Exploring Traditional Craftsmanship Vol.5 “Kaga Yuzen” | Ishikawa

Production Area: Ishikawa Prefecture

Nature in Painterly Detail —
The Refined Elegance of Kaga Yuzen

Ishikawa Prefecture retains many of the traditional handcrafting methods of the past. Blessed with a distinctive climate and culture, the region has preserved 36 different categories of traditional crafts over the centuries, including kimono, tea utensils, furnishings, and Japanese sundries. Among them, “Kaga Yuzen” stands out as a hand-dyeing tradition that gracefully captures the changing beauty of Japan’s natural scenery with a high degree of realism. Its foundation is the “Kaga gosai” (five traditional colors of Kaga): deep shades of crimson, indigo, ochre, green, and ancient purple. Characteristic techniques include “soto-bokashi” (gradation dyeing from dark at the edges to lighter in the center) to create depth, and “mushikui” (depicting leaves with deliberate insect-bite marks) to enhance the realism of nature’s beauty. Unlike the brilliantly ornate “Kyo Yuzen” of Kyoto, which often incorporates gold leaf, shibori, or embroidery, Kaga Yuzen relies almost entirely on dyeing to create its distinctive aesthetic world.

To explore the appeal of Kaga Yuzen, we visited master artisan Mr. Katsumasa Okuda, recognized as a “Contemporary Master Craftsman” in Japan. He is the third-generation head of Okuda Senshoku, a dyeing house founded in 1905, where the entire process—from design to dyeing and sewing—is carried out in-house. In 1955, he began training under his father, Mr. Katsuji Okuda, the second-generation master, and soon blossomed as a Kaga Yuzen artist. In 2010, he was honored with the Medal of Excellent Craftsmanship as a “Contemporary Master Craftsman,” and in 2014 received the prestigious Medal with Yellow Ribbon. At the age of 84 (as of our 2022 interview), he remains active as a Kaga Yuzen artist.

加賀友禅の歴史と京友禅との違い

Kaga Yuzen was firmly established and flourished when Miyazaki Yuzensai, the painter and founder of Kyo Yuzen, moved from Kyoto to Kanazawa, bringing with him bold design techniques.

Although both Kyo Yuzen and Kaga Yuzen trace their origins to Yuzensai, Mr. Okuda explained three distinctive features unique to Kaga Yuzen:

“First is the difference in historical background. Kyoto, being the Imperial capital, had to embody opulence and splendor. In contrast, Kaga was a land where samurai culture flourished, favoring subdued colors and a restrained elegance. Second, Kaga Yuzen expresses the beauty of nature—flowers, birds, and seasonal scenery—in a painterly manner. I believe women naturally develop a deep sensitivity to the beauty of plants. Because of this familiarity with the flowers of each season, people often feel that ‘Kaga Yuzen is gentle.’ The third is its coloring technique. The *saki-bokashi* (a gradation technique in which pale colors are applied inside and deeper tones at the edges, blending color from the center outward) is unique to Kaga Yuzen. This method is a clever way to make small patterns appear larger, while also giving the entire kimono a soft, gentle atmosphere.”

Rooted in generations of artisan wisdom

Once a common practice along the Asano River, Yuzen nagashi—a traditional process of rinsing off the paste resist and excess dye in a flowing river after dyeing—was essential in finishing the fabric. The colder the water, the more the fibers would tighten, resulting in ideal colors. Mr. Okuda is now one of the few artisans who has actually experienced this process during his apprenticeship years.

“In Kanazawa, there are 55 rivers with names. In the past, about 250 dyeing houses lined the riverbanks, all doing Yuzen nagashi. The river surface would bloom with patterns of Yuzen, creating an incredibly vibrant and beautiful sight. In winter, snow would sometimes pile up on our bodies as we worked, but the moment the dye washed away in the river and the floral patterns emerged was truly moving. These days, we use underground spring water from sacred Mt. Hakusan and wash indoors—life has become much easier,” he recalls.

Kaga Yuzen is a dyed textile art that takes shape through many handcrafting steps. Mr. Okuda says that its survival as a designated traditional craft owes much to the fact that the wisdom and dedication of generations of artisans were embraced by the local community.

“The artisans worked with all their heart to make something that would delight the wearer, and it was well loved by the local people. That’s a big reason it’s still here today. Of course, there are times when we think, ‘Let’s make something profitable!’—but even that is part of the effort,” he laughs. “It’s the artisans’ passion that has been conveyed, cherished, and passed down, allowing Kaga Yuzen to continue.”

The Aesthetic of “Not Overpainting”
Ultimate Beauty Found in Refinement

For Mr. Okuda, what matters most as an artisan is creating beauty meant to be worn—what in Japanese is called yō no bi (the beauty of utility). To ensure that a kimono is both beautiful when draped on the body and comfortable to wear, he values the techniques and designs rooted in Kaga Yuzen’s long tradition, along with the artisan’s handwork and heart.

“Some people tend to overwork their designs, but I find beauty in what has been pared down. A kimono is like a single scroll painting—essentially, it is moving art. I want the sight of it to bring joy both to those who see it and to those who wear it. That desire hasn’t changed from the past to the present.”

