Yoshiko Oshita
Tadao’s youngest sister. Her husband’s family was also an obi weaver and used to weave obi on a power loom. Later, she worked at Okamoto, where she was in charge of inspection and other work.
My memories of the Okamoto family, where I was born and raised, are that my parents worked very hard: dinner was served from 8:00 p.m., and after eating, my parents would go back to work and work until midnight. Because of this lifestyle, I wanted to slow down because weaving is hard work, and I wanted to marry a businessman. But I just didn’t know that even salaried workers had hard work. Now I am mainly engaged in inspecting fabrics, inspecting products, and preparing warp threads for splicing (suture splicing), etc. As someone who was born into a weaving family, I think this job suits me best. My neighbors envy me, saying, “It’s great that you can work even when you are old.
As the youngest child, I have always helped out with housework rather than family work, so I have not had much experience with yarn, but I have somehow learned to work with it from everyone who has taught me. I think threads are beautiful and I like to touch them. I feel excited when I am working at Joining warp, where I can touch the threads one after the other. I think thread is a living thing. If you cut corners even a little, the threads will break and things will go wrong. Also, even one bad thread among thousands of threads can cause damage. It is also important to keep the warp threads in good condition. It is important to pay close attention to every detail of the weaving process, and to be attentive to every detail at all times. Even after weaving is completed, we always try to do a careful and clean job to ensure that the fabrics, which are filled with the weavers’ thoughts and feelings, are delivered in good shape. I feel happy and rewarded when we are able to inspect the fabrics properly or when we are able to make a beautiful suspended joint. I am proud of the uniqueness and beauty of our gold brocade, which is hard to find elsewhere. Having been involved in this way, I am truly glad to have been born into the Okamoto family.
As for manufacturing, the temples that have been our customers for a long time are changing over with the times, so I think it is necessary to propose products that match the sensibilities of each generation. This is something that everyone, including the brokers, is thinking hard about. Various weavers, including our company, are trying various sales channels other than temples, but I don’t think it will be an easy task. I personally hope to help them for a long time, aiming to maintain the status quo. However, It’s fun because it’s a visible part of our company to sell a lot of small items that we originate. I was really happy when the Nishijin kinran brocade masks became a hit. I was too busy, though.
(Interviewed on November 13, 2023 / Text by Sakiyo Morimoto)
