<Swara Raffia: Ishii Craft>
When interviewing Sawara, I really wanted the Americans to come here.
That is “Ishii Craft”.
This is a place that manufactures and sells works that are certified as Chiba traditional crafts, such as hats, bags, and bracelets, using raffia from Madagascar.
This is the only place in Japan where Raffia operates as a company.
It Founded in Meiji 6.
Currently, she is the fourth generation of Ms.Tokiko, and she and her daughter are working together.
It seems that Ishii Craft was originally an umbrella shop that made “Janomegasa (paper umbrella-with a bull’s-eye design)” (umbrellas used in performing arts).
It seems that they were involved in the trade business of exporting it to Europe and the United States, but at that time they were invited by a buyer who fell in love with the technology of pasting the umbrella, and the predecessor began to work on raffia.
It is very interesting that the technology was used in a different business, and that technology is still being inherited.
What surprised me most was the elaborate thread-making.
One raffia is only 1m50cm, but one work cannot be completed with this length alone.
That’s why they make yarn by connecting them one by one, but this is also difficult.
Because the raffia has different thicknesses in the upper part and the lower part, it has to be connected according to that thickness.
Ms.Tokiko also mentioned, but it seems that the most troublesome part is thread making.
It seems that the work can be done in about a day if she only knits, but it will take about a week if she starts with yarn making.
It takes a lot of work.
However, the face that Ms.Tokiko talked about was very smiling and I understood that she really liked and enjoyed making this raffia.
Actually, the word “it was fun” was overflowing. It makes my heart warm.
It is such a raffia thread, but at first glance, it is about to snap. But it is not at all.
I actually tried pulling it, but it didn’t matter. I was surprised. I thought that this bag would never break. lol
It also dyed raffia by herself and it was very beautiful.
Although it is such raffia, it seems that export from Madagascar was banned from January 2020.
It is possible to export goods using raffia, but it is now impossible to export raffia fiber itself.
In that sense, this raffia is a more precious traditional craft.
So I asked her, “What’s the next supplier?”
“Unless at that time, I can not be determined that it will not be the time to purchase it, but it seems that it may be raffia made in the Philippines. After all, there is a possibility that the quality may deteriorate unlike Madagascar raffia,” she said.
I really felt that these restrictions on trade had a great impact on companies.
I would like them to inherit wonderful traditional crafts for a long time.
I was impressed by the warmth of the work and the warmth of Ms.Tokiko.
I heard a very good story, Thank you for your cooperation.
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