Noren

NOREN IS PART OF Japanese culture and tradition. The fabric partition has been used as signage or interior division. The first known usage of the word noren was in Zen textbooks in the Kamakura era. In the Edo era, with progress in dyeing and weaving technology, noren became widely used by the general public. Inside or outside, ordinary or extraordinary, noren gently provides a separation of space. Today, with a need for more global understanding and respect for diversity, we aim to take the notion of noren, swinging and swaying, as an alternative to building walls of separation. This is the “yura-yura” concept a project involving various members in dyeing, design, weaving and photography.

Kontetsu and Shin Nakamura are 3rd and 4th generation members of Nakamura Inc., producers of kimono. Recently Kontetsu had been planning traditional-culture events aimed at the next generation, and Nakamura Inc. is promoting projects for a new standard for noren.