[VILLAGE Report vol.2] Across the Strait to Hakata | Fukuoka Prefecture

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Last time, the journey began in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, a city by the strait. Directly across from it, just 700 meters over the water, is this issue’s village.

Kanmon Strait Across the Kanmon Pedestrian Tunnel Shimonoseki and Moji face each other. The walkable Kanmon Pedestrian Tunnel is only 780 meters long. This short distance has connected Honshu and Kyushu, and Japan and Asia.

7 traditional crafts recognized by the national government

In Fukuoka Prefecture, there are national traditional crafts designated by the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry in 7 categories. Hakata-ori textile, Hakata dolls, Koishiwara ware, Agano ware, Kurume kasuri, Yame Fukushima Buddhist altars, Yame lanterns.

In addition, there are 38 items of “local specialty folk crafts” designated by the prefectural governor. The criteria are that they have a rich local character, have a history of more than 50 years in their techniques and methods, and have continued to the present day.

So many forms of handcraft remain alive in a single prefecture. This is not unrelated to its history as a gateway to the Asian continent.

A pattern discovered by a 12-year-old girl

Kurume kasuri is a cotton textile passed down in the Chikugo region. About 200 years ago, it is said to have been conceived by Den Inoue the daughter of a farming family, after she noticed the mottled pattern that appeared on old clothing whose color had faded.

The threads are tied in advance and dyed in sections, and the pattern appears only when the fabric is woven. It is a technique in which the finished form is constructed entirely in the mind. A chance discovery has survived for more than two centuries.

The world found its value first

Koishiwara ware has a history of about 350 years. For a long time, it was tableware used only locally.

The turning point was Won the Grand Prix at the 1958 Brussels World’s Fair. From around the 1960s, this brought its name to wider recognition across Japan.

This order of events is worth remembering. The value was there from the beginning. It simply had not yet been found.

Hakata-ori textile was brought back by merchants

Hakata-ori textile was born and nurtured in Hakata, which flourished as the gateway to Kyushu. By arranging the warp threads densely and driving in thick weft threads, a firm, thick patterned fabric is created. It is said to make a crisp “kyu” sound when an obi is tightened.

The blessings of the soil and the blessings of the sea

Produced in the Yame area, Yame tea, especially gyokuro, has taken top honors many times at national tea competitions. It is said that the misty mountain terrain helps the leaves store their umami.

The strawberry Amaou takes its name from the initial sounds of “red, round, large, and delicious” in Japanese. It is an original variety that Fukuoka Prefecture developed over many years.

Good things already exist

Traveling through Fukuoka, you encounter the “real thing” wherever you go. Yet the voices of people quietly continuing to weave in small workshops rarely reach the outside world.

Just as it was with Koishiwara ware, being discovered can change the world. Value Village will take on that role.

Next issue: Saga, the village of ceramics.

References: Fukuoka Prefectural Government, “Traditional Crafts of Fukuoka Prefecture”; Crossroad Fukuoka, the official Fukuoka tourism information website; Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry

—The Value Village Editorial Team