[Fujita Somenen] Live your life to the fullest and connect it to the future

You may have heard or seen the word Yuzen at least once.

However, the details are probably surprisingly little known.

Even I had only a vague idea of what Yuzen was until I came here to do some research.

This time, we visited Fujita Someen in Kyoto and learned about what Yuzen is.

First of all, to briefly explain what Yuzen is, it is a dyeing and weaving technique.

Its special feature is that it can create very beautiful patterns.

The delicate yet brilliant colors are reminiscent of Japanese paintings.

Yuzen can be broadly divided into two types: hand-painted Yuzen and kata-yuzen.

Hand-painted Yuzen, as the name suggests, is a technique in which artisans dye fabric by hand, while kata-yuzen is a technique in which artisans dye using stencils.

Fujita Someen, who we visited this time, specializes in kata-yuzen.

Kata-yuzen is suitable for mass production because it uses a mold, but because it follows the techniques of Yuzen, it goes through many steps.

We use many different colored glues and different stencils to dye the fabric.

Apparently it is common to use 100 stencils to dye one kimono.

Other processes include making colored glue and steaming the fabric to fix the color.

If the colors bleed or there is even the slightest misalignment, it cannot be sold as a product.

It is a series of extremely delicate tasks.

Even so, the craftsmen in front of my eyes were completing the incredible process with incredible concentration, and at an incredible speed.

In between work, I said to the craftsman, "You're working at an incredible speed," to which he replied, "I'm working slowly today so that it's easier to take photos (laughs)."

The skills of the craftsmen are truly amazing.

The workshop where the work is done is also a wonderful space.

The view of the two-story wooden building with workbenches stretching out into the distance is simply breathtaking.

It's a nostalgic yet sacred space.

It feels like this workshop is imbued with the spirit that the artisans have woven together.

This atmosphere, which has been cultivated over a long history, is present in each product, which is why all of Fujita Someen's products look so appealing.

During my conversation with the company's representative, Mr. Fujita, there was one thing he said that particularly made an impression on me.

The phrase is, "The future lies in extending the present."

We are in the continuous flow of time.

Therefore, we take it for granted that there is a future, and we take it for granted that we will have to think about tomorrow.

However, if we don't live our lives to the fullest in the present, there will be no future.

Learn from the past, live hard in the present, and as a result, traditions will be passed on to the future.

Fujita's words helped me to return to this basic truth.

When I think about tradition, I always find myself trapped in the past and the future.

It puts the present aside somewhere else.

What were our ancestors thinking? How should we leave it for the future? These are certainly perspectives we need to consider.

However, if we do not face the present seriously, all our efforts will be in vain.

I suddenly remembered something that the second generation Kabuki actor Nakamura Kichiemon once said: "If it is not constantly refined, it is not tradition."

These days, I feel that in this job that involves dealing with tradition, we must not forget to face the present.