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Life of Okami's “Strenuous Efforts”

---Steps to the Opening of The website---

10. Sawaya Jyubei-san

        (Mr. Jyubei Sawaya)

I had one more encounter on the day of my meeting with ‘USHIKUBI-TSUMUGI'. That was a meeting with Mr. Jyubei Sawaya, the owner of ‘ Obi' shop at Nishijin.

At the event site, I came closer to a fabric with plain shadings and visiting Kimonos woven with specification of themes laid out accordingly. A plain fabric with shadings was as much fascinating as a colored one.

Brick color, grey color, rusted prawn brown color, were not showy, but gave incomparable, luxurious comfort.

I was stunned by the elaborate use of colors that could do this much apart from good texture.

The work of Jyubei is the one which is situated on the other extreme of the former works that showed absolute gorgeousness. His works gave a sense of western clothes, so to speak. They have colors and designs that could be used for one-piece dresses.

In other words, they are modern. I thought I liked this kind of Kimonos, but with no particular reason.

Jyubei's works showed power when they were worn, I thought was the same idea as with ‘USHIKUBI-TSUMUGI'. They both had a feeling of vitality.

Ms. Midori Sakai was a person who , as an advisor, explained Jyubei's works and gave advice to those who were interested in kimonos, ‘ how to wear these kimonos'.

Ms. Sakai, I thought at first, was just an ordinary lady, but gradually became the lady toward whom I started to feel something special in her.

At first, she brought only one kimono and obi which she knew would suit me, and they indeed suit me alright.

I wasn't quite satisfied with them yet , and tried the ones I thought would have fit me.

But I was convinced with the first ones that she had chosen , as they fitted me the most.

She was considerate enough to explain things technically and also very politely, but she never forced her advice to me.

She included her experience of her own kimono-life in her talk unconcernedly whose content drew my interest a lot.

“ At a party in overseas, one in kimono would be treated as a VIP”, so she told. She was a lady who would give others refreshing atmosphere.

I purchased a piece of obi called ‘ KARIKURA-SARASHINA' at a site-shop. It cost me more than 30,0000yen. It , I thought, was a big shopping . But I was confident enough of my justification. ( laugh)

After then, when I had it on, people came to me and said, “ I have never seen such a wonderful obi before” on the train, and other occasions , similar comments as well.

That obi really meant a lot to me.

Just to think of, I met with ‘ USHUIKUBI-TSUMUGI', Mr. Jyubei Sawaya and Ms. Midori Sakai all on the same day. It was a commemorative June 9.

After then, days of my search for ‘USHIKUBI-TSUMUGI' and of looking for communication with Mr. Jyubei Sawaya and Ms. Midori Sakai started.

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