SHIMA-SHIMA

STRIPE-STRIPE

Kokura-ori, a unique product of the Kokura feudal clan in the south of Japan,
was a textile produced at the beginning of the 17th century.
It is a vertically striped cotton cloth that was prized throughout Japan
to make the hakama (a long pleated skirt worn over the kimono)
and the obi (a broad sash for the kimono).
It is thick and strong but has a soft texture. The use of many warps creates
unique gentle color gradations, giving the vertical stripes a three-dimensional effect.
Kokura-ori disappeared about eighty years ago but has been revived since 1984 by Noriko Tsuiki.
SHIMA-SHIMA by small batch machine production is an original brand designed by her.

designed by distinguished textile artist Noriko Tsuiki
and produced by Kokura Creation Inc.

Noriko Tsuiki

Dyeing and weaving artist Born in Kita-Kyushu City, Japan.
Was fascinated by traditional Noh costumes and decided to start dyeing
and weaving when she was a student at Waseda University in Tokyo.
In 1984, revived the traditional Kokura-ori fabric, which had disappeared in the early 20th century.
Has continued her distinctive work as an artist in the hand-crafts of spinning,
dyeing, and weaving.

KOKURA STRIPES is traditional cotton cloth, which was popular in Japan
from the Edo period (17C-19C). The fabric named after its town of production
in the southwestern Japan is soft and strong and was
originally used for hakama(kilts for men) and obi(sashes) of samurai.
Woven with pre-dyed cotton yarn, technically much more warp than weft,
the cloth shows clear vertical stripes(shima) and the marvelous
three-dimensional effect the stripes create is the most distinctive feature of the weaving.
The production of the textile was, though, virtually ceased some 80 years ago
and the details of weaving were lost then. Falling in love with the
beauty of the strictly straightforward stripes, I spent many years to find out the technique
in ancient documents, which led to the revival of the
once extinct crafts and creation of a new form of traditional art to be
appreciated in the modern world.
Inspiration for the designs lies everywhere ——in changes of the seasons,
sound of rain, moonlight, stream of water, and sometimes even resonance of classical music.
For Kokura Cresation Inc.'s SHIMA-SHIMA, I am trying to offer stripes suitable
for their machine-woven cloth which is wider in shape and is made into much more
variety of goods and accessaries than my hand-weaving works, thus making traditional crafts
affordable to more costumers.
I wish the universal charm of KOKURA STRIPES would touch many people's hearts
over the world and believe that the challenge of SHIMA-SHIMA will help it.Noriko Tsuiki
Textile Artist, Regular Member of Japan Art Crafts Association,
Designer and Special Adviser of SHIMA-SHIMA

SHIMA-SHIMA is a brand of machine-woven KOKURA STRIPES cloth,
designed by distinguished textile artist Noriko Tsuiki
and produced by Kokura Creation Inc.

KOKURA CREATION INC.

3-1-107 Ohte-machi, Kokurakita-ku, Kitakyushu-city, Fukuoka, 803-0814 JAPAN
Tel +81 93 561 0700 Fax +81 93 561 9119

www.shima-shima.jp biz@shima-shima.jp