Embarking on the Tokaido Road

23 Sep

⏳ 2 min read

Same time last month, I was driving all the way from Kyoto to Tokyo, following part of the old Tokaido highway. As I was driving, I promised myself that one day, I would walk it and visit each of the 53 stations along the way, just like Utagawa Hiroshige 190 years ago. All I need is 21 days of holiday and a good pair of shoes, right? Alright, it might not be tomorrow. But until then, I keep shaping this dream as I contemplate my collection of Tokaido-themed obi.

I’ve always loved looking at these woodblock prints and I think I literally squealed in the kimono store when I saw this obi! It was covered with so many of the scenes I admired on paper before! After that, I was lucky to find more obi showcasing Hiroshige’s work over the years and build a collection. I love looking at them and I wanted to keep them intact until I feel ready to transform them. And the time has come. I want to make them available for others to appreciate them as I transform them into new bags.

Let me show you…

It’s like playing find 7 differences when I was a child. I love analysing the motif and finding the artwork which inspired it. Each weaver will re-interpret a famous artwork with their own taste. But in this case, the artwork is so famous and there is such respect for it that it doesn’t vary so much. It’s a mild re-interpretation if I may say. The colour scheme is changed and some minor elements of the scene can be removed, or added, but it is always done in a way that serves the general layout of the motif on the obi, rather than pure willingness to change the original print.