The sound of a loom as a lullaby

There is a reason why I find this sound soothing. In our workshop, we have long lived and worked in the same place. An 83-year-old craftsman who grew up in this environment told me the following.

‘When I woke up suddenly in the middle of the night and heard the sound of weaving, I thought, “Oh, my parents are still weaving,” and felt reassured. It was like a lullaby.’

The sound of hand weaving echoing through the home brought comfort to someone, became a memory, and supported their daily life.

The craftsmen who appear in the video

The individuals currently appearing in the video are primarily two individuals born in 1942 and 1947. Both are highly skilled artisans with decades of experience in the world of Nishijin weaving, and both have been awarded the Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold Rays with Rosette.
Since the filming is primarily conducted in the morning, younger weavers are engaged in other tasks, so the two individuals are the main focus of the footage. I believe that every stroke of their weaving reflects their determination to ‘preserve’ Nishijin weaving and their resolve to ‘pass it on.’
An interview with Tadao Okamoto is available below.When a group of artists from France visited us the other day, one of the musicians said he wanted to mix the sound of weaving. He recorded Tadao humming as he wove, saying, ‘This is it! This humming sounds so good!’
I can’t wait to hear the mix. You can hear his humming quietly on YouTube.
Click here for an interview with Tadao Okamoto, a Nishijin-ori Kinran Brocade craftsman.

下記は西陣織金襴の職人、岡本光雄へのインタビュー記事です。

As weavers, it is mainly the two of them, with the president occasionally making an appearance. As of July 2025, the vice presidentt has not yet been able to film a video.

This entire workshop is the culmination of the techniques of Nishijin craftsmen. The hand looms are old looms that are carefully maintained.While some parts are reinforced with fabric tape and repaired in our own unique ways, the workshop originally had craftsmen who built the looms, spun the thread, dyed it, warped the threads, made the heddles, created the jacquard patterns, and constructed the direct-drive mechanisms. It is through the collaborative efforts of these various craftsmen that the weaving landscape of this workshop has been created.
We have a duty to pass down and preserve the techniques of the craftsmen involved in Nishijin weaving for future generations.

Sharing the charm of Nishijin textiles with the world

We hope that this YouTube channel will spark your interest in Nishijin-ori Kinran Brocade. Of course, we also hope to meet new customers through this channel. But more than anything, we hope that the sounds and scenes of hand weaving will bring healing and inspiration to those who read this.
The Nishijin-ori we have inherited is not just about technique; it weaves together sound, daily life, and even the very air we breathe. Please take a moment to glimpse into this world.