Kimono
Kyoto’s Textile Traditions: Weaving and Dyeing Centers
The Kyoto region has long been Japan’s center for luxury silk textiles, and this heritage underlies garments like the haori. In Kyoto’s historic Nishijin district, artisans have woven Nishijin-ori, a luxury brocade silk, for over a millennium. The Kyoto Prefecture notes that Nishijin-ori (named for the old “western camp” of Kyoto) was developed from techniques of the Heian period, brought by the Hata clan, and it has furnished fabric for kimono, obi, and decorative brocades . Rich woven patterns — including gold threads (kinran) and damask-like motifs — were signatures of Nishijin craftsmanship.
Kyoto was also the birthplace of advanced dyeing methods. During the Edo period, the yuzen technique was invented in Kyoto (often attributed to Miyazaki Yuzensai in the 17th century). Kyo-yuzen refers to hand-painted and stencil-based resist dyeing of silk, allowing painters to render intricate, multicolor pictorial patterns on kimono and haori . Additionally, the Tango region in northern Kyoto became famous for chirimen crepe. Tango chirimen is a silk crepe woven in fine, tightly twisted threads (undyed for later printing) – production of this supple fabric dates to the mid-Edo period . Both Nishijin weaving and Kyoto dyeing ensured that kimono and haori of this era could feature luxurious textures and brilliantly dyed floral motifs.
Textile Techniques: Chirimen, Yuzen, Rinzu, and More
Several specialized techniques give vintage haori their distinctive textures and designs. Among these are:
Chirimen (絹千目, crepe): A silk fabric made with heavily twisted weft threads to produce a crimped, pebbled surface . Chirimen crepe has been used for kimono and jackets since the Edo period; the Tango region of Kyoto became famous for undyed silk chirimen suitable for summer kimono .
Yūzen (友禅染): A Kyoto-origin dyeing method (late 17th c.) for detailed pictorial patterns. Yūzen may be applied freehand or by stencil, using rice paste resist to allow over-dyeing; it produces the vivid, narrative floral and scenic motifs characteristic of high-end kimono .
Rinzu (練): A satin- or twill-float weave resembling damask, typically used for formal garments and linings. Rinzu weaving (introduced from China in the 16th century) creates a subtle tone-on-tone pattern in the warp-faced silk . Vintage haori linings often use rinzu for its luxurious drape and sheen.
Kasuri (絣, “ikat”): A resist-dye weaving technique where yarns are dyed in patterns before weaving. When woven, the dyed threads create blurred or repetitive motifs on the cloth. Some mid-20th-century kimono and haori employed kasuri to produce geometric or floral patterns in the weave .
Each of these craft techniques contributes to the artistry of the haori’s fabric. For instance, a chirimen haori might bear a yuzen-painted peony, with a rinzu lining to catch the light, all reflecting Kyoto’s centuries-old textile expertise.