Nagoya Yuzen,  Traditional Artisan
Mitsuhisa Horibe 

Mr.Mitsuhisa Horibe was born in Nagoya in 1947. This traditional artisan’s techniques were
patented in 1986, and Mr. Horibe has been accredited as a traditional Japanese craftsman since
1994. In 1997, he was appointed Chairman of the Nagoya Yuzen dyeing craft cooperatives.
He is the Federal Director of the Nagoya Yuzen Black Montsuki cooperatives, and President
of the Nagoya Yuzen Dyeing Craft Co-op. In 2003 Mr Horibe won the National Komon Yuzen
Dyeing Association’s small and medium enterprises award.

 50 years on the path to perfection
この道50年…仕事をしながら学び、ここまできました

—（Chris Glenn）How many generations of traditional dyer are you?
    （クリス グレン）堀部さんは、何代目ですか？

    I’m the second generation.
    私は、二代目です。 

—What made you take up Yuzen dying techniques?
    友禅師になった、きっかけは？

There wasn’t any particular reason, it happened naturally. I started
on this road over 50 years ago. At that time my parents were dyeing
craftsmen, and so it seemed natural that I would succeed them.
I was one of three children. My younger sister got married, my elder
brother wasn’t interested indoing this work, and so I automatically
inherited the tradition.

特にきっかけというのはなくて、自然にですね。この道に入って50年以上
経ちますけど、その頃は、親が職人をやっていれば、その子供の中の誰か
一人は跡を継ぐといいう時代でした。私は兄と妹と私の三人兄弟なんですが
女の子は、お嫁にいく時代でしたし、兄はこの仕事をやりたくないというし
結局、私が自然に跡を継ぐという形になりました。

—Horibe San, your style of dying is a hand painted technique,
                                                      so I guess you have a natural artistic sense.
    堀部さんは「手描き」友禅ですから、もともと絵のセンスがあったんでしょうね？ 

Nothing of the sort! (Laughs) I was supposed to have undertaken training from a younger age,
however the situation was the family business was very busy, and so I learned on the job.

そんなの全然ないですよ（笑）本当は修行に出るはずだったんですが、家の仕事が忙しくて
修行に行ける状態ではありませんでした。だから結局、仕事をしながら学びました。

>>CONTINUE

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