Daigo Terashima
(Terashima Yasutaro Shoten)

Terashima Yasutaro Shoten has been manufacturing “Kinginshi” in Kyoto since 1897. “Kinginshi” means golden or silver thread. Golden and silver threads made by craftsmen have been used in kimono and other textiles as the highest-grade material for a long time. Mr. Daigo Terashima is the 4th generation owner of Terashima Yasutaro Shoten.

Terashima Yasutaro Shoten has been manufacturing “Kinginshi” in Kyoto since 1897. “Kinginshi” means golden or silver thread. Golden and silver threads made by craftsmen have been used in kimono and other textiles as the highest-grade material for a long time. Mr. Daigo Terashima is the 4th generation owner of Terashima Yasutaro Shoten.

– Who uses your company’s threads?

In our case, they are used for kimono textile, for example Nishijin-ori. But they are used the most in manufacturing embroidery curtains for festivals. But the most popular items are the embroidery curtains for festivals. Such as the curtains of the famous Gion Festival, the Danjiri Festival in Kishiwada, Osaka, or the sumo wrestlers’ Keshō-mawashi which they wear during training or in competition and Kabuki costumes.

– So, they are used in prestigious places, aren’t they?

Yes, you are right. We have been using real gold leaf from Kanazawa to make our threads since my great-grandfather’s generation.

– How do you use gold leaf?

Simply put gold leaf is wrapped around the thread. It used to be manual work, but now we are using a machine. Even though it is a machine, the gears are like in Laputa in the Miyazaki’s movie.

You cut Japanese paper with gold leaf into small pieces. And the machine wraps it around the thread. When there are no gaps, a beautiful thread is created. And to make the gold leaf paper, the craftsmen manually paste the gold leaf one by one by drawing lacquer on Japanese paper. We used to cut it with something like a kitchen knife before, but now we cut it into thin pieces of 0.3 to 1.2 mm according to the width of the gold thread and wind it around the thread.

– Oh, I see. Does the quality of your work change depending on the creator?

Each step of the creating process which I mentioned earlier, working with the gold leaf, cutting, and twisting of the threads, is made independently by individual craftsmen. But every one of them is the last craftsman. I mean they’re all over 70 years old and I’m wondering what to do with the successors.

– 70 years old means someone has to take over soon, right?

Well, we have to do something now. There is little demand for gold thread made from gold leaf. It takes a lot of time and effort, and it’s a material that can only be used for expensive things such as the curtain of Gion Matsuri. However, I started an accessory brand called “TABANE” about five years ago because I couldn’t inherit the technology unless I made a way to sell it.

– Until now, it was sold as a material for making products, but now it can be sold directly to the customers who as it is. Is this something that has never been seen before?

I don’t think there has ever been a gold thread shop that did this. After all, it was only a material, so it hadn’t have any value until it became a woven fabric or embroidery. But it was great to realize that the gold thread itself is being appreciated.

– Indeed. So finally, what was the most impressive work you’ve ever used your golden thread for?

Since our product is basically a material, it is not usually mentioned, but they are used at various festivals all over Japan. Festival floats are treasures of the region. Therefore, as a thread shop, we are proud to help create a culture that is loved in those areas rather than trying to impress someone.

– The work of the local people and traditional craftsmen create together is invaluable.