Photo/Illutration Fukumi Shimura’s work “Kojo sekisho” (Collection of the Shiga Prefectural Museum of Art)  

It has been a quarter-century since I first became enamored by the subtle allure of textiles.

It all began when I visited a weaver of Piña, a luxurious and delicate fabric made from fibers extracted from the leaves of the pineapple plant, while I was stationed in the Philippines as a correspondent.

The fabric is translucent and airy, but the threads are prone to break. I was amazed by the artisans’ exquisite and elegant craftsmanship.

In Indonesia, there is a textile called Ikat, which features beautiful, intricate patterns created by using a “kasuri” textile dyeing technique where the threads are dyed before weaving.

I’ll never forget a woman I met on an eastern Indonesian island. She would fold a small leaf, chew it, and as she spread it out, to my surprise, geometric patterns would emerge. The changing patterns made with each chew were then recreated with the threads.

My interest in Japanese textiles grew, and in my research, I discovered the “tsumugi” weaving works of dyer and weaver Fukumi Shimura. Kimono and obis woven with plant-dyed tsumugi yarns are beautiful and humble. As I appreciated more of her works at solo exhibitions, I’ve come to perceive a hidden strength in them.

This September, Shimura, a designated living national treasure, turned 100 years old.

A special exhibition celebrating her milestone is being held at the Okura Museum of Art in Tokyo. The exhibition traces her journey of about 70 years from the time she entered the field of dyeing and weaving to her works last year. The first kimono she wove, at age 34, has the deeply nuanced flavor of a blue abstract painting.

Shimura’s beloved indigo is created by fermenting “tadeai” (persicaria tinctoria, or Japanese indigo) leaves in jars. The color changes daily, fading from dark blue to pale greenish blue. This time, I saw for the first time a pale aqua color known as “kame nozoki,” which appears very rarely at the end of the graceful aging process.

The silk threads are dyed with plants and woven by hand. Shimura, who is also an essayist, writes that the best threads at the start of weaving are those that are vibrant, firm and dignified.

I aspire to be a person like those threads.

—The Asahi Shimbun, Nov. 24

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Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.

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