The KURA gallery of ISSEY MIYAKE KYOTO presents KURA Exhibition “TYPE-VII Kouzoshi project.”

A-POC ABLE ISSEY MIYAKE announces the TYPE-VII Kouzoshi project in collaboration with Sansai.

Sansai is a member of the Sanwa Seishi Group in Tosa City, Kochi Prefecture. Utilizing locally grown Tosa kouzo, or Tosa mulberry trees, the company uses a paper-making technique handed down from the Edo period (1603-1868) to create dynamic initiatives to connect with a new generation. Since 2018, the Sansai company has been developing a completely new method of creating kouzowashi (kouzo paper), adapting the technique of washi production (Japanese paper) that is based on the strong conviction of the company’s founder, Toyoaki Morisawa, that “kouzo is the ultimate fiber.”

​Washi thread that is generally available starts off as roll paper and is mainly made from Manila hemp. It is then torn into slits and twisted to create ​washi thread, but Sansai makes ​washi thread through the world’s first manufacturing technique that strains and processes kouzo fibers directly into thread form. The company deploys a ground-breaking integrated manufacturing system that streamlines the process from growing kouzo to processing the raw material using original machines, and completes all manufacturing steps within the company, through to the fibers becoming thread.

Sansai’s passion for making kouzoshi (kouzo thread) resonated with the A-POC ABLE ISSEY MIYAKE team and led them to start working on a collaboration in late 2020. The TYPE-VII Kouzoshi project introduces the first ever process that weaves a piece of cloth from a single​ ​kouzoshi whilst passing on these traditional making techniques to the future.

Tosa is a paper-making City with a history of 1,000 years. Strong, light, and supple thread is born from kouzo vers in the Yamanashi Prefecture. Experience the passion and skill of those involved in kouzoshi making through the video footage and cloth samples presented.