素もの　Vol.02 井上染物店

素朴屋のスタッフ全員が“ここぞ”という時に纏う半被。
本染めされた半被は、存在感もあり素朴屋の団結力を生んでいます。

そもそも本染めとは、染料を生地の繊維の奥まで浸透させて染める日本の伝統的な染色技法の総称です。本染めの特徴は、裏表なく美しく染まり、風合いの良さ、手触りの柔らかさ。基本的に、本染めは人の手で行います。染料を布に丁寧に染み込ませることで、深みのある温かさが生まれます。

この半被を染めていただいたのは、南アルプス市で江戸末期から「甲州武者のぼり、鯉のぼり」（現在は山梨県郷土伝統工芸品に認定）を染めてきた井上染物店さん。七代目の展弘さん曰く「落ち着いた印象、自然で、景色と一体化しやすく、どこか懐かしさを感じることができる色合いになりました」。

その時代の求めるデザインを、初代からの伝統を引き継いだ技法で丁寧に染め上げているからこそ、素朴であり奥深いものが生まれたのです。

Whenever there is an occasion that truly matters, every member of SOBOKUYA wears a happi coat.

These traditionally hand-dyed coats carry a strong presence and naturally foster a sense of unity within the team.

The Depth of “Hon-zome” (Traditional Hand Dyeing)

Hon-zome refers to a traditional Japanese dyeing method in which dye is deeply infused into the fibers of the fabric.
Unlike surface printing, the color penetrates to the core of the cloth, resulting in a finish that is beautifully consistent on both sides.

The characteristics of hon-zome are its rich texture, soft touch, and depth of color.
Fundamentally, it is a manual craft. By carefully working the dye into the fabric by hand, a warmth and subtle depth emerge—qualities that cannot be replicated by industrial processes.

Dyed in the Tradition of the Region

The happi coats worn by SOBOKUYA were dyed by Inoue Dye Works, a workshop in Minami-Alps City that has been producing Koshu musha-nobori (warrior banners) and koi-nobori (carp streamers) since the late Edo period.
Today, these works are officially recognized as traditional folk crafts of Yamanashi Prefecture.

According to the seventh-generation successor, Nobuhiro Inoue:

“We aimed for a calm impression—natural tones that blend easily with the surrounding landscape, evoking a sense of quiet nostalgia.”

Because each design responds to the needs of its time while being carefully dyed using techniques passed down since the founding generation, the result is something both simple and profound.

It is precisely through this continuity of tradition that a quiet depth is born.

写真は2025年の素朴屋の本社敷地でおこなわれた、地域に感謝を伝える「原木市」というイベントで、仕上がったばかりの半被を着る素朴屋のスタッフたち。本染めだからこそ、たくさんの人が着ていても、イベント風景としてもとても馴染んでいました。代表の今井はまるでずっと前から着ていたように自然と着こなしていました。

The photograph shows SOBOKUYA staff wearing their newly completed happi coats at “Genboku-Ichi” (Log Market)—a community event held in 2025 at SOBOKUYA’s headquarters to express gratitude to the local community.

Because they are hon-zome, even when worn by many people at once, the coats blended beautifully into the atmosphere of the event.
They felt entirely at home within the scenery.

CEO Hisashi Imai wore his coat as if it had always belonged to him—naturally, without effort.