Bbc Handmade In Japan Series 1 2of3 The Kimono ... Jun 2026

Shaw notes the eerie similarity to the Jacquard loom that birthed computer programming. "Babbage saw this," Shaw whispers, "he saw holes in cards and thought of mathematics. Here, those holes make a peacock's tail."

The BBC Four documentary (Series 1, Episode 2) provides a meditative, deep-dive into the creation of Oshima Tsumugi , a world-renowned silk fabric from the subtropical island of Amami Oshima . The Soul of the Craft: Mud-Dyed Silk BBC Handmade in Japan Series 1 2of3 The Kimono ...

Handmade in Japan: The Kimono is a masterclass in television storytelling. It asks a difficult question: What do we lose when a garment that took six months to make is replaced by a $10 polyester shirt? By the final frame—a slow zoom out on a master dyer working alone in his silent studio—the answer feels devastatingly clear. Shaw notes the eerie similarity to the Jacquard

Perhaps the most visceral segment of the film involves the (the wide belt). Fox travels to a specialist who demonstrates the ancient art of Obi-makura (the pillow tying). The camera lingers on the physical strain: the pull of the Himo (cords), the tightening of the Datejime (undersash), and the insertion of the Ita (bamboo boards) to keep the front perfectly flat. The Soul of the Craft: Mud-Dyed Silk Handmade