Founded in 1905, Okuda Senshoku has been carrying on Kaga Yuzen techniques for nearly 120 years. Mr. Okuda is registered as a Kaga Yuzen hand-painting artisan under the artist’s seal name “Katsu,” and he is equally accomplished in stencil dyeing and hand-printing techniques.

“These days, you see artist’s seals on kimono, but originally, kimono were everyday garments, so they didn’t have them. As times changed and kimono became luxury items, artisans began to compete in their creations, and a more artist-oriented mindset emerged. That’s when seals started to appear. There’s no strict distinction between ‘artisan’ and ‘artist,’ but if someone asks, ‘What’s your profession?’—doesn’t it sound cooler to say ‘Yuzen artist’ than ‘artisan’?”

An Emerging Artist Skilled in Delicate Patterns
Mr. Okuda’s Niece, Ms. Masako Okuda

At Okuda Senshoku, Mr. Okuda’s niece, Ms. Masako Okuda, is also active as a Kaga Yuzen artist. She has won the Grand Prix at the Kaga Yuzen Contest, creating beautiful Yuzen kimono distinguished by the gentle colors and sensibilities of a woman’s touch. Drawing on her background in oil painting and fashion design, she incorporates fresh perspectives into the traditional palette of Japanese aesthetics.

“The joy of Yuzen lies in the fact that you can literally wear a painting. Nowhere else in the world but in kimono can you drape yourself in a work of art. In creating a single piece, I use many colors, but even when I prepare the dyes, the results can vary with temperature and humidity, or with the steaming process and water temperature. The value of hand-dyeing is that no two pieces can ever be exactly the same—and that’s one of its greatest pleasures.”

In Kimono, “Ki” Stands for “Kimochi”
Creating Kimono that Move the Heart

At the height of Kaga Yuzen’s popularity, there were said to be around 250 artisans; today, the number has declined to about 125.

“Just like doctors, we artisans can only put our skills to use when there is work to be done,” says Mr. Okuda with characteristic humility. “The dyeing techniques I possess were passed down to me by my seniors, and the work itself comes from our customers. I’m deeply grateful to be able to continue creating kimono thanks to them.”

“Our job as artisans is to fulfill the wishes of those who will wear the kimono. My uncle used to say, ‘In kimono, the “ki” stands for kimochi—feeling or emotion.’ It’s a play on words in Japanese, but it carries an important truth: creating kimono that move the heart is essential. I will continue striving to make kimono that inspire people to think, ‘How beautiful,’ ‘How wonderful,’ and ‘I’d love to wear that.’”

Hand-Painted Yuzen Production Process

1. 1.図案作成
2. Preliminary Sketch (Shitae)
   • The white silk fabric is placed over the design draft, lit from below, and the outlines are traced using aobana—a blue pigment extracted from the petals of the Asiatic dayflower (tsuyukusa). Aobana lines disappear when rinsed with water.
3. Resist Paste Outlining（Itome-Nori Application）
   • To prevent colors from bleeding into each other, a paste made from steamed glutinous rice flour is placed into a piping tube and applied in fine lines. This resist paste serves as a barrier on the fabric surface.
4. Color Application (Saishiki)
   • Using brushes, various colors are applied inside the resist-outlined areas.
5. Pre-Steam Fixing (Shitamushi)
6. Area Masking (Nakaume)
   • Also called nori fuse, this step covers the painted areas with a softer, more viscous resist paste to protect them during background dyeing.
7. Background Dyeing (Jizome)
   • The ground color is applied using wide brushes. Achieving an even, streak-free result requires precise control over the amount of dye in the brush and the pressure applied, demanding concentration and skill.
8. Main Steaming (Hon-mushi)
   • Once the background has dried, the fabric is placed in a mushibako (steaming box) at 100°C for about an hour. The temperature and steaming time are adjusted depending on the fabric and dyes.
9. Washing (Mizu-arai)
   • The resist paste and excess dyes are removed under running water.
10. Finishing (Yunoshi)
    • The fabric is gently steamed, stretched to a consistent width, and finished as a *tanmono* (kimono bolt).

Stencil-Dyed Yuzen Production Process

1. Design Draft
2. Stencil Carving (Katagami Hori)
3. Mounting White Fabric onto Boards (Shiraji Ita-bari)
4. Color Matching
5. Stencil Application (Kataduke)
6. Area Masking (Fuse-Nori)
7. Background Dyeing (Jizome)
8. Main Steaming (Hon-mushi)
9. Washing (Mizu-arai)
10. Finishing (Yunoshi)

Akane-ya Archive Gallery

Within one section of the workshop, the Akane-ya Gallery offers visitors guided explanations of the Kaga Yuzen production process and hands-on experience areas. The gallery also provides a unique design-order service for creating original kamon (family crest–style emblems) inspired by floral motifs, incorporating AI (artificial intelligence) into the design process. Through conversation, the system draws out the client’s feelings and preferences, presenting design proposals on the spot.Once the design is finalized, a Kaga Yuzen artisan hand-paints it for delivery. The digital data is archived, enabling the creation of personal items—such as furoshiki wrapping cloths or bags—featuring your exclusive personal mark.

Akane-ya Archive Gallery
53-1 Satomicho, Kanazawa-shi, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan
TEL: +81-76-223-8555
Opening Hours: 10:00–17:00, Open every Saturday, Sunday & Public Holiday
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Related Article:Textile Encyclopedia／Kaga-Yuzen（Ishikawa)

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