Genbei Yamaguchi
Tenth-generation head of Kyoto's 285-year-old Kondaya Genbei, reviving rare silk and obi-weaving techniques for the modern kimono.
Veronica's Take
In Kyoto, Genbei Yamaguchi, the tenth-generation head of the 285-year-old Kondaya Genbei, is a shokunin on a mission to drag the ancient art of obi weaving into the modern era. Born in 1948, he painstakingly revived the near-extinct Koishimaru silk, a fabric once reserved for the imperial family, while fiercely insisting that tradition only endures if it evolves. His work honors the past while refusing to let it become a museum piece, proving that the future of kimono lies in the hands of those who dare to innovate.
He revived a near-extinct Koishimaru silk and drags his 18th-century obi house forward, insisting tradition only survives if it refuses to sit still.
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The people behind Genbei Yamaguchi
Genbei Yamaguchi
profileObi & Silk Weaving
Tenth-generation head of Kyoto's 285-year-old Kondaya Genbei, reviving rare silk and obi-weaving techniques for the modern kimono.
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