The beauty of hand cutting

Ise katagami is a paper stencil made by cutting a design created by a designer into a shibukami made by combining Japanese paper with persimmon tannin. The stencil is used to dye designs and patterns on kimono and tenugui hand towels and has recently attracted attention as an artistic craft. Although nearly 90% of Ise katagami is produced in Suzuka City, Mie, a studio of a paper stencil maker is located in Katsushika, Tokyo. Masui Katagamiten has been in business for over 120 years. Kimiko Matsui is the fourth-generation heir.

Although her father told her to do whatever she wanted, after graduating from high school, she decided to take over the family business because she had seen her father run the family business for many years and she didn’t want it to end with his generation. After working for three years as an apprentice in a design studio, she returned to her father’s workshop. She first started by sharpening knives; it took her a year to learn how to sharpen them properly.

“Today, designs can be cut with a machine. But if we hand cut them by hand, we can make slight changes while cutting and create better designs.” Her father said little and let her just watch and learn. However, soon after Ms. Matsui became an apprentice, her father added some touches to his design, saying, “The designs you cut, if they are flowers, they are not in bloom. If they are butterflies, they are not flying.” He was amazed by how it turned out. “When we add some touches to the designs, we can make them come alive. I think that is the best part of hand cutting.”

Matsui Katagamiten
Kimiko Matsui
124-0012 3-27-3, Tateishi, Katsushika-ku, Tokyo
Tel: +81-(0)3-3693-1755
katagami.m@gmail.com
https://www.matui-katagami.com/