YASIMA's Brand spirit - Ryuichi Yagi Interview-

Since 1909, Yagi Shouten has been a dutiful craft shop for neckwear. For over 100 years, they have poured their hearts into crafting neckties and scarves, becoming a beloved brand for Japanese neckwear. And now, YASIMA is born to demonstrate the traditional art and techniques of “inden”.

YASIMA is a culmination of craftsmanship with its eyes set on the next 100 years.

In this article, allow us to enjoy a deep dive into Ryuichi Yagi’s mind, the fourth generation CEO of Yagi Shouten and the founder of YASIMA.

We are a family obsessed with new challenges.

Since our beginnings, creating new things have resonated with each of us.

So speaks Ryuichi, as he details the history of Yagi Shouten as it leads to the current day and YASIMA.

Yagi Shouten was founded by Yujiro Yagi as a necktie manufacturer in 1909. At the time, Japan was still in an era where kimonos were the norm and kimono makers had the most business.

<ictures of the founder, Yujiro Yagi, and a necktie market in Atami city>

While the Japanese had begun to wear neckties under the influence of western cultures at the dawn of the 20th century, the extent of their popularity was drastically different depending on the region and social class. Looking at historical texts, Yujiro Yagi was noted in documents and newspapers of the time to have helped popularize their use. Through Yujiro’s and his contemporaries’ efforts, neckties became a part of daily life by the mid 20s, over a decade after the founding of Yagi Shouten.

“We don’t know why Yujiro Yagi decided to create his business around neckties. But I do know that we are a family obsessed with new challenges,”

states Ryuichi Yagi, the current head.
A brief look at Yagi Shouten’s history attests to this claim, as the third CEO had also been proactive by buying and renovating a textile shop in the esteemed Nishijin district in Kyoto, famous for their colorful Nishijin textiles, into a necktie factory. He did the same in Shiga Prefecture’s Ōmi-Imazu, an area next to Lake Biwako renowned for their Takashima Chizimi Cotton textiles.

“Even reflecting on my own self, I know that I am an intrinsically curious person and love new things. I believe my predecessors all bore the same characteristics.” Ryuichi remarks. “The actions and ideas my forefathers presented have shaped me into who I am today.”

Actions taken to keep making art.
Encounters with foreign brands and talented designers.

When Ryuichi began helping around his family business, the demand for neckties in Japan was rising higher and higher. With competition at every corner, Yagi Shouten started selling neckties for unbelievably cheap prices at the cost of their own profits.

“There wasn’t a single necktie made by Yagi Shouten that I liked.”

“Neckties are supposed to be a fashion statement. They are shows of courtesy and etiquette, while displaying your own sensibilities.” professed Ryuichi. “I wanted to bring that sophistication to Yagi Shouten. I had to ask myself, what can I do? How can I use my skills to better the brand?”

His answer was his license deals with Marie Claire, and partnerships with TAKEO KIKUCHI and JUNKO SHIMADA.

His answer was his license deals with Marie Claire, and partnerships with TAKEO KIKUCHI and JUNKO SHIMADA.

In order to make neckties he dreamed of, Ryuichi decided on partnering with fashionistas and designers on the world stage. 

From here, Yagi Shouten began crafting for brands that required quality over quantity. Their first fated meeting was with the French magazine and fashion brand, Marie Claire, in 1937. After acquiring a contract with the brand, Yagi Shouten’s neckties were soon displayed in Marie Claire’s stores, which were already popular for their fashion accessories. Soon, neckties became a tasteful choice of a gift to many shoppers. 

From there, Yagi would collaborate with TAKEO KIKUCHI and JUNKO SHIMADA, two Japanese designers that had already made their name on the world stage. Their work together would further establish Yagi Shouten’s neckties as a high quality product.

Things take a turn, however, when the Japanese government starts pushing for “Cool Biz”, a trend that promotes casual fashion in workplaces. With a rapidly declining demand for neckties, Yagi Shouten had to think of a new product that would revitalize their business. It was then, Yagi Shouten found a certain traditional craft.

Discovering “inden” and the Beginning of YASIMA

“I find the new and novel by going out and experiencing what the trends are.” Yagi recounts.

It was one such outing where Ryuichi had his fateful meeting with “inden” in a department store. Smooth deer leather was lavished with traditional Japanese patterns in urushi lacquer and crafted into accessories and bags. The glimmering “inden” had charmed Ryuichi.

“I thought to myself, if I took necktie patterns and applied it to the “urushi”, it could become a new project.”

Through years of creating and marketing neckties, Ryuichi had a deep understanding of Japan’s craftspersons. With their skills and “inden”, Ryuichi was sure that what was created would succeed even across the seas. With that belief, Yagi Shouten began their new, unparalleled project.

<YASIMA’s first pattern, ICONIC, was inspired by their archive of necktie swatches.
YASIMA初のパターン、「ICONIC」はネクタイのスワッチアーカイブからの着想。>

YASIMA’s first “inden” pattern was made with influences from the collection of necktie pattern samples Yagi owned. While the smooth white deer skin was familiar, painting intricate patterns inspired by textiles was a first for any “urushi” lacquer painter, and at first they struggled to reach the level of quality Yagi and the craftspersons expected of themselves. But after several instances of trial and error, YASIMA had created a brand that was both traditional and modern.

With confidence in hand, YASIMA would face their next challenge, silk and urushi lacquer.

YASIMA products and their value as art

Painting urushi lacquer on silk textiles was an idea no one had thought to do. Silk on its own is capable of portraying thousands of colors and patterns after all. But by adding urushi lacquer into the equation, Ryuichi saw the aesthetic potential the finished product would hold. And while he was musing on what to do with the design, Ryuichi had the pleasure of meeting Mae Engelgeer, a Dutch textile designer, in Kyoto.

<A snapshot of Ryuichi Yagi and Mae Engelgeer discussing projects.
Behind them is a shelf, home to swatch books from over a century ago.
>

Mae’s subtle and harmonious textile designs had won the hearts of many, with her work being utilized and displayed in places like Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport. With her intuition and YASIMA’s technique, new possibilities were about to emerge.

<Above are tapestries of the patterns made in collaboration with Mae Engelgeer.Urushi lacquer gleams elegantly from where it is detailed onto its silk canvas.>

“May this artform become the Japanese heritage of tomorrow.”YASIMA and their story for the next 100 years."

Lacquer on silk was a concept so out of the box, their product was a one of a kind. With their new creation in hand, Ryuichi saw the endless possibilities the future held for artists and artisans alike.

“YASIMA’s products, while following traditional crafting methods, must be modern and artistic. It cannot be something that’s been done before,” asserts Ryuichi.

With a team of silk weavers and “inden” artisans, YASIMA takes steady steps to ensure quality at its finest. Corners are never cut, allowing the craftspersons to use their specialized skills to their fullest.

YASIMA has only just begun their venture for the next 100 years. Ryuichi Yagi is ready to illustrate the next chapter of Yagi Shouten history with his partnership with Mae Engelgeer, and all future ideas and endeavors.