Meet the craftsman - Mr. Ohazama's textile studio in Fukushima, Japan
On June, 2025, me and Erika arrived at Fukushima station, just an hour and a half from Tokyo by bullet train. We were kindly picked up by weaving craftsman, Mr. Kenichi Ohazama together to his home and studio in the quiet countryside.
Mr. Kenichi Ohazama
The moment I stepped into his studio, I felt like I’d entered another world. It was much larger than I expected, filled with old looms and shelves stacked high with colorful spools of thread. There was a certain stillness in the air—as if time had gently paused.
Mr. Ohazama told us that all of his looms date back to the Showa era (1926-1989). Just imagining how vibrant Japan’s textile industry must have been back then made me feel a deep respect for what he’s preserving.
Standing in front of one of the looms, I was struck by how each piece of fabric is made from thousands of threads, woven together in such a precise way. It's something so simple, yet we rarely think about it.
He explained how different weaving patterns and thread combinations can completely change the feel, weight, and texture of a fabric. Each decision he makes as a weaver—every thread he chooses—shapes the final result.
He showed us stacks of fabric samples he’s made over the decades, and even sketchbooks once used by his sensei, (master) Yoshitaka Yanagi, the son of Soetsu Yanagi, the founder of the mingei (民藝 - folk craft) movement in Japan. It honestly felt like standing in a small museum of textile history.
Mr. Ohazama is not just a craftsman. I thought he’s an artist. When I told him that, he just laughed shyly. He shared a story about Yanagi-sensei : “Even if you put a single plate on a table,” Yanagi would say, “you can get ten different design ideas from it.” That kind of perspective is rare and inspiring these days.
The visit made me think deeply. What is mingei today? What does it mean to make something by hand, with care? How can we preserve these traditions while finding new ways to bring them into our modern lives?
As we talked about the future, Mr. Ohazama smiled and said, “I can make anything.”
With those words in mind, we’re now looking forward to building something special together, new collaboration between his fabrics and Link Collective.
Looking forward to sharing more soon.
Kyoko
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東京駅から新幹線でわずか1時間半の福島駅から、迎えにきてくれた大狭さんの車に乗って自宅件工房にお邪魔しました。
思ったよりも広い工房の中には何台もの織物の機械やたくさんの糸の山があり、一瞬で全ての歴史がここにある事を感じさせる様な、少々現実離れした空間でした。
それぞれの織り機は昭和の時代からのものを使っているとの事。昭和初期の日本での繊維工業がいかに規模が大きかったのかを感じさせられました。
織り機に張り巡らされた沢山の糸。布地はこの全ての糸と糸の折り重なりでできいているという、当たり前の様で普段は考える事もないこの製作過程に圧倒されました。
織り機を使えば、糸の組み合わせによって様々な布地のテクスチャーや厚み、手触りなどを作る事ができるという事を教えて頂きました。
過去何十年にも渡って作ってきた何枚ものサンプルや、柳悦孝氏のスケッチブック等も見せて頂き、まさに日本の民藝の原点の様な資料の宝庫でした。まるで時計の針が止まった様な空間。大狭健市氏は、職人であり、アーティストの様にも感じました。
印象的だったのは、柳悦孝氏は、例えばテーブルにある1枚のお皿をみても、そこから10個以上の違うアイディアが思いつくという話。
民藝とは何か。手仕事とは何か。
現代の社会の中で忘れられて行く、本来あるべきもの作りへの情熱になど。大狭さんの工房を実施に見る事で、この積み上げられた技術や歴史をどう残し、伝えていくべきなのか。そしてそれを現代と未来に生かす事ができるのか。様々な事を深く考えさせられた貴重な時間でした。
帰り際、大狭さんは笑顔で「なんでも作れるから！」と一言。
その頼もしい言葉を胸に、彼の手で作り出す布とLink Collectiveの新しいコラボレーションが始まります。