SBRICK is a place that once served as a spinning mill, producing yarn and fabric and supporting the development of Sumoto. Even now, with its changed role, it has evolved into a place where various people, things, and events intersect, giving rise to new creations. Drawing on these memories of the past and its modern role, the tenugui brand "NijiyuraThe event "From the Spinning Mill to the Hand Towel Festival" was held.
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Swaying gently, lightly and softly.
Nakani Co., Ltd.The tenugui brand created byNijiyuraBased in Sakai, Osaka, they continue to produce tenugui (Japanese hand towels) using the traditional chusen dyeing technique.
The Chusen dyeing technique, which involves pouring dye onto fabric and embracing the resulting "bleeding" and "fluctuations," creates a unique expression where no two pieces are exactly alike. In everyday life—wiping, wrapping, decorating—it resonates with the individual sensibilities of each user and has been cherished across generations.
This is the third collaboration with SBRICK. To allow visitors to fully experience the charm of the tenugui (Japanese hand towels) created by Nijiyura, symbolic spatial designs have been incorporated into the entrance and hall.
Over 70 long rolls of tenugui fabric. The colors sway gently and subtly, creating a light and airy feeling just by looking at them.
Right in front of the iconic hall was Nijiyura's pop-up shop. From the moment it opened, it was bustling with people constantly choosing their tenugui (Japanese hand towels).
“Experience "blurring" and "fluctuation" themselves.
In front of the pop-up shop was a "dyeing workshop" where participants could experience "chusen," a dyeing technique that is a signature of Nijiyura. As the name suggests, it is a technique in which dye is poured onto cloth, and it is a technique that originated in Osaka in the early Meiji period when the demand for tenugui (Japanese hand towels) increased.
By layering bleached cotton cloth, treated with a resist paste, in an accordion-like fashion, and then pouring dye over it using a watering can, you can dye 30 to 40 tenugui (Japanese hand towels) at once.
Nijiyura told me that this production method, which was based on a relentless focus on production efficiency even back then, is typical of people from Osaka.
Each participant picked up a watering can with their favorite dye and poured the color onto the fabric.
The slightest movement of the hand or the way the liquid is poured results in different colors. The experience of "bleeding" and "fluctuation," which perfectly embodies the brand name, was fascinating, and both adults and children were captivated, peering intently at the process.
Place the color, stroke by stroke.
To coincide with the event, an exhibition of works by artist Uta Kudo, who created the original artwork for the tenugui (Japanese hand towels), was also held. The exhibition, which showcased the process leading up to the creation of the tenugui artwork and featured her own paintings, was held at Craft Base from October 11th (Saturday) to November 9th (Sunday).
On the day of the "From Thread to Tenugui Festival," the process of gradually creating a work through live painting was made public. It was a different form of expression from "dyeing." As each brushstroke and color was applied and the painting took shape, it was as if Kudo's inner self was being directly reflected.
In stark contrast to the lively atmosphere of the dyeing workshop, visitors quietly stopped to observe the process. The contrast between the two spaces was pleasant, and it was striking to see people moving between them, seemingly enjoying the difference.
Ms. Kudo, who began her career as a painter after first exhibiting her work in the summer of 2024, said that this live painting was her first attempt at such an event. In addition to this day, the painting was completed over four days and will be on display at Craft Base until the end of the year.
A market that inspires creativity！
This time, in addition to "Nijiyura," there's also a "Market from Thread to Tenugui" corner featuring a variety of shops related to thread and fabric.
MONDOFIL, who came all the way from Kyoto, sells yarns and wools that are fun to knit with and also cute as interior decorations. They finish the yarn itself into a work of art.
These colorful yarns, which are sure to bring a smile to your face, are from nijiyarn in Kobe. Their original hand-dyed yarns and blended yarns were particularly eye-catching.
People were seen picking up materials, comparing colors, and asking the shop owner about their uses. Some must have felt a new surge of creative energy from encountering these materials. The atmosphere was such that you could feel the charm of the threads and fabrics themselves, and be tempted to take the first step into the world of crafting.
From yarn to tenugui (Japanese hand towels) market
・Sasasa
・MONDOFIL
・nijiyarn
・Filledwith
・Happy MONO Futatsuki
・dandelion
Wrap it up and enjoy!
One of the highlights of any event is, of course, delicious food. Four local restaurants from Awaji Island came to participate in a corner titled "Tsutsumu Shokudo" (Wrapping Diner), a play on words using a tenugui (Japanese hand towel).
Awaji Island Blues set up a stall selling their popular "dashimaki tamago" (rolled omelet). People were captivated by the skillful way the omelets were rolled up!
MameharuThese are Japanese sweets filled with red bean paste, such as daifuku and dorayaki. It truly embodies the word "wrap"!
It was popular as a snack to go with alcohol.EXODUS Awaji IslandThese are handmade dumplings. Some people apparently enjoyed them with a drink or two!
Drinking horse from noonMr.L'Esprit de GlycineFrom [Name]'s special unit, Purple Horse, there will also be event-exclusive tacos!
From rolled omelets and dumplings to tacos and even Japanese sweets, the delicious aromas drew people in, causing them to stop and chat with the shop owners. The atmosphere was relaxed and cheerful, with people even enjoying a drink in the middle of the day!
Tsutsumu Shokudo
・Awaji Island Blues
・Purple horse (Drinking horse from noon、L'Esprit de Glycine）
・EXODUS Awaji Island
・Mameharu
Dyeers, painters, material makers, and those who deliver delicious food. People from different fields gathered in the same place, each carrying out their own activities while spending time together. Red and yellow dyes, like those used in the traditional Japanese dyeing technique, swayed, blurred, and overlapped on the fabric. Those who were involved and those who visited gently interacted, creating a comfortable atmosphere that is characteristic of S BRICK.
