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Kasuri is a textile-making technique. Threads are dyed beforehand in specific configurations so that patterns appear when the fabric is woven through either the weft threads, warp threads, or both. Kasuri techniques are said to have originated in India, from where it then spread across the world; the weaving technique came to Japan through Okinawa. Kurume Kasuri was created by a young woman named Den Inoue around the year 1800, and refers to kasuri fabric that is woven in the former Kurume feudal domain (which includes the modern-day towns of Hirokawa, Chikugo, and Yame). Currently, fewer than 20 Kurume Kasuri weavers remain, the production area unique in the wide variety of weaving techniques among makers, which range from traditional hand-weaving and indigo-dying to power shuttle loom-weaving.

Established in 1898, Nomura Textile is a long-standing weaver located in Hirokawa Town, Fukuoka Prefecture. A traditional maker with high technical skills, Nomura Textile weaves highly difficult weft-warp kasuri patterns as well as classic Kurume Kasuri patterns. The company machine-weaves and uses chemical dyes, but dyes its own threads, a process other Kurume Kasuri weavers often outsource. And though the kasuri is machine-woven, Nomura Textile uses 100 year-old Toyota automatic looms to create their fabric. One craftsperson is assigned to four looms to make adjustments — operating and maintaining each machine with care.

Making Kurume Kasuri requires about 30 distinct steps from the initial dyeing to final weaving. Tour the impressive Nomura Textile factory under the guidance of its owner, Shutaro Nomura, who will provide easy-to-understand explanations of how Kurume Kasuri is made.

The Azuma bag is said to have originated in the Edo Period, when common folk created simple bags from leftover hand towels and kimono fabric after seeing Westerners’ bags. Azuma bags made from 100% cotton Kurume Kasuri can be folded into a compact size and easily washed, making them an easy eco-friendly way to incorporate Kurume Kasuri into your lifestyle.