real Deal by Looking at the "Center of the Flower"
Now, here's a tip for distinguishing high-quality tsumami zaiku. The key lies in the center of the flower.
In making tsumami zaiku, the most difficult part is bringing the petals together and aligning the center perfectly. If this isn't done well, gaps or irregularities will appear in the center.
"When the center isn't aligned, we cover it with another part called a 'kashin' (flower core). That makes it look neat."
This means that some flowers with decorations in the center might be covering up irregularities. However—
"Ichirindo's flowers are neatly packed even in the center. So, there's no need to cover them with a kashin. You can see the tightly packed center as it is."
The fact that the center is tightly packed and its beauty can be displayed as is, is a testament to the skill. If you ever have the opportunity to pick up tsumami zaiku, please take a look at the very center of the flower. That's where the artisan's skill is most honestly revealed.
Conclusion
Choosing non-distorting fabric, meticulously shaping it with penetrating paste, and filling the center beautifully—each of Ichirindo's flowers embodies an uncompromising commitment to both materials and craftsmanship.
The quiet certainty residing at the heart of a small flower ornament is not about flashy decoration, but a beauty that subtly communicates itself when viewed up close.
We have explored the history, artisans, materials, and techniques thus far. The final installment will feature the story of the writer themselves, who conducted these interviews. It will be an afterword on how their perception changed after seeing many tsumami zaiku.