The skills are alive with Kyoto Denim
An official social media account run by the government of Japan has celebrated one of the country’s denim brands. The government paid tribute to the Kyoto Denim brand, which has helped preserve artisan skills by applying them to denim as well as to traditional kimonos.
Kimono creation is an art in itself, with skilled craftspeople employing a hand-painting technique called ‘yuzen’ to decorate them. In the face of a fall in the use and purchase of kimonos, the brand began some years ago to employ ‘yuzen’ craftspeople to decorate denim.
A report in the Japan Times said that, at its peak in 1981, the kimono market was worth as much as $9 billion per year. By 2023, industry figures suggested a value of $1.6 billion. Other reports have said only 28% of women in Japan now own a kimono and most of those who do only wear them for very formal occasions.
Kyoto Denim offers jeans and denim gifts and souvenirs that are helping to keep ‘yuzen’ skills alive.
