Where Taboo Meets Tradition

Interview with Tanaka Den, Third-generation master artisan of Kyoto Nishijin weaving

Kyoto's Nishijin district traces its name to the Western Army's encampment during the Ōnin War. It is here that Tanaka Den, a weaving house with more than ninety years of history, has continued the craft of obi weaving across four generations.

For the creation of SUMIYOROSHI, a brand that brings together traditional Japanese tattoo culture and Nishijin weaving, founder Sezuki visited third-generation master Tanaka Den to discuss the collaboration.

Japanese tattooing has long been regarded as taboo, while Nishijin weaving represents one of Japan's most enduring traditional crafts. At first glance, these two traditions seem to belong to entirely different worlds. Yet through this collaboration, they found common ground.

As they explain, preserving tradition is not simply about protecting the past—it is about allowing it to take on new forms for the present.

"Nishijin"—A Name Rooted in the Sengoku Era

"The name Nishijin comes from Nishi, meaning 'West,' and Jin, meaning 'military encampment,'" Tanaka explains. "The Western Army was stationed here during the Ōnin War, and that's how the district came to be known as Nishijin."

The area's textile tradition has continued since the Muromachi period. In its earliest days, however, weaving was far from an industry. Everything was produced slowly by hand, one piece at a time.

"It wasn't until the Jacquard loom was introduced from France that production began on a larger scale."

Tanaka Den was founded in 1929 (Showa 4), when the first-generation master, Denkichi Tanaka, began weaving flags. Today, the workshop is led by its third generation, while preparations are already underway for the fourth generation to carry the craft forward.

"We haven't quite reached one hundred years yet," Tanaka says with a smile. "We've been doing this for just under ninety years."

His words are characteristically modest. Yet outside Japan, a family-run workshop approaching a century of continuous craftsmanship is exceptionally rare.

Den Tanaka, fourth-generation master of Tanaka Den, at the loom in the quiet of the workshop. Carrying forward the techniques of Nishijin weaving, he continues to weave contemporary sensibilities into a tradition passed down through generations.

Weaving Traditional Tattoo Motifs into Nishijin Textiles

For SUMIYOROSHI, Sezuki approached Tanaka Den with an unusual request: to translate the iconic UZU (whirlpool) motif of traditional Japanese tattooing into Nishijin-woven obi fabric.

"To be honest, I wasn't sure anyone in Japan would be willing to take on the project," Sezuki recalls.

Tattooing has long been regarded as taboo in Japan, making collaborations like this exceedingly uncommon.

Tanaka, however, accepted the challenge without hesitation.

"Since you came to us with the idea, I thought, let's give it a try."

Translating tattoo imagery into woven fabric required constant dialogue. Certain curves behave differently in weaving, and some expressions simply cannot be reproduced in thread.

"We talked through everything together—what could be done, what couldn't, and how we could make it work."

It was never simply a client commissioning a craftsman. It became a creative collaboration, shaped through mutual understanding and careful refinement.

The Depth of Black

During the conversation, Tanaka reflected on a time when the weaving house specialized in formal mourning obi.

"When my grandfather and father were running the business, we specialized almost exclusively in black obi for mourning dress."

Among them was a particularly distinctive finish known as Kodai Dorozome—an exceptionally deep black created through traditional dyeing techniques.

"Not all black is the same," Tanaka says. "There's a world of difference between an ordinary black and a truly deep black."

The richness of the color depends on the layers beneath it. Whether the yarn is first dyed red or blue before the final black dye is applied changes the depth and character of the finished color.

"Even though the finished fabric looks black, the color underneath changes its depth."

That same attention to black became an important part of the SUMIYOROSHI project.

"When we were creating the UZU obi, the black was completely different," Sezuki recalls.

It was more than a color.
It carried depth.
It absorbed light.

It possessed a quiet presence that echoed the restrained power found in traditional Japanese tattooing.

A Culture of Never Making the Same Piece Twice

Some Nishijin obi are intended to be one of a kind.

Tanaka points to the darari obi worn by maiko as an example.

"We're not allowed to make two exactly alike."

Particularly in vermilion flowing-water designs, each obi is created as a one-of-a-kind piece.

"If two maiko were to appear wearing the same obi, that simply wouldn't do."

For maiko's darari obi, creating the same design twice is simply not done. It is one of the traditions that has been passed down in Nishijin weaving.

This tradition resonates closely with SUMIYOROSHI's own approach: once a particular fabric has been used, it is never reproduced again.

The Obi, Unbound

As the interview continued, Tanaka began introducing a series of creations that challenged conventional ideas of what an obi could be.

An obi with a tiger emerging from the knot.
Another with a panda peeking over the wearer's shoulder.
A cat whose paws appear at the front when the obi is tied.
Reversible designs that reveal entirely different expressions depending on how they are worn.

None of them fit the conventional image of traditional craftsmanship.

"These days, I think people should be free to wear kimono however they like," Tanaka says.

In Japan, expressions such as kimono police are sometimes used to describe those who insist on strict rules of dress and etiquette.

Tanaka, however, sees things differently.
"When you see designs like these, you realize that it's okay to enjoy them freely."

That spirit resonates deeply with SUMIYOROSHI.

For him, innovation does not mean abandoning tradition.
It means giving tradition new ways to live.

Rows of obi fabrics fill the Tanaka Den workshop. From classic motifs to animals, yōkai, and pop-inspired designs, each piece reflects the belief that obi can be worn with greater freedom—expanding the creative possibilities of Nishijin weaving.

Where Taboo Meets Tradition

Japanese tattooing has long existed on the margins of society.
Nishijin weaving, by contrast, has been celebrated as one of Japan's foremost traditional crafts.

Yet through this collaboration, two traditions that once seemed worlds apart found common ground.

"It's really a crossover between two forms of art," Sezuki says.

Tanaka smiles in agreement.

"That's why we can do something like this."

When tradition meets tradition, something entirely new can emerge.

The collaboration between SUMIYOROSHI and Tanaka Den is not about redefining either craft. Rather, it is about discovering new possibilities while remaining true to the heritage each one carries.

Behind this collaboration lies the enduring pursuit of artisans who have continued weaving for more than ninety years.

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Interview: Sezuki
Photography: Eri Tsuruma
Text: Megumi Tamura